Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-07-12
GEN JACKSON AND MRS. EATL
Ill, ap:'
The following card from Amos kcr

lhe lOi!owlns card from Amos Ken.
pears in lIarpcr'> Weekly of last week:
In your W,chly of the 18th Jane | observe
an article headed Mrs Eaton aid Gvn .Jack-
son. oi winch the i"l!"wii.: i> an extract VI:
through her iniii,ncc tand her husbands
Admitted a1illuc>J General Eaton VA, appoint.
cd toa place IN the Cabinet. and the lady be-
caihc soon alter SOFT oi Scmi.u.iical lady Of
the W htc House. Her influence finally be-
came supreme. and o! Course created 4 h,st Of
enemies. The Old uvnr:al became her part;>an.
ami he went - tar ~ to lIaNc 1t party tu.a.
sure, that Mrs. Eaton should receive ,h, most
marked attention from all Who came io the
White House and more especially from thu>c
vino wvrc dependent upon Tim tor ,ilcc. ~
u general thins. tie wives Of the members of
the Cabinet, who we'c especially cXpoc co To
treat Mrs. Eaton with attention. performed ta,;r
allotted task with appa'cn, >inccrity at l,a,t;
but Mrs. Calhoun would not ana did not con-
form to the 'u>agr, and from this little incident
arose circumstances hicn tiuallv broke up the
Generals Cabinet, drove Mr.. Calhoun into Tie
opposition. and absolutely changed the chalac-
ter of The Democratic party"
This article does General Jackson great in-
justice, and Is inaccurate in many particulars,
viz:
: /. 1t was the personal friendship between
General JACKSON and Major Eiion winch
cured 10 the latter plac- III the Cabinet
>. Mrs. Eaton never bad any position in the
White House. 'hc lady oi the hou.c was Mrs.
Donaldson. wife Of Maj II Donaldson. the Pres.
dcnt> private secretary.
3. General jackson never require! A. par
" inca urc' or otherwise, that any one should
pay marked attention. or ANY attention. TO
Mrs. Eaton. Ne,acrtn tie !Idy 0: h,> own housr,
nor onc Vi ihc Ladies Ut h.S CaEact oihtrrS.
with >irgie exception. cvcl visited her ltl'
true tha, the General, bclicvin. that the tal' 5
circulated about Mr.. Eaton were utterly Eil>c,
and dcl lprinS the ;il-i elm. produced among
his advisers 10y family alterations. ai,cmpicd 10
satisfy them that those tales were grounhlr>>.
but IL 10 instance Id he require that any one.
not even h> private secretary 1901 tie ladies ol
his own household. should associate with MIS-.
Eaton or pay her any attention.
+. General Jackson was not alone in the be-
lief that this iaHily dilicUiiy was io>tcrcd hy
political a>praul> Ion the purpose "i breaking
up u cabinet which Was nnt - constituted a>
to promote their views upon the Succession.
But the breach between inn and Mr.. Calhoun
Was wholly independent oi the>e petty lcti-.
aud would CouD,lc>s have occurred hal MIS-
Eaton never existed. II grew ont oI a course
OF events dated back a> lar aS ISIS, but not
idily developed until 1881.
Thc brick story with which your article con-
cluirS, IL bel c,ci TO have no relation 10 Mrs
Eaton though II has this foundation. that whcn
4 not brick va, urgently required io' one Il
his own family, nc promptly loo>cncd one With
the tongS irons the ihroa, OF the chimney. and
sent it TO the physician. Such i my yTece"Iioc-
ton of an incident mentioned al the time a'
illustrating the prompti,ude of Gen. jackson"
mind in meeting emergencies. The nlaccnr:i'
clcs Of Your article are 'loubtlc>> attributable
To impressions male 10y newspaper m'>rcr'e~"n'
tatlon> during General J.cksonS adm'n'>ira'
ton, and doubt hot you will he aS dc>ir"u> ~
aln lha, justice shall lie done To his memory
by their correction.
With high respect, AMOS KENDALL.