Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-07-22
Gen. Jackson and Mrs. Eaton.

The following card from Amos Kendall appears in
Harpers Weekly of last week:
In your weekly of the 25th June observe article
headed "Mrs. Eaton and Gen. Jackson OF which the
following is an extract
Through her influence land her husbands admitted
abilities) Gen Eaton appointed to place in the
Cabinet and the lady became after sort of semio
cia lady of the White House Her influence finally be-
came supreme, and Of created host of enemies.
The old General became her partisan and he went 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
were dependent upon him for office. AS general thing,
the wives of the members of the Cabinet, who were es
pecally expected to treat Mrs Eaton with attention.
performed their allotted task with apparent sincerity
least but Mrs. Calhoun would not and did not conform
to the usage and from this little incident arose crcu
stances which finally broke up the Generals Cabinet
drove Mr.. Calhoun into the opposition, and absolutely
changed the character of the Democratic party
This article does General Jackson great injustice
and is inaccurate in many particulars, viz:
l. 1t was the personal friendship between General
Jackson and Ma Eaton which secured to the latter
place in the Cabinet
2. Mrs. Eaton never had any position in the White
House. The lady of the house was Mrs. Donaldson
wife of Maor Donaldson the Presidents private secre
| tary.
g. General jackson never required as "party meas
ure' otherwise, that any should pay marked at
tention any attention. to Mrs. Eaton. Neither the
lady OF his own house. of the ladies of his Cab
met officers with single exception visited her
1t is true that the General beeveing that the tales
circulated about Mrs. Eaton were utterly false, and de
ploring the feeling produced among his advisers by
family alterations, attempted to satisfy them that those
tales groundess but in instance did he require
that any one, not even his private secretary the
ladies of his household, should associate with Mrs
Eaton or pay her any attention.
4. General jackson not alone in the belief thai
this family difficulty fostered by political asprant
for the purpose of breaking up cabinet which not
constituted to promote their views upon the
cession. But the breach between him and Mr. Calhoun
was wholly independent of these petty euds and would
doubtless have occurred had Mrs. Eaton existed
1t grew out of of events dated back as far
1873 but not fully developed until 1881.
The brick story with which your article concludes il
believed to have relation to Mrs. Eaton, though il
has this foundation that when hot brick was urgently
required for one of his family he promptly oosenec
with the tongs from the throat of the chimney ant
sent it to the physician. Such is my recollection of
incident mentioned at the time illustrating the promp
titude of Gen. Jacksons mind in meeting emergencies
The inaccuracies of your article doubtless attribute
bic to impressions made by newspaper misrepresenta
tions during General Jackson's administration and
doubt not you will be as DESTROYS as am that justic
shall be done to his memory by their correction
With high respect,