Wilmington journal., 1876-01-28
THE HEROINE OF AN OLD SCAN


DAA-.
The Woman over whom Andrew
eJackson,s eCaernet Went TO
Pieces. e. So @
Few people know that the once
famous Mrs. Eaton still lives; she who,
as wife of Gen. Jackson's secretary of
war, raised such commotion, nearly
half century ego, in Washington
society. As pretty Peggy O'Neil, the
daughter of a country tavernkeeper at
BladeDsburg, she Won the heart of
purser in the navy, Mr. Iimberiake,
and after his death married Gen.
James Eaton. Society i'll those days
was decidedly in a rude state; aud ac
cording to a veracious chronlcier, the
only requisites for introduction iuto
the best circles were II CLEAN shirt,
Whole coat and congressional frieui.'
Hot disputes characterized social
parties, where gentit men dashed wine
IN each others faces, ladies clasped
their glasses in the palms of their
hands to hide the Quantity of whiskey
they drank, aud nlemhors of Congress
who were neither gentlemen nor ls-
dies, resorted to hsticuffs in tue gold
and lilac halls, aud pistols at the o.d
Biadensbnrg cross-roads. Mt an in
vltIng picture of the times of our fa-
thers, but rather necessary to an uu-
derstanding of the stat3 of affairs when
ttIis woman was the uncrowued qneen
of the nation. After a long but un-
quiet reign, bitter jea!ousies were
aroused by her cxactIons, and the
mine finally exploded under her feet,
at state dinner, when the wife of a
foreign minister refused to sit at the
table with her and marching with
outraged dignity from the room, sh@
was followed oy cool stare through
Mrs. Eaton's eyeglasses, and the
satirical compliment wi at fine car
! riage Madame--has!
TIE breach was made; the battle
| grew hotter; the wives of the cabinet
| officers refused to visit her. Mrs. Ea
ton complained to the president; he
demonstrated with his cabinet; u Ii, re-
! quar- el ensued, winch resulted IN the
| formation of tie famous Kitchen cab
inet," in which Amos Kendall, Frank
Blair, Sr., ard other politicians, hol
ding minor positions or none at all
welded an authority superior to thai
of the members of the cabinet them
se.ves. Like the blind Sampson the
downfall OF the Qneen had come; bu
she was determined that her enemies
should ,be buried with her in the
ruin. Her fame and Influence went
down with the setting sun of Jackson:
administration, and a. her bltteres
enemy. Van Buren,, came into power
her days of roval sovereignty were
gone forever. She had the gift and au
daclty to visit that gentleman, howev
er, and deliver to him her opinion OF
his conduct, winding up her TRADE b,
shaking her fist in his fac'
aud calling him 'sneaking old fox.
which nickname stuck to him all his life
After her d. cline and fall, she brcam,
religious, oevot,pg her large fortun,
to charities aud her leisure ime to tn,
education OF her adopted grandchil
dren. handsome young foreigner
Buchignani b. name-was employe,
as dancing master in the family, ant
again Washington rang with Mrs
Eaton's name. for she woman pas
sixty after brief court Zip, marie,
a dancing master, who had Just al
tained his majority. In u few years h
had squander. d all her property, an
at last brought to himself ev, rlas TIL
disgrace, ard to her eternal sorrow b
robbing her of all her jewels and pei
sonat property of which he could gal
possession, and eIopins viii, her graz &
daughter. So fell the curtain again 0
a d.snal sce1e IL her life; and L sa,
her, a few evenings ago, still sprigh
ly woman, with traces of ,rmer beau
ty i'll her face framed by silver hail
: and watching with proud eyes th
mimic SCIENCES where her grand SON
: who is her com fort and support VIA
'acting we'll h part" So goes til
world.