The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-02-19
RosToN AND GEN. JACKSON.
A Curious Reminisosnce OF Party
Feeling.

FROM tne buaNon lNhNeAtNsI
just after the opening of Gen. Jackson's
second term. there arose between his ad.
miuistration md the opposition q fearful
war IN regard to the. United Statee Bank,
which institntion, headed by Nicholas BID.
die, of Pennsylvania, was Regarded by the
democras MS an %opponent of trate. On
the contrary, the wings gave II their sane.
ton and most earnest support. IL
WAS snpposed that Daniel Webster'f
great speech in reply TO Hayne had
brought Jackson over 10 the whig side to
such n degree that he would favor the whig
policy Of the United States Bank. To make
this more sure, Gen. jackson was invited
To visit Boston, where an ovation was given,
such as was never rendered TO any other
President since the days of Washington.
He was not proof agaihst the lattery, and
had nearly yielded TO federal persuasion,
when David Henshaw, that war horse of
democracy. Inverted the intent, and u was
discovered Boon after jackson left thnt he
had actually signed the order for the re-
moval of the deposits while at his hotel in
Boston.
The wrath of the Boston people can bet
ter be imagined than described. They
sought every way to demonstrate it. In
1884, shortly after the supported overt act,
the frigate Constitution was hauled into
the dry dock at ChRrleston, Commodore
Chas. Elliot being ut that time in com
mand, and a staunch friend and supporter
Of Jackson. Whatever were his motives or
reasons, ho gave an order to Mr.. Iaban $.
Beecher, the well known ship
carver then q young imam but
kept at No. 8 North Market street, TO carve
q fun figure Of jackson for a fgurehead TO
be placed on the Consultation, The Con
| stitdtion, twill be remembered, was q Bos.
ton-built ship built on the present site OF
| Constitution wharf. She was the glory OF
the old North End, and on her first voyage
was manned mostly by Boston men. The
time, the circumstance, and the order, all
provoked the Boston merchants, aud they
appointed n committee to wait on MIR.
Beecher and request him 10 stop the work.
Old Captain Ben. Rich, long since dead,
was the spokesman of the committee, n
great friend rs well as o generous patron
Of Mr.. Beecher, b ing n large shipowrer.
Mr.. b. respectfully declined TO accede to
the demand made by Captain Rich. Anoth-
or Of the committee, Alfred Richardson,
waited upon Mr.. Beecher with the same
result, Mr.. Beecher threatening TO shoot
any man who mterfered with his work. As
soon rs the facts wero made public
the excitement became intense aud violence
was threatened, the principal merchants
Of Boston taking part. At this juncture
Commodore Elliott, being alarmed for the
safety Of the hgurehead, with the prompt
ness and decision which were chan.cteri q
tic Of the bluff old Commodore, ordered
the work to be TAKEN TO the Navy Yard,
and there finished, and informed Nh. Bech-
or that he would send a well-manned barge
20 the rear Of his shop by daylight Mr..
Beecher's place was situated 50 that the rear
Of the building was ON the edge of the old
Middlesex Canal The barge arrived at
tho time designated, manned by thirty
men, who were provided with billets Of
woodt to defend themselves in case of at
tack. IA a sort of feint, q portion of the
men proceeded to tho market with baskets.
Meanwhile Mr.. Beecher had packed the
unfinished i9urehead in a large box and
lowered IL down by the run into the barge.
This accomplished, the boatBwain piped
his whistle, and the crew of the barge
came on board, and she shot through the
canal, just as the excited crowd,
who had got wind of the
''the little man in black" with his treas-
hAtf hNlhk ~ PROMINENT ODlttl Nu DOulu TUG
barge for the Kisses of the crowd. Arriy-
ing at Charlestown, Mr.. Beeeher was allot-
ed q convenient room 10 prosecute his work
before which q sentinel paced night and
day. The fgurehead was completed and
bolted upon the cutwater of the Constitu-
ton before she LEFT the dock and hauled out
TO her anchorage in the stream. To guard
against any intended attack by the mob,
Commodore Elliott had placed the yard in
u state Of defence.
Tho frmness of Mr. Beecher, and the
holiness Of Commodore Elliott, tended 10
increase the excitement in Boston. There
seemed TO be o fixed determination that
the Constitution should not go 10 sea with
that i%gure-heAd. How TO accomplish the
result WAS not 80 easy to decide upon But
n way at once seemed opened 10 them.
Capt. Sam. Dewey, a bold, daring and
reckless man, had Just arrived from yea,
and n evening while in company with a
few kindred spirita the matter was
preached. Capt. Dewey declared that he
would cut of the hgure-head and produce
II on n certain evening. The bOldness Of
the proposition, aud the well-known in
trepidity of the man gained immediate
credence, and II was not long before pre-
partitions were made for n grand celebm-
ton and supper at Gallagher's Hotel, the
old Stackpole House. The night fixed up-
on by Captain Dewey was eminently propi-
fearful storm was raging, accom-
panied by sharp lightning aud terrific thun-
der. Dewey had his confedemtes at n given
point; he took a skin at 0harlestown bridge
aud, without the aid OF oars, dropped aui-
city alongside the frigate; fastening his
painter TO the lower bobstays, he climbed
up to the head, being provided with n mar
row, but highly tempered saw, aud, watch
ing the beats CT the sentry so az TO avoid
him on approach, he sawed the fgurehead
through just above the lower Jaw, placed a
leading line over the upper part
which, at a given signal. was responded
to by his confedefates. The fgurehead
was safely brought 10 Conveys wharf, and
from thence taken to GallAgher's Hotel,
where a brilliant assembly was gathered
lof all that gay crowd but a few are LEFTY
and there was wit, and sentiment aud song,
such as have rarely been reproduced. As
Tue time and tue occasion have been 30
long forgotten, and as the asperities of po-
ihcal wrangles have been 30 deeply buried,
We leave them where they We're, but the
Convention, with Tim Bigelow at
rs head, could hardly have matched the
excitement that followed.
As soon as Elliott discovered the insult
his chief, he was like a roaring lion.
sending a peremptory message TO Mr..
Beecher 10 appear at the yard, that gentle
nan appeared. "Mr. Beeeher,' said the
rate Commodore, those damned rascals
have cut on that hgurehead, can II be re-
Z" Yes, said Mr. Beecher, 'but
You must excuse me from doing anything
in the matter, as tile e~xciLemaut
already 10 great" The mutilated part
was then covered with tho national Aag,and
Constitution left the harbor in that
condition. The after history of that hg-
urehead is shrouded in mystery. Dewey
was bold enough 10 proclaim his part in the
transaction audit was certainly 70 the