Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-10-07
To the Editor sfihe National Journal.
NASHVILLE. 18th SEPT. 1880.

lie men. NV present purpose IS to give a ore'
biographical sketch of one of the highest function
aries Of this country-in doing 40. l shall ehaea-
your to be controlled BY the %strictest regard 10
truth. know Of no one whose real characteraP-
pears TO be so wholly misunderstood as that o. tue
present Secretary Of War. John IL. Eaton.
have known him upwards of twenty years. and
confess that no circumstance IN the history Oh my
coun,ry has astonished me more than his eleVa.
ton 10 the office he now holds, he ~ a man Oh
very limited talents, exceedingly indolent, and
entirely destitute Of information on mliit7 ny SUB.
;ects. He never saw one days service, nor could
he act a squadron in the field to save his country
from ruin. Although, by mere accident. he held
the Office of Senator from Tennessee upwards OF
ten wears, vet, in a%ll,tEat time his best friends
cannot point to any important national subject
brought forward by him: nor does the records O
the nation furnish any evidence of his having sus.
tanned a measure with any ability. John II. Ea-
ton settled in Tennessee about the year 1910, and
was considered a second rate county court law
yer. with scarcely any business. In December
1879, General jackson afforded him an opportu-
nifty of serving his country. by Offering him the
appointment Of Abide Camp. which he declined
accepting, preterring the safety and repose of a
chinney-c0rner to the dangers aud privations OF
a camp-life. Until 1916, Major Eaton spent his
time liz idleness and 0bscurity. In the winter OF
that year. Major John Reed. who was engaged in
writing the history of General Jackson, departed
this life, and Major Eaton undertook to finish the
book. The task was not difficult, for he had ac-
cess to all the official papers Of General Jackson
"a long time elapsed before the book made its
appearances. 1t Vas badly written, consisting Of
weak. fulsome eulugiums Of General Jackson
1t was sufficient, however, to secure to him
the friendship Of the General and his parti-
sans, who became anxious for his political eleva-
ton. The first effort that was made IN that way.
was considered rather a damper on his future
prospects. He became a candidate tn represent
the county where he resided. in the State LIesls-
iature, and obtained less than two hundred votes
out of two thousand. After THIS defeat he re-
manned IN private life, without any hope or ex-
p~ectati0n Of promotion, until the summer Of 1878.
George w. Campbell, ESQ. who was then aSena-
tor in Congress from this state, was appointed
Minister to Russia. and ii became the duty OF The
Governor TO appoint a successor. The appoint
ment was rendered. AS was then understood, to
two Of our citizens successfully, who declined &C
cepting it. General Jackson and number OF peo-
pie from Tennessee. we're attending a land sale
at Florence. Alabama. and hearing of the yacan-
cy, determined 70 recommend Eaton. Seated on
a VI ib tS "NN'Ics iNNNilifWbiNN " - wv W
good old whiskey to eniiven their spirits. a recon-
mendation was drawn up and signed by the par
". thus had the desired effect, and he was ap-
pointed il Senator. Eaton was then so little known
that an inquiry was made of the Governor in a
Knoxville paper. to know who he was. the writ
er giving an assurance that he was unknown in
the eastern part of the State. The governor was
alarmed aud to satisfy himself. published the Flo
renee recommendation. Al the session Ut 1919,
the legislature had to act on the appointment, and
it was evident, without a change could be effect
ed. that it could not be CONFIRMED. General Jack
sou, however, attended and exerted himself 10
the utmost of his ability; still there was no hope
of success unless Pleasant NJ. Miller, who ruled
a great many votes from the eastern part OF the
State could be got over. Various eHSris were
made to effect this object. which for a time prov.
ed unsuccessful. Al length, however, a certain
resolution then pending. vas so amended by the
friends of Eaton DIS to give Miller great s~atisfac-
ton, and he WAS at.once transformed into a noisy
partisan of Eaton. 1t is true that the amend
ment To the resolution lost the State a thousand
dollars, but that was d matter OF small cOnse-
quence compared with the necessity of filling the
office bv a man of such transcendant Abilities
His subsequent elevation was not proluced by
personal popularity or confidence in his talents.
i was brought abast by the ridiculous and un-
fnuMded notion of a few that General Jacksun's
elevation to the Presidency would be in great dan
ger unless Eaton was in the Senate. Nothing
could have been more preposterous. The
truth IS. thai General jackson was indebted for
his success to the great body of the American
people, and the result would have been nearly
the Same il every member of the senate had been
opposed to him. Eaton, however, passed along
almost unkuowing and unknown, until the 4th
of March. 1899. when TO the surprise and deep
modification of the best and most tried friends of
Gen. Jackson. he was appointed Sec'y of War.
When the news Of the intended appointment
first reached this place, no one believed it; some
said it was a SANDER upon the General, for that
he stood pledged to the nation to fill his Cabinet
with the most talented men of the country, by
which pledge Eaton was unquestionably eNolud-
ed. Those who had stood by the General through
good and through evil report-who had shed
their blood by his side in defence of our country
who had spent their money freely to elevate
him to the chief masistracy CT the Union, were
greatly afflicted, and acknowledged that they had