The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-05-14

GENERAL JACKSON. BY James Par
ton. New York: ID. Appleton n Co ie1"'
$50. Great Commanders series. fo'
sale by West Johnston d co.
This miniature biography OF General
Andrew jackson was the last literary
work done by James Parton. Parton was
"a writer whose taste and judgment IN
proved and enlarged as his experience OF
men and things widened. Win TINS iao'
in view, his last word In behalf OF history
possesses no little value. His lie OF An
drew Jackson is a direct, simple nara
tive. told much as a romance woulo w.
The ciearness Of his statements, the purity
end simplicity OF his style, the cathoiie
spirit pervading the whole, Indicate
supreme love OF truth. In no sense an
ambitious writer. Parton is always WI
lng TO leave the effort at brilliant ensO.S
70 others. content himself 10 be conscieh-
fiouslv accurate and unpreiudiced. Hav-
ing this aim before him, he is noticeauly
free from that tendency toward the
disease OF admiration" when Maca"iaS
snoeringly attributes to ali BIOGRAPHIES,
The military life Of Jackson Is the perlou
In his career Of most interest TO the gen
eral reader, and also Of most iinportanGe
an its relation TO American History. Inns
s,fa lasted nine wears only two Of which
were psssed in the field. jackson Is not
presented 10 us as IA professional soioler
he was simply Tennessee FARMER anu
militia general, who when MS counuS
was invaded led his neighbors ana ienoN,
citizens TO it's defense. Henry Gay, al an
poipts antagonistic TO Jackson, ana oiteh
rroyokjngiy inconsiderate. delighted 10
Srritate him by applying to him the phrase
s.yuilftary chieftain." With no training
FOR the career Of n soldier. with no pre-
tense of being a great reconnoiter or com
uander OF armies. Jackson. In MS inil-
tarv campaigns, displayed talents whlch
friends and foes agreed I'm pronouncihg
extraordinary. Major William h. Lewis,
his intimate friend for half lifetime
man competent TO Judge in such matters,
was wont say, in talking OF the CREEK
md New Orleans campaigns. that An
drew Jackson. in point OF natural mir
tary ability, was the peer OF caesar. rom
well. Frederick, Bonaparte ana "elihs-
ton; and in support Of this opinion ne
would adduce many curious facts and
traits in the life Of his friend.
The Rev. George II. Gleig. for many
wears chaplain-general to the British
forces. but who had served as lieutenant
of foot in the expedition against New or
leans. wrote to General James Grant
Wilson, the editor Of the Great COM
rnanders" series. the following letter;
ssWben I look back upon the means
which General Jackson adopted 10 cover
New Orleans, and remember the materials
OF which his army was composed can
not but regard his management OF ina.
campaign as one OF the most mastery OF
which history makes mention. his hlsht
attack on our advanced guard was as
bold a stroke ever was struck III
really paralyzed all our future operations
for. though unsuccessful IL taught us 70
hold our enemy in respect and In future
movements TO act with an excess OF eau
ton. The use also. which he made OF
the river was admirable. Indeed / am IN
clined 10 think that TO him the generals
who came after him were Indebted Tor
the perception of the great advantages 10
which the command Of rivers may be
turned And do not let us forget that he
had little else TO oppose to Wellingtons
veterans, fresh from their triumphs M
Spain and the South Of France, except
raw levies. Altogether I think Of jack
son as. next TO Washington, the greatest
general America has produced.
Jackson's presidential record Is very
interesting. For eight years he kept the
country in an uproar, wagng war In his
relentless fashion upon whatever fell
beneath his disapproval. Fe was the
arch enemy Of notification and secession,
and Calhoun, whom he considered at the
root of all the trouble which the country
experienced during that period. was the
special object of his unqualified denuncia-
ton. No State paper Of equal fire, en-
thusiasm and profound sincerity has come
straight from any presidential pen as that
celebrated proclamation Of Jackson's Is
sued in 1892 giving his views upon the
Qualification ordinance" which had Just
been passed by the people OF South caro-
lima: the result of their discomfort In re-
gard TO the tariff laws Of the country.
In this paper Jackson showed himset
10 be genuine Union man at every point
L.. L!t,,gn absolutely
against notification. but I'm unmistakabie
words did he pronounce against secession
1.-THE fundamental idea and main object
OF the Constitution was 10 form more
perfect Union" he writes. ''ro say that
any State may at pleasure secede from
the Union is 10 say that the United
States are not a nation" and again.
How can the State be said TO be SOW
ereign anG independent, whose citizens
are sworn TO disregard those laws, when
they come in conflict with those passed
by another?" Jackson was most pro-
nounced man in his views, strong and
clear I'm his statement of them. These few
sentences from that famous and impas-
stoned proclamation Of his settle any con-
troversy as TO his opinion concerning the
States and the Union. In regard TO the
whole matter he seemed endowed with
the gift OF prophecy, for later, In the
spring of the same year. he wrote TO
friend In Georgia concerning the trouble
in South Carolina: 1.-The tariff was only
a pretext. and disunion and a Southern
Confederacy the real object. The next
pretext will be the negro or the slavery
question" 1t Is interesting TO speculate
what would have been Jackson's position
had he lived at the time when all South
ern feeling set in one direction and the
Southern Confederacy became a realiza-
ton. jackson loved the Union, but he
loved ardently his own section Of the
country. He was a true Southerner. filled
with Southern fire and emotion-his per-
sonal friends, who were Southern people,
were loved and honored by him with
earnest sincerity. In 81 with all the
burning questions of that day, where
would such a man as Andrew Jackson
have found the proper outlet for his
energy and patriotism? or course. II is
an idle question. yet the asking of IL is
irresistible.
The contemplation Of Jackson's private
character is encouraging and refreshing.
Often betrayed into unwise words and
rash deeds by an impulslve nature. his
domestic life was yet singularly blame
less. MIR. Parton makes point of saying,
that "he was a chaste man at every
period Of his life. His letters. of which
many hundreds still exist, contain not a
sentence, not a phrase, not word. that
girl may not properly read" In his
home relations he was kind, considerable
even indulgent. He had virtuous OBJ
horrence OF debt. and his word was as