The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-03-31
The Sword Of Jackson.

House Of Representatives,, by Hon. Thomas
II. Benton:
Mr.. Benton said: Mr.. Chairman, the man
ncr IN which this sword has been used for
the honor and benefit of the country is
known to the world the manner in which
the privilege was obtained of so using it is
but little known, even to the living age, and
must be lost to posterity unless preserved
by contemporaneous history. At the same
time it IS well worth knowing, in order to
show what difficulties talent may have TO
contend with, what mistakes governments
may commit, aud upon what chances and
accidents It may depend that the greatest
talent, and the purest patriotism, may be
able to get into the service of its country
There is moral in such history which it
may be instructive to governments and to
people to learn. When awarrior, or a states
man, is seen in the midst of his career. and
IN the fulness Of his glory, showing himself
to be in his natural place, people overlook
his previous steps, and suppose he had been
called by general voice-by wise councils
to the fulfilment OF natural destiny In
q few instances il is so in the greater part
NOT. In the greater mart ihere !. .1::,,.:omc.
uncertain, discouraging, and mortifying pro.
gress TO be gone through before the future
resplendent man is able to get on the theatre
which is to give him the use of his talent
So it was with Jackson. lie had his diflicul.
ties to surmount, and surmounted them
lie conquered savage tribes and the conQuc-
rors OF the cohquerors of Europe; but he
had to conquer his own government first
and did it--and that was, for him, the most
difficult of the two; for, while his military
| victories were the regular result Of a genius
Tor war and brave troops to execute his
plans-enablins him to command success
his civil victory over his own government
was aresult Of chances and accidents, and
the contrvances Of others, in which he could
have but little hand, and no control. | pro.
coed to give some vicv Of this inside. and
preliminary history, aud have some qualili.
cation for tho task, having taken some part,
though not great, in all that relate.
Retired from the United States Senate, of
which he had been member, and from the
supreme judicial bench of his State
and alike llustrious in both characters-was
living upon his farm, on the banks Of tho
Cumberland, VIXEN the war of 1912 broke
out. lie was major general in the Tennes,
see militia--the only place he would con.
tinue to hold-and to which he had been
elected by the contingency of one votc-so
close was the chance for q miss in this first
step. His friends believed that he had mill
tary genius, and proposed him for the brig
adcr's appointment which was allotted 10
the West That appointment was given 10
another, and Jackson rem aimed unnotccd on
his farm. Soon another appointment Of gen
| eral asallottcd to the West jackson was
proposed again. and was again left to attend
to his farm. Then batch of generals. as
they were called, was authorized by law
six at tirnc-and from all parts of the
| Union; and then his friends believed that
surely his time had come. Not so the fact
The six appointments went elsewhere, and
the hero patriot who was born TO lead ar.
mics to victory, was still left to the care Of
his fields, while incompetent men were lead.
ing our troops to defeat, TO captivity, to
slaughter; for that is the way the war
opened. The door to military service
seemed to be closed and barred against him:
and was so, SO far as the government was
concerned.
to the appointment Of Jackson, who, though
not yet greatly distinguished, was still man
OF mark-had been a senator, and supreme
judge, and was still major general, and
man of tried and heroic courage. | can tell
the reason. lie had great many home en-
emics, for hc was man of decided temper,
had great many contests, no compromises,
always went fora clean victory, or a clean
defeat; though pacablc after the contest
was over. That was one reason, but to the
main one. The administration had a preiu-
dice against him on account of Colonel Burr,
with whom he had been associated in the
American Senate, and to whom he gave a
hospitable reception in his house at the time
Of his western expedition, relying upon his
assurance that his designs were against the
Spanish dominion in Mexico and not against
the integrity Of this Union. These were
some Of the causes, not all, Of Jackson's re-
lection from federal military employment.
was young then, and one ofhis aids and
believed in his military talent and patriot.
ism, greatly attached to him, and was griev.
cd and vcxed to see him passed by when so
much incompetence was preferred. Besides,
! was to go with him, and his appointment
would be partly my own. was vcXcd, as
were all his friends, but did not despair as
most Of them did. turned from the gov.
crnment to ourseves-to our own resources
and looked to the chapter OF accidents to
turn up chance for incidental employment,
confident that he would do the rest for him.
self if he could only get start. | was in
this mood in my office, ayOung lawyer with
more books than briefs, when the tardy mai
Of that time, zone raw and gusty day" in
February, 1912. brought an act of Congress.
authorizing the President to accept organized
bodies Of volunteers to the extent of fifty
thousand-to serve for one ycar-and to bt
called into service when some cmer
gcncy should require it. Here was
a chance. I knew that Jackson coult
raise a generals command, and trusted t,
events for him to be called out, and felt tina
one year was more than enough for him t
prove himself. drew up plan-rode 81
miles to his house that same raw day il
fcbruary--rain, hail, sleet, wind-and sucl
roads as we then had there in winter-decI
in rich mud and mixed with ice. | arrive,
at the Hermitage--a name then but litt
known at nightfall and found him solitary
and almost alone, but not quite, for it wa
the evening mentioned in the "Thirty Year
vicw," when | found him with the lam
and the child between his knees. laid tn
$ plan before him. lie was struck with it
; adopted it-acted upon it. We began /
raise volunteer companies While this wa
+ going on an order arrived from the War Dc
partmcnt to the governor willie Blount) L
dctacl fifteen hundred militia to the Lowe
Mississippi, the object to meet the British
then expected to make on attempt on Ne,
, Orleans. The governor was a friend
jackson, and to his country. He agreed :
accept his three thousand volunteers instea
Of the fifteen hundred draughted militia,