The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-09-18
HENRY A. WISE AND JAMES X. POLK.

1
alive from the Accomac District Kissed that ever
memorable insult into the ear of General Jack
sons non-resisting Speaker of the House of Rep
resentatives, it was generally understood that the
President contemplated appointing the aforesaid
| Speaker to the head of the War Department, but
the pocketng of the insult SO meekly knocked
the appointment in the head! This, in substance
was written to Nashville, by one of the Tennes-
see Representatives, and published in the papers
of that city. The letter stated that General jack
son, when the news of the singing insult and the
meek manner in which it was pocketed reached
the White House, was very much ncensed, and
exclaimed, Why didn't Colonel Polk resent the
scoundre's insult! He could at least have
thrown the bundle of papers, which he carried
| under his arm, at him.
The news of the insult and the tame manner
| in which it was received, soon spread over Ten
nessee, and when Colonel Polk next canvassed
for reelection, he found it necessary to read, at
large public meeting in Shelbyville, Bedford
county, part Of paper which purported to be
a certificate from General Jackson, saying that
Colonel Polk did not act the part of coward in
| refusing to resent Wise's insult, and denouncing
| the Virgnan for rendering the insult, in General
Jackson's own STYLE
This species of bolstering up ones lack of
manly bearing was more than the Tennesseears
could brook, and they naturally ridculed Colonel
Polk for going about reading certificate of his
courage from General Jackson! Here was
dilemma--who could get the Colonel out of it
Why, nobody but Old Hickory himself who was
never baked at denying anything that it suited
his purpose to deny. So Mr. w. p Rowlss, then
editor Of the Galiatin Union, published in the
neighborhood of the Hermitage, wrote him let
ter on the subject, and sure enough, out came
General Jackson with a plump denial that he
ever gave Colonel Polk such certificate, or that
he ever deemed one necessary! Nor did he
stop here. He said that at the time the insult
was given, he "spoke of Wse's conduct, as did
every citizen who had any respect for the cha
racter of the House, in strong terms Of disappro-
baton !; and concurred with others in the opinion
that the Speaker, in treating such blackguardism
with contempt, pursued the course which was
most consistent with the dignity of the House
and just self-respect.'
Here was another dilemma! COL Polk in get.
ting out of one had fallen into another. He had
read to the public part of certificate, or letter,
from Gen. Jackson, approving of his non.resst-
ance at the time of receiving the insult. Gen.
Jackson now denied having ever furnished such
certificate or letter. The question at once arose,
did Col Polk read genuine certificate, or was it
a forged one. If the latter ,Uho forged it!
This famous denial letter of Gen. Jackson's ap-
peared about the time Of the meeting of the great
Nashville Wing Convention in 1910, at which
Henry Clay honored guest. AT that Con-
ven,ion the Hon. BaIlie Peyton took up this de.
NAL of Gen. Jackson and called upon the great
delegation there present from ShelbyviIle and
Bedford county to speak out, if any of them were
at the Shelbyville meeting, and heard Col. Polk
read the letter or paper from Gen. Jackson, certi-
flying to the correctness of his behavior at the
time Mr.. Wise insulted him. when more than
twenty voices from old Bedfords honest and in
telligent sons responded, :" / heard him read it 70
Il did too -" So did | ~" And so did | !" The
scathing which Col. Polk received, after this an
HouHccHich'' ~" VIC cloqucil TeylOn IL SdIu 10
have been terrible, and never to be forgotten by
those who were present.
But we will give Gen. Jackson's denial letter
in his own words, and also recent one from Mr.
Rowles, to whom it was addressed, introducing it
anew to the public through the Locofoco organs,
either to help Col. Polk, (Which it is far from
DONG where the whole story is told,) or to keep
uen' !acksons denuncaton of Mr. Wise con-
stanty before the people:
From the Boston Post, July Is, 1874
PoUQuoNocK (Cr.) July 2, 1874
Col. OREENE-Dear Sir: During late visit
to your ancient and beautiful city, saw. in some
OF the papers printed in this region, extracts froo,
Southern Wing papers relating to Mr. Wise's at
tempt to engage Col. Polk, while Speaker of the
House OF representatives, in com promise of his
official station. These extracts, you NAV be as
sured, do great injustice TO COL Polk, whose con.