Ellsworth American., 1878-10-03
General Jackson takes the RESPONSE
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(From posthumous paper by Robert Dale Owen
In sCRIBSER for October.)
II Is well known that Jackson. on hi:
accession as President, appointed Martin
Van Buren, Secretary OF State, and that Mr.
Van Buren,. in April. 1881, resigned that
Office. Thereupon President Jackson ap.
pointed him minister to England, and II
became necessary to supply his place in
the cabinet.
At tha. time there was in the United
States Senate. from Louisiana, Edward
Livingston, a gentleman who had already
won an enviable reputation as the author
of the code which still bears his name, -
a work which has had its influence on the
Jurisprudence of succeeding times. Liv-
ingston at that time stood very high, not
only as jurist, but as statesman; his name
had come up, along with many others. and
he had been spoken OF as one eminently fit
ted for Secretary of State. 1t so happen
ed, also, that the Senate was then nearly
equally divided between the two existing
parties, Whig and Democratic; IL need
hardly be added that the President had
been elected by the latter party.
Now, when rumors became rife that
Livingston might be finally selected by
Jackson as cabinet officer, a small deputa-
tion Of the Democratic leaders and erson-
al friends of the President, unwilling to
face the General directly, called on Mr.
Trist to talk the matter over with him.
They began by adyerting to the fact that
barely Democratic ma ajority OF two
could at thar time be safely counted on In
the Senate; that II Livingston. an infiuen-
tial Democrat. was appointed Secretary OF
State. one OF these votes would be lost
and that II Gas was probable In the then
nf in I ufsia
appointed to take his place, It would re-
suit In tie. They represented that such
a contingency would very seriously emsar-
rass the President. perhaps In the way of
thwarting his policy, more certainly by
endangering the confirmation of his APP
pointments. And they finally begged Mr..
Trist 10 take an early opportunity of ex
pressing to the General their earnest de-
sire, both for his own sake and for that of
the party, that he would give to such con-
siderations their due weight before calling
Livingston from his place in the Senate.
Mr.. Trist at first demurred to the under
taking of this task, alleging his belief that
II would he frutless; but was finally per-
suaded to reconsider his refusal. Accord
ingly, one evening when Jackson, after a
hard days work, was seated in his arm
chair his head sunk on his breast and his
atAluut tttoAtulhS itpO-e ana GtUeCtlOn.
TrIst-with great reluctance. however,
and after suitable apology-laid before
him the fears and the wishes OF his friends
AT the first broachng OF the subject so
TrIst Informed me- the old man drew
himself bolt upright, according 10 his mil
itary wont, fixed his thoroughly awakened
eyes full on the speaker; and, as the lat
ter Went on with his report, the flash from
those stern eyes sufficiently Indicated in
adyance-to one so familiar with his man
ner as his secretary was-the probable
result.
He listened patiently, however, until
the conclusion. Then, after n pause, all
he said, In his usual brief and unt,lnchiug
manner, was: "Mr rrisl, my friend,
ought TO know that no considerations OF
that Kind can Influence my choice OF a
Secretary OF State. 1t is my duty to
select for that important Office the man
best lifted to NIL H. and TO leave the rest TO
God. Tell these gentlemen So" And the
very next day Livingston was appointed
10 the vacant chair in the cabinet.