New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-01-08
from ForIey's sunday Chronicie]
Anecdotes Of Public Hsea.
BY JOHN w. FOHNEY.
New Series-NO. re,

Thu: sday next, January s, 1874, will be
fitty-nine years since the victory of New
Orleans. A short time in the history Of a
creation OF unknown antiquity, brief span
| in thousands Of years, and yet that little
| more than half u century has seen the Old
| World made almost new, and astonishingly
| changed the habits and caprlces of the
human race.
Andrew Jackson Is The main figure on
the anniversary of the battle Of New
| Orleans, not alone because he Won great
victory, but because from that event he
passed into a still grander victory. For
many years he was honored as a successful
soldier and party leader, and the sth Of
January was made Democratic jubilee, es-
| pecially in the South. Tammany held high
carnival to celebrate his valor in the field and
his patriotism in the Cabinet, and the true
diploma of Democratic deserving was a
speech in favor Of Andrew jackson. When
the Rebellion burst upon the nation, the 9Th
Of January and the 4th of July were ignored
| in the discontinued section, probably because
the hero of the second had written that anti
| slavery document, the Declaration of Ameri-
can Independence. But time cures all
things, and in another decade, these two
national holidays will be as warmly well
coined as eyer.
Andrew Jackson will be the more honored
| as increasing years prove the value OF his
example. An incident, never before pub
lished, sheds new light upon his character.
1t came to my knowledge only q few days
ago, and deserves to be printed Immediately
preceding January s, 1874. have alluded
once or twice, in these sketches, to my
friend, Robert Purvs, leading colored citi-
zen, born in South Carolina sixty-three
years ago, and for more than fifty resident
Of Philadelphia. L met him accidentally
one day last week, and alluding to the late
declaration of Hon. Alexander II. Stephens,
of Georgia, in favor of the civil rights bill, l
predicted that the Democrats in Congress
would be found Oil the same side, and that
the measure would, Of necessity, soon he
the law of the land.
The influence Of great man is often ire
sistible. Mr.. Stevens leads maaiully in the
right direction, and thousands who have
long hcsitated will follow. Jackson was a
holder pioneer. He startled the whole
world when he whipped the British by his
unique and daring generalship on the plains
of Chalmette. He broke up the nulfnication
scheme in 1892. lie destroyed the Bank Of
the United States in l834-35. Rdicule was
changed to admiration of his genius as O
soldier. and tlnid friends first taltered and
then followed him in the two other crises
1t was in our brief conversation about the
stand taken by Mr.. Stephens, Of Georgia
on the civil rights bill, that I gathered the
following:
} Forty years ago Robert Purvis, of SoutI
Carolina, was married to the daughter of the
J highly. James Forten, of Philadel
phia. Highly educated and in comfortabl,
clrcun,sta nces, he resolved to visit Europe
and to this end applied to the State Depart
mcnt at Washington for his passport. Afte
a delay Of several days he received VIVA
was in no sense the certificate always giver
: to American Citizens travelling in foreign
countries. Mortified beyond measure at til,
slight, he accidentally met the phllanthrop
; list, Roberts Vaux, father Of the highly
esteemed ex-Mayor Richard Vaux, Of Phila
delphia, and was universally beloved for hi
! kindly disposition, his active benevolence
! and his blameless life. He was also al
anti-slavery man and personal friend Q
President jackson. He heard tho story G
t his young friend, Purvis, and earnestly sym
, pathized with his complaints. Taking fror
his hand the insulting paper he had receive
4 from Washington, he wrote persona
, letter to President Jackson, in which h
enclosed the paper in question, and de
manded a passport for Mr.. Purvis, as al
American citizen entitled to the protection
| of his Government In his travels abroad
: The appeal of the Quaker Democrat struc
: home. General Jackson carried It himself t
; the Department of State, and by due cours
= of mail came the following, under the broa
seal of the American Government: