Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-04-03
WOMEN AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
Peggy 0NeaI---The Woman Who Seriously
Troubled JacESon'S Cabinet.

Troubled JackSon'S Cabinet.
Peggy O'Neal, better known as Mrs.
Eaton. is recalled by Mrs. Parton in a
very readable. chapter. She was the
pretty and vivaciOuS, bat not over-pru-
dent, tavern-keeper's daughter in Wash
ington, you know, who became the wife
OF Gen'l Jackson's secretary of war, and
In whose social behalf the whole power
of the jackson administration was
brought to bear with so much deteImi
nation and with such unusual conse-
quences. The ladies of Was hington
made up their minds with one accord
that Mrs. Eaton was an improper and
unworthy woman, and they would not
call upon her nor recognize her in any
way as the wife of cabinet minister.
GenI jackson took her part and be-
came her personal champion using every
means at his command to compel atten-
ton and consideration for her. 81 have
had in my hands," says Mrs. Parton,
Hundreds of pages of manuscript in
Gen'i jackson writing, all relative to
this affair" He summoned the propa-
gator Of the scandals concerning her; he
made her case a subject of cabinet dis
cussion: he threatened representatives
OF foreign governments with dismissal
on her account; he sent his own neice
away from the White House because she
refus ed to second his efforts in the ta-
booed wOman's favor, But it was all
futile. ''Gen'l jackson 8 will was strong''
Mr.. Parton observes, ''but he discovered
on this occasion that woman's wont was
stronger" In spite OF all his Tuning ard
storming the ladies resolutely refused to
have anything to do with Mrs. Eaton.
When she appeared in a cotiliOn at
fashionable ball, they would imme-
diately retire from it; when seated
next to her at supper, they would quit
the table; when brought tete-a-tete with
her In conversation. they would turn
their backs upon her and otherwise
manifest their utter disapproval of her
presence.
1t was this controversy over Mrs. Ea-
ton that really contributed more than
anything else to Gen l JacksOn's quarrel
with Calhoun and drove the latter to the
notification project. The cabinet was
cOnvulsed and broken up under the
same pressure And it is unquestionably
true that MIR, VanBuren gained the pres
idency by siding with jackson in this
matter. Mrs. Eaton does not appear to
have been specially remarkable wOm-
an in any way. She was passably hand
some and intelligent, and her father haG
been an old friend of Gen'l jackson
When Major Eaton married her, she was
widow, her first husband, a purser in
the navy, having committed suicide,
leaving her with two children and very
little fortune. According to The best
testimony she was not in fact wanton
or bad woman, but only a careless and
indiscrete one She liked admiration
and social excitement. but was not given.
we would say, ito intrigue and calcula.
S@--S NAAN SAO III uuNlC
her such prOminent feature in Wash
lngton affairs were principally accident
al rather than her own choosing and caus-
ing, 1t IS none the less trne, however,
that she was the occasoin of more con-
tentlOn, and more political vancouver
and luminosity than any other woman
who has ever figured in American his
tory. Soon after the close of the Jack
son administration she was again left a
widow, and rich one at that, and she
continued to live in Washington for
many years in elegant style, though she
never succeeded in overcoming the old
prejudlces against her or winning the
measure of social recognition which
Gen i jackson strOve SO hard and perse-
veringly TO secure for her. Near the
close of her life, when experience should
should have saved her from such folly,
she took third husband, in the person
OF worthless young Italian dancing
master, who squandered her fortune,
and brought her in poverty and sorrow
to the grave, at the age of "a years
-CBen. Perley PORES "reminiscences
u. S. Land Office,