New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-02-15
Peggy o'Mea1.
IFrom Review of Parton's Noted Women.]

from Review of Parton's Noted Women.1
| Another woman of a different kind
Peg O'Neal, better known as Mrs. Ea-
ton, is recalled by Mr.. Parton in very
readable chapter. She was the pretty
and vivacious but not overprudent tav-
ern-keeper's daughter in Washington,
you know, who became the wife of Gen
eral Jackson's Secretary Of War, and in
| whose social behalf the whole power of
the Jackson Administration has 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 Cabinet Minister. Gen
eral Jackson took her part
and became her personal champion, US
ing every means at his command to COM
pei attention and consideration for her.
Il have had in my hands, says Mr..
Parton, hundreds of pages of manu-
script in General Jackson's writing, all
relating to this affair" He summoned
the propagators Of the scandals concern
ing her; he made her case topic of cab
met discussion; he threatened represen-
tatives of foreign government with dis
mlssal on her account; he sent his own
niece away from the White House be-
cause she refused to second his efforts
| IN the tabOoed woman's favor. But it
was all futile General Jackson's will
was strong" Mr.. Parton observes, 'but
he discovered on this occasion that wom-
ans won't was stronger" In spite of
all his tuning and storming,
the ladies resolutely refused to
have any thing to do
with Mrs. Eaton. When she appeared
in cotillon at 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 conversation they would
turn their backs upon her and other
wise manifest their utter disapproval of
her presence.
It was this CONTROVERSY over Mrs.
Eaton that really contributed more than
anything else to General 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 I'M
questionably true that Mr.. Van Buren,
gained the presidency by siding with
jackson in this matter Mrs Eaton
does not appear to have been an especi-
ally remarkable woman in any way
She was passably handsome and intelli-
gent, and her father had been
an old friend of General Jackson. When
Major Eaton married her she was a
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 wan ton
or a bad woman, but only careless
and indiscreet one. She liked adnrira-
tion and social excitement, but was not
given, we should say, to intrigue and
calculation, and the circumstances
which made her such prominent fac
tor in Washington affairs were princi-
pally accidental rather than of her own
choosing or causing. It is none the
less true, however. that she was the
occasion of more contention and more
political and maneuvering ano
animosity than any other one
woman who has ever figured in
American history. Soon after the close
of the Jackson Administration she was
again left widow, and rich one al
that, and she continued to live ii
Washington for many years in elegant
style, though she never succeeded il
overcoming the old prejudice against
her OF in winning the measure of socia
recognition which General jackson
strove SO hard and perseveringly to Sc
cure for her. Near the close of her life
when experience should have saved hel
from such folly, she took third hus
band in the person of WORTHLESS!
young italian dancing master, WIZ
squandered her fortune and brough
her in poverty and sorrow to the grave
at the age of eighty-four years.