Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-08-13

country, fruitful in great men, shouio Ike
to be informed how he obtained his pre-eml'
neuce; and ifhe be now the Spoiled child OF Tor
tune" what has made him SO bat the appoint
ment to Offices that require other talents tnan
those which he so pre-eminently displayed IN
action; Gen. Jackson's whole fame is military,
and was principally obtained at New CrieenS
and his single great achievement. consisted IN int
defence Of an entrenched camp, from when, ID
comparative security, bis troops poured ue.
s,ructive FIRE upou an assaiing enemy, "hoiiy
exposed. For his talents, energy, and promPu'
tude, in devising and preparing the best means
of resistance, and in controlling and rendering
effective the undiseplined forces under MS COM
mand, he merits all the plaudits and honours
which grateful country has bestowed. WIN
respect to his Indian warfare, have never been
able TO discover why his services should echPse
those Of Wayne, Sullivan, George Rogers
Clark, and other scourges of the western In
dams. The means which General Jackson pos
sessed, and the weakness and divisions OF the
tribes against which he fought, were such as 10
ensure success to any officer OF ordinary enter
prise, prudence, and courage. II is only neces-
sary to refer to the debates in Congress, on ques
lions Of expenditure growing out OF Zen. JACK
sons Indian campaigns, to see In what iSht
certain distinguished" members, particularly
from Virginia, viewed his services, and with
what sneeriug contempt they spoke OF his as,
sembl;ng formidable force, horse, loot, and
dragons" to chase ga few fugitive Redsticks In
,u Florida" (See Mr. p. P. Barhour's Speech }
The writer of this article has, probably, as
much genuine respect for the services oil zen.
Jackson, and as high an opinion OF his military
talents, as any efhis vociierous admirers. out
he conceives these services and these talents, as
far as they have been developed, to be entirely
military In the cfUil stations which he has hill
ed, mere mediocrity is all that can be justly as
cribed to them. Much as we venerate the
memory of the gallant, actire, and interchangeable
Marion, who ever thought OF ascrlblng to him
higher order of intellect than was possessed
by Jefferson, the elder Adams, or Patrick Hen
ry-the first distinguished for =" griing," and the
two last for "pubhc speaking" No officer OF
the Revolution was more distinguished Tor ac
lion than our partisan hero. Ii Washington
never suffered favourable opportunity to slip
for inflioling blow upon his enemy, neither
did Maron and in proportion TO their means
of annoyance or defence, both were equally ac-
the. Hamilton said, "Washing.on was the
first man, and Green the first soldier Of the Re
volution;" and it was the private request OF
Washington, made to Congress, in the event oil
his death, that Greene should succeed him in
command. Yet who ever believed, that If
Washington had fallen, and the glorious tri>
| umph OF Yorktown had been consummated by
Green, that the latter would have been called 10
the high ciuH station occupied by the former,
in preference 10 those who had been rs pre-em-
inent in council, as Greene had been in action.
"Public speaking being more Immediately
connected with human action, than writings,
MIR. M'Duffe awards superiority Tor govern
ment to Mr.. Clay over Mr.. Adams, though he
regards the former, as "Hitle more than a popular
deciaimer;" so that Mr. Adams's claims to in
tellecl must be extremely small. He tells US,
indeed, that {" he has not left single memorial
of diplomatic skill on record, unless we regard
as such the public documents which show the
enormous amount Of public treasure which he
has drawn as compensation tor his services.
The dilemma from which his pen, once all pow
erful, extrica:ed General Jackson, seems to have
been forgotten Will Mr.. MDufie, in his
next festival Grafton, explain how Mr.. Adams,
with his feeble intellect, conlrlved to deceive
Washington. jefferson, Madison, and Monroe,
into belief that he actually possessed dpio-
matte skill! All these sagacious statesmen in
trusted him with important negotiations, and
we hear nothing OF his recall or removal, excep,
in one instance, when MIR. Monroe, probably
dissatisfied with his conduct abroad, removed
him from the Court Of Russia; and to prevent
his doing any more mischief to our diplomatic
affairs, gave him the Department Of State for
eight years! But we now have it, on high au,
ihority, that John Quincy Adams, President OF
these United States, is far inferior, in point OF
intellect, 10 our "popular declaimers" in village
court.housss s, and on old field stumps Serious
ly, did Mr.. M'DuAie suppose his hearers had
lost their senses, or had he taken leave Of his
own?
fever that man lived who had reason to ex-
claim, "save me from my frieeds, and will
take care of my enemies" it is Andrew Jack
son. No man knows better, or more jeeiingiy,
than Mr.. M'Duffie, by whom and by Uhat means
Mr.. Crawford's prospects were early blasted.
The attack made upon Mr.. Monroe, early in
his second term, by those whom Mr.. Crawford
caleld his " indiscreet friends" in Georgia,
must have been fresh in the recollection of the
speaker, and I marvel much that he should
have taken the same path which he knew had