Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-11-02
GEN. jackson Takes the Response
bilitY.

Robert Dale Owen, in Scribner for October.
1t is well known that Jackson. on
his accession as President, appointed
Martin Van Buren, Secretary OF
State, and that Mr.. Van Buren,, in
April, 1881, resigned that Office.
Thereupon President jackson APP
pointed him Minister too England,
and it became necessary to supply
his place i'm the Cabinet.
At this time there was in the
United States Senate, from Louisi-
ana. Edward Livingston, gentle
man who. had alreadyIw0n am enVi-
able reputation rs author of the
code which still bears his nane-a
work which has had its influence on
the jurisprudence of succeeding
times. Livingston at that time
stood verysshigh, not only as jurist,
bat ASA statesman his name had
come up, along with many others,
and he had been spoken of as one
eminently fitted for Secretary OF
State 1t so happened, also, that
tine Senate was then nea. ly equally
divided between the two existing
parties, Wing and Democratic 1t
need hardly be added that the Pres
ident had been elected by the latter
party.
Now, when rumors became rife
that Livingstor might be finally
selected by Jackson as Cabinet Off
Ger, small deputation of the DEM
ocratic leaders and personal friends
of the President, unwilling to face
! the General directly, called on Mr..
| Trist to talk the matter over with
him. They began by adVerting to
the fact that barely q Democratic
majority of two could at that time
be safely counted on in the Senate
that if Livingston, an influential
Democrat, was appointed Secretary
of State, one of these votes would
be lost, and that if Gas was probable
in the then State of parties in Loui-
siana) a Wing was appointed to
take his place, it would result in a
tie. They represented that such a
contingency would very seriously
embarrass the President, perhaps in
the way of thwarting his policy,
more certainly by endangering the
confirmation of his appointments.
And they finally begged Mr.. Trist
to take an early opportunity of ex-
pressing to the old General their
earnest desire, both for his own and
the party's sake, that he would give
to such considerations their due
weight before calling Livingston
from his place in the Senate.
Mr.. Trist at first demurred to the
undertaking of his task, alleging
his belief that it would be fruitless
but was finally persuaded to recon
slider his refusal. Accordingly, one
evening when Jackson, after hard
days work, was seated in his arm
chair, his head sunk on his breast,
and his attitude betokening repose
and reflection, Trist-With great re-
luctance, however, and after Sulta-
BILE apolOgy-laid before him the
fears and the wishes of his friends.
At the first breach of the subject $50
Trist informed me), the old man
drew himself bolt upright, according
to his military wont, fixed his
thoroughly awakened eyes full on
the speaker; and, as the latter went
on with his report, the flash from
those stern eyes sufficiently indi-
Gated in advance-tO one so familiar
with his manner as his Secretary
was-the probable result.
He listened patiently, however,
until the conclusion. Then, after a
pause, all he said, in his usual brief
and unfiinching manner, was: "Mr.
Trist, my friends ought to know
that no considerations of that kind
can influence my choice of a Secre-
tary of State. 1t is my duty to Sc
lect for that important office the
man best fitted to fill it, and leave
the rest to God. Tell these gentle
men So" And the very next day
Livingston was appointed to the
vacant chair in the Cabinet.