Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1860-06-28
4npnlat Alaatjng.
. A CUMMING RULER.

A CUNNING RULER.
The following story of Gen. jackson haE
never before, to my knowledge, seen the
light. When he demanded of Louis Phil
|lippe indemnity for the spoliation Of oul
commerce, the commercial interest was
panic.struck in apprehension of certain war,
and our land was filled with invectives
hurled by the newspaper organs Of the
monied classes against the great President
and his policy. 1t was said that he was
either blockhead or ruf6an; either un.
able to count the cost of war, or regardless
of the waste of blood and treasure; deter
mined to pursue his narrow and ignorant
schemes, whatever the risks to the nation.
One of the Justices of the Federal Su-
preme Court was about this period taking
the great eastern cities en- route from his
western home to the capital, spending some
time in Boston, New York, Philadelphia
and Baltimore. As he was known to be
intimate with the President, he was waited
upon by many bankers and merchants OF
these places, who urged him to demonstrate
with the General against the folly and wick
edness of his course; representing that our
commerce would. be crushed, and that all
interests would be ruined in the unequal,
nay hopeless contest with the great monar-
chy. They knew, they said, the belliger-
ent disposition of the French king, aud
that his people were not only prepared, but
eager for war; and the Judge was implored,
in the most moving tones, to use his best
powers, as patriot, in averting the threat
ened collision, and to secure the fadeless
wreath of the peace maker. Reaching
Washington, just before the commencement
of the session, when the war message was
to be sent to Congress, the Judge called
to pay his respects to the President, and
before long the topic of the day was intro
duced.
well, Judge said the old chieftain,
swhat do they think of my war policy in the
great cities Z? The Judge, who had really
been very much impressed by what he had
heard, stated, in concise but strong terms,
the remonstrance with which he had been
charged. The President, laughing long
and heartily, said, what fools they are ?
Opening his desk, he produced map Of
France, and couple of letters. The map
showed at glance the departments which
produced wine and silk, aud on its margin
was a tabular statement, showing the num-
Der of the deputies in the chambers sent
from these, as compared with the other de-
partments of the kingdom, by which it ap-
peared that they had strong majority in
the legislative branch Of the government.
One of the letters was from Mr.. Livingston,
the Presidents minister in Paris, annouu-
cling that he had the honor to forward with
the accompanying map and annexed infor-
nation, prepared by himself and the French
minister of foreign affairs, an autograph
letter from Louis Philippe. In this the
King of the French stated explicitly that
he felt the justice Of the American Presi-
dents claim for indemnity, and was desi.
rous to satisfy it, but that he was prevent
ed from so doing by the impracticable tenn
per of his chamber of deputies; that, as
the President would see from the map, its
majority was composed of members from
those departments whose industry would be
ruined by war with the United States,
yet that these were the very men who re-
fused to vote the supplies to pay the debt.
His Majesty, therefore, urged the President
to threaten immediate war unless the debt
were paid, with the assurance that this meas
ure would have the desired effect of alarm
ing the intractable deputies into more equit-
able dispositions. The Judge, therefore,
Joined the Presidents hearty laugh, and
felt how groundless we're the fears, and how
uudeserved the bitter denunciations, poured
out upon the head of the noble Tennes-
seean. .'--MiUurn's sTen Years