Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-01
SC0TCH-IRISH TYPES.
Bessie Bramble Cites Jackson as
Representative of His Race.
HIS DEFENSE OF A CABINET LADY
The Apparent Neglect Of Women in the
Celebration Last Week.
JANE GREY SWISSHELM AS A WRITER.
WRITTEN FOE THE DISPATCH

AT one time in the history of this country
great fear OF the dissolution of the Republic
was felt by some most eminent statesmen.
Such leaders in Congress as Clay, the idol OF
his party; Webster, Of such brilliant renown,
and Calhoun, the fiery defender OF States
rights, were all discouraged, depressed and
sick at heart over what they dominated the
usurpation of power, the reckless disregard of
the will of the people, the ruthless denuncia-
tion of all who did not conform to his will,
by Andrew Jackson, who was the most
famous specimen of Scotch-Irish blood and
training that ever held highest place In the
United States. jackson had such hold
upon the hearts of the common people
through his courage and unswerving Will,
that the boasted honesty, independence,
patriotism and desire to promote the public
availed as little to impair his influence and
popularity as feather to impede the progress
of cyclone.
So sore and embittered did Clay and
Webster become under the Jackson dy-
nasty that they declared their intention to
resign and retire from the field, and per-
haps they would have become eminent pre-
cedents for Conkling and Platt, save for the
fact that their party was SO solicitous, SO
urgent, so powerful in the plea that they
should not give up the ship.
AN UNRELENTING ENEMY.
During his administration jackson waged
unceasing war upon his enemies-and put
them under his feet, or in present parlance.
he wiped up the earth with them. Clay
and Webster died disappointed in their
londest hopes.
Jackson dictated his own successor, not
withstanding all of their efforts and elo-
quence, and carried every measure of his
administration to his own mind.
His only failure, if failure it may be
called. was when he attempted to introduce
Mrs. Eaton into society. Scandal had been
busy with her fair fame, though nothing
had ever been proved against her, and the
ladies OF the administration at that
time refused TO call upon her or
even speak to her. Mrs. Eaton,
known before her marriage as Peg O'Neal,
was the daughter of an old tavern keeper
where jackson and his wife were fond of
stopping when in Washington, and they
were both fond OF Mrs. O'Neal and her
pretty daughter. Major Eaton, who had
fallen in love with "Peg," then a widow,
consulted Jackson, as his intimate friend,
as to whether he should marry her. "Why.
yes, Major" said the General, eff you love
the woman and she will have you, marry
her by all means"
The Major explained that she had not
escaped the gossip of the Grundies.
"Well," said Jackson. "your marrying
her will disprove these charges and restore |
Pegs good name"
Major Eaton accepted this advice, and |
shortly after Jackson was inaugurated as
President, in making up the Cabinet, Major |
Eaton was made Secretary OF War. This |
started all tongues wagging, and set the |
gosslps going, as never before. It became |
the foremost topics at the tea tables and a |
leading subject in political circles. The |
ladies determined they would not call upon |
or recognize her socially in any way-Jack- |
son or no jackson.
ALL THE POWER OF POSITION,
That the President did not believe the !
stories told OF Mrs. Eaton is made very plain |
by his letters. When called upon by |
clergymen and others to repudiate her, he |
stood up ior her with all the fire and cour-
age OF his Scotch-Irish character, and swore
"by the eternal'' that she should be recog-
nizsd with the respect due to the wife of
Cabinet minister. He was seconded in his
efforts by Mr.. Van Buren, who used all the
power of his position as Secretary of State.
He enlisted the British and Russian minis
ters in her cause, who gave balls in her
honor. But not one OF the ladies would
dance in the same set with her. She was
publicly insulted by the wife of the Dutch
Minister refusing to sit next to her at the
table.
jackson gave grand dinner in her honor,
where she, seated at his right hand, received
his marked attentions one OF his particu-
lar favorites. But with all his courage, de-
stratagem, Scotch-Irish obsti-
macy, he found that the women were I'M
placable and relentless. Mrs. Eaton was
an extremely handsome woman, and, as re-
ports 60, she sustained herself proudly, with
dignity and self-respect. Many have found
'ault with jackson Tor attempting to force
MS influence in the social circle as he did
IN the political world, but his courage in
standing up for his friends cannot fail to be
admired.
JACKsoN's CHARACTER.
In his interesting biography of Jackson,
lanes Parton says of him: mo man will
De able quite to comprehend Andrew Jack
on who has not personally known Scotch
[rishman. More than he was anything
Use he was Observation-Disclosures. He was
# tenacious, pugnacious race; honest, vet
'apable Of dissirnulation; ten angry, but
|
nature with the gift of extracting from every
Iffalr and every relation all the strife it can
,e made to yield; at home and among de-
'endents, all tenderness and generosity; to
opponents, violent, ungenerous, prone to
believe the very worst OF them; a race that
means to tell the truth, but, when excited
" anger or warped by prejudice, incapable
II telling, remembering or knowing the
ruth; not taking kindly to culture, but able
o achieve wonderful things without it;
trange blending of the best and the worst
Qualities of two races. jackson had these
rats in an exaggerated degree; as Irish as
hough he were not Scotch; as Scotch as
hough he were not Irish"
Those who have lived here all their lives
mong the Scotch-Irish and their descend
nts in business and social relations will
now whether this portrayal of the Scotch
IRISH brethren is true to nature or not, and will
e able to tell whether Jackson was one of
he highest types of the race, who felled the
orests, and built the cabins, and endured
he hardships of pioneer lite in Western
Pennsylvania and constituted the first
antilles of this picturesque and prosperous
ortion OF the country. =
AN INCOMPLETE HISTORY.
If, as one writer asserts, the history of the
reformed Presbyterian Church is the his a
,ry of the Scotch-Irish, then their record is '
lmentabIy meager and incomplete. AL n
lough not a word up to this writing has "
cen said of Scotch-Irish woman as hav- b
* existed in this region, we presume that G.
bod Scotch-Irish women were here at that p
me. They are not deemed worthy of men, Ii
on in the various records, but without them C,
lere could have been no Scotch-Irish to W
old celebrations and elority over the char Il
,teristics and achievements Of the race. G
Andrew Jackson's father died when he d
e. 10 To he fairl.r EoErad | Al