The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-07-19
GEN. JACKSON AND MRS. EATON.

The following card from Amos Kendall, appears
in Harper's Weekly Of last week:
In your Weekly Of the 25th June I observe an
article headed 'MrS Eaton and General Jackson -
of which the following is an extract, viz
Through her influence (and her husbands ad-
mittcd abilities) General Eaton was appointed to
place in the Cabinet, and the lady became soon
after sort of sem-officia lady of the White
House. Her influence finally became supreme,
and of course created host of enemies. The old
General became her partisan, and he went so far
as to make it party measure, that Mrs Eaton
should receive the most marked attention from all
who came to the White House, and more especially
from those who dependent upon him for
Office. AS general thing, the wives of the
members of the Cabinet, who were especially ex-
pected to treat Mrs Eaton with attention, per-
formed their allotted task with apparent sincerity
at least; but Mrs Calhoun would not and did not
conform to the usage, and from this little incident
arose circumstances which finally broke up the
Generals Cabinet, drove Mr. Calhoun into the op-
position, and absolutely changed the character of
the Democratic party"
THIS article does General Jackson great injus
tice, and is inaccurate in many particulars, viz:
l. 1t was personal friendship between General
Jackson and Gen. Eaton which secured to the lat
ter place in the Cabinet.
White House. The lady of the house was Mrs
Donaldson, wife of Major Donaldson, the Prcsi-
dents private secretary.
3. General Jackson never required as FEparty
measure" or otherwise, that any one should pay.
marked attention., any attention, to Mrs
Eaton. Neither the lady of his own house, nor
one of the ladies Of his Cabinet officers, with a
single exception, visited her. 1t is true that
the General, believing that the tales circulated
i. Il
the ill-fceling produced among his advisers by
family alterations, attempted to satisfy them that
those tales eroundess, but in no instance did
he require that any one, not his private sec
rotary the ladies of his own household should
associate with Mrs Eaton or pay her any attention
t. General Jackson was not alone in the belief
that this family difficulty was fostered by political
aspirants for the purpose of breaking up cabinet
which was not SO constituted to promote their
views upon the succession. But the breach be-
tween him and Mr.. Calhoun was wholly indcpen
dent of these petty feuds, and would doubtless
have occurred had Mrs Eaton never existed 1t
grew out of course of events dated back far as
1918, but not fully developed until 1881.
The brick story with which your article con-
cludes, is believed to have no relation to Mrs
Eaton, though it has this foundation, that when a
hot brick was urgently required for one of his own
family, he promptly loosened one with the tongs
from the throat of the chimney and sent it to the
Such is nv recollection of an incident
mentioned at the time as illustrated the prompti-
tude of Gen. Jacksous mind in meeting emergen
cies. The inaccuracies of your article are doubt
less attributable to impressions made by newspa-
per misrepresentation during General Jackson's
and l doubt not you will be as de-
sirious as l that justice shall be done to his
memory by their correction.
With high respect, AMOS KENDALL.