The Republican journal., 1875-12-23
The jackson Eigure-:,ead OF the Con
stitutiou.

The correspondent Of the Baltimore
Herald gives The following history OF the
figure head OF the Frigate Constitution,
which has Just been set up in the grounds
Of the Naval Academy at Annapolis:
During Jack sons first term the famous
figate Constitution was undergoing. eX-
tensive repairs ut the CharleStoWn Navy
Yard, under the supervision Cf ComIno-
dore Jones o. Elliot. This thorou@h-go-
INC Democrat, and warm aimirer OF the
powers that be, cruscd the old fiddle
shaped Prov of the historic ship To be
taken down, and n wooden model OF the
conqueror OF Packenlam to be raised in
its place. At this sacrlege the old Wings
of Boston grew indignant. and the figure
was hardly comfortably settled in its niche.
before IA intrepid marine scaled the
heights of the Constitution and cut the
Presidents head OIL The indignant Elliot
stuck it on again, and set 4 guard to watch
it but the same willy cXecutioner eluded
the watch one dark night, and the head
less trunk met the eyes Of the cOntounde1
Commodore on his rounds the next morn
ing. A second time the head was recover
| ed by the interchangeable Elliot, and rumor
| hath it that the President sent him to sea,
! in command of the Mediterranean squad
| ron, to save his own head and reward the
unqucnchabe zeal Of his admrer Even
jackson, however, could harly pat him
on the back, when the party zeal OF this
officer led him to fill his gun-deck with
| .]ackasses on his homeWard voyage, and
to set on foot and subscribe to Il testimo-
| NAL service of plate to be presented not
| to the President, but to Commodore Elliot
| A c0urt-martial sentenced him to four
| years suspension from duty. but it APP
| pears that all the .jacllasses in America
| must have been convinced of his unseltish
wish to improve their breed and signed
| a petition in his behalf; for we find that
he was restored to duty before the eXpira
! ton Of his term of sentence The figure
head was, however, suffered to rest in
| peace, and seems to have followed, unmo-
| Tested, all the subsequent fortunes of the
| ancient ship, until its arrival at Philadel-
phia, where il is now being set in order
for the coming Exposition. AS it would
be manifestly inappropriate, with all de
ference to the contrary opinion OF the &C.
centric Commodore, to associate Andrew
Jackson with timbers that speak more
audibly than the oak OF Sodona, of Hull
and cambridge, of Chauncey and Stewart,
of Decatur and Somers, the figure OF the
| President has been removed, and sent, at
the request of the Superintendent of the
Naval Academy, to Annapolis. There it
stands now as sti1lly as the Confederate
| General of like name at Bull Run, and its
form bears no scars. even OF It's quondam
decapitation. The figure is bareheaded,
and wears a dress suit of the time, over
which an ample cloak falls, gathered at
the throat with the usual cord. A roll of
manuscript is held in the right hand and
the left is buried in the breast of his brass
buttoned and voluminous waist-coat. The
likeness which the features bear to the
original is not bad and the hair, at any
rate stands up with perfect archaeological
accuracy.