Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-08-30
The Debts which made a Sale of the
Hermitage Necessary.

10
public mind that Mr. Jackson had been and
full had involved his father in debt consumed the patmo
bonds To injurious public impression, ami not
from for the personal opinions OF the editor
sent second communication to our paper Civ
ing history Of the liabilities thai encumbered the Hermit
sge estate At Gen. Jacko1s death. His construction lit
orally true and be easily reconced win the following
extract which the Patriot quotes from Gen Jackson's will
10 contradict hin:
"And, whereas, since executing will Ct the soth Of
my lia1iss t6r ne de6Es Of my eel 6elored and adopted
son. And kon J which makes necessary to alter
the same"
Aodfew Jackson Jr had created debts (amounting in
all to s250O in the purchase OF cotton farm in the
South In the payment Of which Gen. Jackson had incurred
heavy liabilities to Blair and others consequently they
correctly described by Gen Jackson Liabilities f,r the
debts OF his but the tile the property for which
the purchase made by his Gen JacksOn's) direction
and under bis instruction and supervision and became
part Il the Generals estate know from
dams shown Gen. Jackson's handwriting.
Therefore, no blame attaches to Andrew Jackson Jr fT
the liabilities that incumbe ed the Hermitage estate i'm
which the PtOt has sought and should
have the magnaniiny to correct"
Now, we will see whose debts incumber-
ed the estate, and where the "blame at
taches." The following extract from Mr.
Blair'S recent letter to the n. Y Herald
explains the whole matter, and shows that
the Patriot was right
To impress the public with the belief that Gen.
Jackson's understanding was impaired and thus
indirectly weaken the force of his opinion, the
adopted son, by way of e1cusing himself for vast
ing the estate left him, is induced to say
when General jackson returned home at the
end of his Presidency, he had not so much as a
hundred dollars left Of his salary. His generous
entertainments at Washington to friends and to the
public left him but little. The profits of his es-
tate were also consumed. There was scarcely
day after his return that his house not LhroDg
ed with visitors from different portions of the coun.
try. The proceeds of his estate here could not,
and did not, meet his expenses. Under the crs
cumstances, aud by the advice OF friends, he deem
ed it advisable to make purchase in the South to
raise cotton. Under bis direction, / went South
and made the purchase of place that had been
recommended to him, at S23, 900, and afterwards
a small tract additional at the cost of s., 900. To
meet these and other smaller liabilities, he secured
loans from the bank and individuals TO the amount
of nearly $50, 000 He left me his estate saddled
with this heavy liability, all drawing interest
have been thus particular in order to disabuse the
public mind ofthe charge made by the Patriot, and
communicated no doubt by private sources, that
had incurred the heavy debt that had rested upon
the Hermitage property"
None knew better than the advisers OF the ind
vidual who puts his name to this pa er that Gener
man-that he abhorred debt-never involved him-
self in..one that he had not prepared the means to
pay-none know better than they that the embar
rassment and ruin of the estate left the adopted
son was the work of the latter exclusively. To de
fend General Jackson from the imputed incapacity
the want of care in bis expenditures, and the
want of circumspecton as to making obligations,
and judgment and energy in providing aud apply
ing the means to discharge them, ! am compelled
to give details of a transaction to which Mr.. Rives
and myself were parties, and to which Mr.. Jackson
refers. simple statement will show how VI JUST
ly General Jackson's memory is assaulted in the par
sgrsph quoted. 1t is but a repetition of the insdi
Gus rumOrs spread by the newspapers nimical to
him few years after his return TO the Hermitage.
