Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-09-10
THEATER FOR VETERANS
Latest Addition to the Soldiers
Home at Washington.
An Anecdote 81 Andrew Jackson-Why
He wouidn't Cashier Old Col.
Blank Good Care Taken
OF Old Soldiers.
ESPECIAL Washington Letter

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The charges were brief, but the testi-
mony and finding of the court covered
a number of pages. Across the face
OF each page President Andrew Jack
son wrote the word "disapproved," and
returned the case to the war depart
ment.
The colonel was getting to be an old
man. In common with the custom of
that day he was given to the excessive
use of liqu,,r. and had been repeatedly
cautioned and reproved by the gen
eral commanding the department. But
warnings and reproofs were of no avail,
and the old soldier was finally court
martialed.
The general charge was conduct I'M
becoming an officer and a gentleman"
and the specifications particularized
the times and occasions when the vet
eran had offended because of his weak
ness in that one particular. He was
never accused of disobedience of orders,
or Of any other breach of discipline.
But. as he grew older, the habit grew
stronger until he was apparently I'M
able to control his appetite, and so he
was court-martialed. His defense was
well conducted, but he was convicted
on every count, and the findings of the
court-martial were approved by his i'm
mediate superior and forwarded to
Washington, where the senior general
of the army approved them, and the
secretary of war forwarded the en-
tire case to the white house for the
approval of President Jackson.
When the papers were returned to
the war department., with the emphatic
disapproval of the president, there was
CONSERVATION in army circles, and the
secretary of war went to the white house
to protest He said: "Mr. President,
I realize that no one has a right to
question your action i'll any case, for,
under the constitution, you are the
commander in chief of the army and
navy. But. after / had carefully eN
amined the case of Col. Blank, / APP
proved the findings and forwarded the
case for your approval, and you have
not only dsapproved of the action of
the court, but you have disapproVed my
Judgment, and written your disapproval
across every page, showing an emphatic
disregard of the action of the war de-
partment, including your secretary of
war. would like to know, if you do
not object, what reasons you had for
such action in this case"
Gen. Jackson replied: 'Of course, Mr.
Secretary, you have no right to question
my action in any case. But as you have
respectfully asked for my reason, l will
give it to you. The habit of strong drink
comes to nearly every man who serves
his country in actual warfare. Those
who escape are exceptions to the rule.
i am an old soldier myself, and am i'll
Clined to look with great leniency upon
the weaknesses of men whom | have
known as soldiers in actual field service
Old Col. Blank served under me in the
Seminole war and was with me at New
Orleans. | saw him render service Of
such merit that his country ought
never to disgrace or degrade him. Con-
sequently, so long as l am president,
l shall emphatically disapprove any eff
fort which may be made to dismiss him
or any other good soldier from the
army in disgrace. In fact, I believe that
man who has risked his life repeatedly
and rendered gallant service where bull
lets and cannon balls were flying, has
earned a right to get as drunk as he