Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-23
WOMEN AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
Peggy O'Neal-The Woman Who serl-
OusIy Troubled JacksOn's Cabinet
Ben. Per1ey Poore's "reminiscences.

Ben. Perley Poore's "reminiscences
Peggy O'Neal, better known as Mrs.
Eaton, is recalled by Mr.. Partonin very
readable chapter. She was the pretty
and viyaciOus, but not oyer-prudent,
tavern-keeper's daughter in Washington,
you know, who became the wife of Cen
eral JacksOn's Secretary of War, and IN
whose social behalf the whole power OF
the Jackson Administration was brought
to bear with SO much determination and
with such unusual consequences. The
ladies of Washington made up their
minds with one accord that Mrs. Eaton
was an improper and unworthy woman,
and that they would not call upon her nor
recognize her in any way as the wife OF a
Cabinet officer.
Gen. Jackson took her part and became
her personal champion, using every means
at his command to compel attention and
consideration for her. 81 have had In my
hands," says Mr.. Parton, ''hundreds OF
pages of manuscript in Gen. jackson 5
writing, all relating to this affair" lie
summoned the propagators OF the scan
dals concerning her; he made her case a
topic of Cabinet discussion; he threatened
representatives of foreign governments
with dismissal on her account; he sent ms
own niece away from the White House pc
cause she refused to second his efforts III the
tabOOed wOman's favor. But 1t was all
futile. sGen. JacksOn's will was strong, =
Mr.. Parton observes, "but he discovered
on this occasion that wOman's won't was
stronger" In spite of all his tuning ana
stOrming, the ladies resOlutely refused 10
have ANYTHING to do with Mrs. Eaton.
When she appeared in cotillon at a
fashionable ball they would Immediately
retire from it: when seated next TO her at
supper they would quit the table: when
brought tete-a-tete with her In CONVEX
satiOn they would turn their backs upon
her and otherwise manifest their utter
disapproval of her presence.
1t was this controversy over Mrs. Eaton
that really contributed more than any
thing else to Gen. Jackson's quarrel with
Calhoun. and drove the latter into the
notification project. The cabinet was
cOnvulsed and broken up under the same
pressure. And it is unquestionably true
that MIR. Van Buren, gained the Presi-
dency by siding with Jackson In this
matter. Mrs. Eaton does not appear to
have been a specially remarkable woman
in any way. She was passably handsome
and intelligent, and her father had been
an old friend of Gen. Jackson. When
Major Eaton married her she
was a widow, her first husband, a
purser in the navy, having COM
mitted suicide, leaving her with two
children and very little fortune. Accord
ing to the best testimony she was not in
fact a wantOn or bad woman, but only
a careless and indiscreet one. She liked
admiration and social excitement, but
was not gwen, we should say, to intrigue
and calculation, and the circumstance
which made her such prominent factor
in Washington affairs were principally
accidental rather than of her own chOos-
ing or causing. 1t is none the less true, how
ever, that she was the occasion Of more
contention and more political vancouver
ing and animosty than any other
woman who has ever figured in
American history. Soon after the
close of the jackson Administration she
was again left a widow, and rich one at
that, and she continued to live in Wash
ington for many years in elegant style,
though she never succeeded in Oyercom-
ing the old prejudices against her or in
winning the measure of social recOgni-
ton which Gen. Jackson strOve so hard
and perseyeringly to secure for her. Near
the close of her life, when experience
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 app of 81 wears.