They suggested that he had inextricably involy~
ed himself in debt, and that like another chief Of
the democracy (Mr. Jefferson) he would probably
apply for law to enable him 10 get his estate dis
posed of by lottery to pay his debts. Seeing these
attempts to mortliy and harass him, and suspectng
that his adopted son, who had been creating debts
without his knowledge before he left Washington,
might have contracted engagements which the Gen
eral desired to discharge, | wrote to lin that had
money which he could command. This was his re-
ply to my Offer the first part Of the letter being on
other subjects
HERMITAGE, Feb. s, 1912
Now, my dear MIR. Blair an ,ruly
happy TO mud that your PeCuniSy matters
and God grant that that prosperity may continue
to and yours In II time come will, with all can
DOR state to that have felt pecuniary pressure
that have had 10 make peeunaTy sacrifices in
selling valuable prop rty, aud that entirely
free from them and that loan would be convenience
for short time, which would secure hold home
stead unencumbered and do not my right
hundred dollars Andrew owns first rate tract 90 the
Mississippi river Of acres and on the two plantations
about hundred and Fifty negroes, old middle
aged and young. could stand by and oombina-
ZION Of sharpers swndersa unprnopIed c1mbnaton
tn haRa
into Endorsements for them and otherwise imposed Up
Without stepping forward relieve from the grasp
men, Andrew at all hazards of propetV These liabilities
amounted to than at first anticipated By great
etons, he is free from all these debts and there only re-
mains due the instruments upon the plantation upon the
Mississippi, which is now in a productive state, and will
now in few years pay all liabilities
But the to meet the future instruments on the place
obgsa TO USE those swinding debts brought
Andres by clique Of sharpers, and install
ments become due before another crop. Now Mr.
Blair, you have the money to lend will, nteres
Of six per cent or on seven take much will the
pressing demands that present a. selves But nv
dears unless the loan proposed paying interest annually
would De as prohtabe to you as any other could
make Of it, Won not receive T. 4 have injured
friend prcunary matters, otherwise and will never
1t for tie short time have 10 live wish you with the
ca dor Of friend TO 10 whether you have MONEY
invest interest and for what length Of time YOU could
Ian it, receiving the the hrt We r. and then IN.
principal and interest by ins'amtns Theoan secured ~
personal, real security undouDtrd cover g. would
freely give seven cent interest loan for three years
borrow Of friend unless upon just him an
usual, sincerely your friend, ANDREW JACKSON,
HERxIrAGE, February "a, 1872
Ny DEAR SIR IAccept Of the loan Won ave
generously offered liberaty and friendship which
will cherish IN nav bosom life lasts and esqueah It
my adopted children. Ii shall BE- secured in ouch WAV
that life death, the calamitieS that may bsfa
nation Individual except earthquakes cannot deprive
you Of your principal and interest," ami should live
vii rect i've u with that puncusty that have ways
borrowed money The loan Will enable An
drews liabilities and the annual crops will this loan
with surety at the present low price Of cotonp
and TO him and his dear little ONES and
cha rming wife ample fortune Isincsre.
Tor the terms OF six per cent Interest," such
indulgence could be here obtained ADD this shows the friend
bhp and hbsrality Of the act. Your friend
ANDREW JACKSON.
Mr. Rives united with me that the loan might not
bear one alone, and to carry the design that
the debt should never be burden TO General Jack
son. We authorized bin 10 draw for the sum he
wanted. From the account which Andrew at first
gave Of bis commitments, he supposed $40, 900
would be sufficient but some time after it was dis
covered that his first schedule Of debts disclosed
little than bali of them, and that the provision
which be had made for paying for the plantation for
Andrew was absorbed IN meeting his old obiga-
tons. Eight thousand dollars more were then al {.
vanced and the proceeds Of the Mississippi planta.
tion well supplied with hands, were set apart for
the gradual extinction Of the loan.
1t was a most ample provision, but it was not
under the Generals eye, and vas entrusted to An
drew aud the overseer. Everything was a failure,
and the General then ordered the plantation to be
sold and his hands brought back. It was sold for
a sum which would have eItEguished all the Gen~
erals obligations, including the loan, but his death
having lrtt the disposal of the means with Andrew,
instead OF employing them directed, and as he
promised Mr.. Riyes be would when be obtained
release OF the mortgage to dispose Of the plantation
be diverted them 10 the purchase OF an iron works,
in which he sunk both the Mississippi plantation
and created new debts exceeding fifty thousand
dollars. lie then wrote to me that Gr Washing
ton, from whom he had borrowed very large sum,