Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-11-08
OLD HICKORY.
His Famous Declaration that the
Federal Union Must be Preserved.

A reporter of the American who hap
peDed to be present when two venerable
citizens of Nashville were talking about
old times takes the liberty of repeating
the part of their conversation that
throws light upon the origin of that Gel
ebrated sentiment of General Jackson
declaring that the Union must be pre-
served.
L happen to know said one of them,
something about the reason why the
general uttered that particular Senti-
ment and on what OCCASION
From whom did you receive your in
formation?' 2 said the other.
From our old friend, Major William
B. Lewis, about twenty years ago. We
know he was bosom friend of the gen
eral, here at home and at Washington,
during his entire administration. 1t was
about the year 1892, l think, that the
leading Wings in Congress met on the
evening on the 22d of February and
most glOriOusly celebrated WsshingtOn's
birthday, Mr.. Webster and other distin-
guished orators making eloquent speech
eS from the text of the farewell address,
ardently expressing their devotion to
the Federal Union, and taking the high
ground that under no circumstances
whatever should it be dissolved. To
these sentiments there was at that time
ii responsive chord in all parties, except
in the small party who sympathiZed
with and followed Mr.. Calhoun of South
Carolina. Yet the entire Democratic
party was not little restive under the
march which the Wings had thus stolen
upon them as mOnOpOliZing partisan
thunder" that did not exclusively be-
long to them. And when it was sug-
gested that cOunter-balancing move
ment should be made on Jeffersons
birthday. the friends of Mr.. Calhoun
stepped in with alacrity to champion it.
And here comes in the reliable infOrma-
tion given me by our old friend, Major
Lewis On the morning of JeffersOn's
birthday, Duff Green's Telegraph (the
organ of Mr.. CalhOun) appeared With a
rallying leader shadowing forth from its
own standpoint the objects of the Dem
ocratic meeting to be held that evening.
l called (withOut the major on General
Jackson early in the forenoon, as usual,
and found him within his private apart
ment smoking his pipe in his morning
gown, when L invited his attention to
the article in the Telegraph, which he
had not yet seen. After reading it, be
remarked that it would seem the meet
ing was to be not as much in memory
of Jefferson as in the interest of Mr..
Calhoun and his heresy of notification.
He laid aside his pipe, read the article
a second time, broadly smiled, and said
as he had been invited to attend he
would send them toast. 1t was the
principal topic of conversation at the
White House during the day, the gener-
al, as usual, asking everyone's opinion,
while no doubt he had already made up
his mind what he would do. Toward
evening he called Major DOnelson, his
private secretary, and dictated brief
regret that be could not attend, as well
as the following sentiment to aecompa-
ny it: Our Federal Union-It must be
preserved When read to the meeting
it was adopted with rousing cheers,
while Mr.. Calhoun and his friends stag
gered under it as a regular bIOadside.
"All who knew Major Lewis and his
intimacy with General Jackson will not
hesitate to believe that this was exactly
as it is represented to have been. And
there is an amusing incident of much
later date illustrative of their intimacy
that is not uninteresting. While Gen
eral Gordon Granger commanded the
Federal forces here toward the close of
the late civil war, Major Lewis applied
to him for a pass to visit New York.
which was given to him in these terms:
Major William B. Lewis, of General
Andrew Jaeksen's staff, is authorized
to travel on the railroads of the United
States 1t would seem that the Federal
general sought to pass for a wag, as
Jackson had been dead nearly twenty
years. Major Lewis said when he
reached New York he found it to be the
best letter of credit he had ever receiv-
ed in the whole course of his life
Nashville (Tenn.) American.