The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-04-03
!iealey picture, it is rather high col


parchment of Warren Hastings with
more confidence than was displayed by
Mr.. Webster when he stood up in the
pride Of his manhood. and began to adj
dress the interested mass of talent. intel
li@ence, and beauty around him. A man
OF commanding presence, with a we'll
knit. sturdy frame. swarthy features. a
broad. thoughtful forehead. courageous
eyes cleaning from beneath shaggy eve
brows a quadrangular breadth of Jaw
bone. and a mouth which bespoke strong
will, he stood like a sturdy Roundhead
sentinel on guard before the gates of the
Constitution. Holding in profound con-
tempt what is termed spread-eagle ora
tory, his only gesticulations were up-and
down motions of his arms. as if he was
beating out with sledge hammers his
forcible ideas. His peroration was sub
lime, and every loyal heart has since
echoed the last words. Liberty and
uni"n-now and forever-one and insep-
arable.''
Mr.. Mebster's speech. carefully revised
by himself, was not published until the
23rd OF February. and large editions of
| it were circulated throughout the Mort H.
crn States. The debate was continued.
and it was the 2lst of May before Colonel
Benton. who had been the first defamer
of New England, brought it to close.
The Northern men claimed for Mr. Web
ster the superiority but General jackson
praised the speech of Mr. Havne. and
deemed his picture worthy to occupy a
| place i'll the White House. thus giving
expression to the general sentiment
among the SnuthernerS. This alarmed
Mr. Van Buren,, who was quietly vet
shrewdly at work to defeat the further
advancement Of Mr.. Calhoun, and he
lost no time in demonstrating to the i'm
pcrious old soldier who occupied the
Presidential chair thai the South Caro-
lima doctrines of notification could but
prove destructive to the Union
Mr.. Calhoun was not aware OF this in
trigue. and in order to strengthen his
State rights policy he organized a public
dinner on the anniversary OF .Jefferson's
birthday. April 18th. 1880. When the
tpaSts which were to be proposed were
made public in advance. according to the
custom, it WAS discovered that several of
them were strongly anti-tariif and State
rights in scntiment.-So much so that a
number of Pennsylvania tariff Demo-
Gratis declined to attend, and got up a
dinner of their own. General jackson
attended the dinner. but he went late
and retired early. leaving volunteer
toast. which he had carefully prepared
at the White House. and which fell like
4 damper upon those AT the dinner. while
1t electrified the North: The Federal
tnon-it must and shall be maintained,'
This toast which could not be mSunder-
stood, showed that General Jackson
would not permit himself to be placed in
the attitude of patron of doctrines
which could lead only to dissolution of
the Federal government. But the COM
mittce on arrangements toned it down.
80 that it appeared in the official report
Of the dinner. Our Federal Union.-it
must be preserved!'
This was a severe blow to Mr.. Calhoun,
who had labored earnestly to break down
Mr.. Adams administration. without re-
Spcct tn It's measures. that IL Democratic
party might be built up. which would
first elect General jackson, and then rec
o@nze him as the legitimate successor to
the Presidential chair. His discontinue
was soon completed by the publication of
Il letter from Mr.. Crawford. which in
formed the President that he had, when
in the cabinet of Monroe. proposed that
General jackson should be punished in
some form for his high handed military
rule i'll Florida. Van Buren, secretly fan
ned the flames of General Jackson's in
dignation, and atroitly awaited himself of
"a tempest in tea pot to complete
the downfall of his wal
The woman used as a tool b., Mr.. Van
Buren, is a somewhat picturesque figure
in the political chronicles of the Capital.
Her maiden name was Margaret Neill.
although she was known when Il girl as
Peg. and she was one OF the d;tu .hters
of the keeper of tavern at which Gen
eral Jackson used to put up before his
election to the Presidential chair. She
had the 1.-the form. the fair skin. the
dark red hair, and the keen, cat-like
gray eyes of her Milesian ancestry, while
She was as full of fun. irolic and flirta-
ton as the typical damsel on the banks
Of the Lake OF Killarney. Caressed and
leased by the guests at the tavern. she
grew up to be pert. piquant and auda-
cions. and General Jackson, who had al
ways admired her when she was child,
was delighted when he learned, years
afterwards, that his :. little friend Peg"
then the Widow Timberlake. was to be
married to his old comrade General
Eaton. There was much scandal at
aSllllin TON ABOUT tne uedtl OF nCf llfSl
husband and her marriage to the second:
but General Jackson paid no heed to it,
and when he became President he ap-
pointed General Eaton Secretary of War.
Washington society was horrled, and
it soon became known that Mrs. Ca
h0un, with the wives Of other members
Of the Cabinet did not intend to call on
Mrs. Eaton. or to invite her to their
houses. She carried her griefs to the
White House, where Mr.. Van Buren, had
paved the way Tor them, and the gallant
old President swore by the Fl, rnal'
nat the scandal mongers who had i'm
FILTERED the last years Of his beloved
wife Rachel should not triumph over his
little friend Peg
This was Van Buren's opportunity.
He was 4 widower, keeping house AT
Washing ton. and as Secretary of State
he was able to form an alliance with the
bachelor ministers of Great Britain and
Of Russia. each OF whom had spacious
residences. \ series OF dinners. balls
and suprerS was inaugurated at these
three houses. and at each successive en-
tertainment Mrs. Eaton was the honored
"uest. who led the country dance, and
occupied the seat at table on the right of
so shocked by her audacity that they