Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-03-07

ents for command CT high order, and III less liiSi
three years, by his brilliant achievements, eslAoI
iished his reputation as the first military ehiei oi
the country. But this is rot ali; retiring from the
army yber tbs re arreared to be no fcrther &C.
msnd fer active service, he was in few wears
thereafter elevated to the highest civil station uL
der the national government and Tor elg6t success
siye yeass he welded the power and influence OF
his nosition as executive clef with such ygor and
address that be was sustained in, and succeeded in
carrying out, all the great measures OF his admins
tra:ion some of them presenting questions OF the
grayest nature and giving Use to the most intense
excitement and this, too in the face Of an opposi-
ton combining an amount OF ability, eioquence
skill and experience in affairs, in both houses
of Congress, but more especially in the Sen
ate, greater than was ever witnessed before or
since. The jars and contentious between those
great moral elements were sometime such as shooK
the whole country.
A man who having addicted his early manhood
mainly to the pursuits of private life, without any
appreciable culture or experience in public affairs,
could thus when there arose public exlgency OF
sufficient urgency to induce him to enter the pub
lie service per saltana as it WERE raise himself to
the first rank as military leader, and then for 50
long period, as Chief Magistrate Of . great and
free country, thus direct and control its civil ad-
ministration. must be allowed to have possessed
great capacity. His was no negative or unmar ked
career no meteor like appearance upon the great
theatre of affairs to blaze and dazzle for moment
and then pass away forever, but both as a military
commander and civil chief ne left his impress up
on his country and its institutions deep striking,
and indelble.
1t would be idle to assume, as some have done,
that Gen. Jackson was indebted alone, or chiefly,
TO fortune and adventurous circumstances for his ex-
traordinary success. He was such man IS, when
he had once attained position, had the faculty Of
creating the circumstances, if be needed them
necessary to further and continued successes Pos
terity will inquire, with eager curiosity the secret
| of his amazing SUGGESTIVE distinctive traits Of
mind and Of personal character by which he
| achieved il; some Of which they will probably
seek in vain in the pages of contemporary history
| Gen. Jackson had what may be called an intui-
tive perception Of the passions and interests by
| which the mass of mankind are controlled He
was shrewd observer of individual character, and
he was seldom mistaken in his estimate of the mer
with whom he associated as friends, or come in
| contact with as opponents. He was devoted &c
| his friends and the more Others opposed or de
! nounced them the more determined he became to
| sustain them, and never cast them off until thew ar
rayed themselves in open opposition to his plans
| and wishes. Nor was he deficient in courtesy tc
| opponents - not personal encmies-and could ever
court them, when he desired or needed their sup.
4
His elf-reliance was wonderful He never des
paired Of his fortune. As the obstacles to the sue
| cess Of any iavorite scheme Of policy multiplied
and the storm OF opposition was widest, it wa.
then that one of his most striking traits was ex
| hibited. He became the soul-the anmating prn
cple-of his followers, revived their fainting cour
age, reinspred their confidence in his nial!ibility
| and cheered them On to rene y ed and more vigor
! Gus efforts
| When the emergency required it, no man wa:
! more prompt in coming to decision. When the
question presented difficulties and admitted of de-
| liberation, he counselled with his friends. Wher
his own conviction was clear, he sedomed deferred
to the views OF Others; and when he once decided
| upon his course he was nhexibie and immovabie
| He was emphatically and truly, man Of stern re-
solve and iron will; and when opposition to the &C
complement of his purpose appeared formidable
and discouraglng, he was apt to become impatient
of the restraints and trammels of official and Gus
| tomary routine. He had the courage, both mora
and physical to dare and to do whatever he thought
| proper and necessary TO the successful issue o.
whatever he had resolved upon. He was, withal
patriot, devoted to the honor, dignity, and glory
Of his country; and he had the faculty of persuad
| ing himself that whatever measure or course oil
policy, either in peace or in war he resolved upon
and strongly desired to accomplish, was proper and
necessary to the public welfare
No man since the days of Washington was more
devoted to the union of these States or would
have more cheerfulv laid down his life 10 defend
and uphold it, than Andrew Jackson
Many have supposed that General Jackson was
often controlled by passion and resentment, and
that he sometimes embraced measures and engaged
in enterprises withoutany calculation OF the chances
Of success or defeat, and reckless of both. There
never was greater mistake; and this the error
into which the great opponents of his measures and
policy in the Senate fell and the event showed that
he had estimated the elements ofhis power aud the
true sources of his strength with greater sagecity
than themselves
When General Jackson made his first essay in
the art Of war and led the Tennessee volunteers
against willy foe formidable from their numbers
and mode of warfare, many careless observers of
his early career had their misgivings that a rash
yalor and his eager desire to distinguish himself in
arms might result in disaster and the unnecessary
sacrificed his men; but they were soon undeceived
Those who knew him best and knew him well new
er had any distrust of his dis Tetion as military
commander.
But his qualities a general, and his powers of
combination 10 conducting the operations of an army
were best illustrated and put to the severest test in
the campaign Of lSl4-'15 in the South. 1t was then
the ample scope was given him for the exercise of
his genius and capacity for military command.
In 1914, Great Britain, by the overthrow of the
French Emperor, found herself in a condition to
employ the whole of her great naval and military
resources in effort to humble or crush the United
States. The first blow fell upon the shores Of the
Chesapeake. The seat Of the national government
fell into the hands Of the enemy and the blackened
walls Of the Capitol gave warning Of the ruthless
spirit with which the war was thenceforth to be
conducted This wound to the national pride was
inflicted at time when the public finances and the
public credit were at the lowest ebb. The recruit
ing service went on suggishly, and gave promise
OF no adequate increase Of the regular army and
the whole of our extended and almost delenceiess
seacosst was exposed to the attacks Of the enemy.
Rumors soon afterwards reached the country that
"a still more formidable armament was 20 make
descent upon our shores; but where the storm
would burst there was no clue 10 determine
Afterwards general COON, not without some adj
mixture of dependency, then hung over the coua-
try.
At later date it became manifest that the Gulf
coast was to he the scene Of operations Every
day the gathering clouds Of war in that quarter be-
came darker and more portentious. Still, it was
uncertain upon what particular point the bolt
would fall; but wherever it might fall on that coast
it was certain that It would be in the military de-
partment the protection and defence Of which was
assigned to General Jackson. All eyes and hopes
were turned upon him. He had already exhibited
such y1ncoDrnOu pnerCv sill and inIraDidit,, IN bis