The news & observer., 1897-03-07

was given the succeeding week, and since
then | have received number of letters
wanting to know why.
Doubtless there are a great many more
who have not access to any biography Of
Andrew Jackson, and would Ike to know
why he was twice married to his only
wife.
And so for the diffusion of knowledge
it is a good time to tell these inquiries the
romance of that marriage, for with most
men and women marriage is the most inn
portant event of their life.
Rachel Donelson was beautiful,
sprightly and interesting girl-the best
horse woman and the best dancer in adj
the country. She married Captain Ro-
bards, who proved to be tyrannical
and jealous husband. He took her to
Kentucky to live with his mother, but
soon after, in fit of Jealous rage, sent
her back to Nashville. Her mother, who
was a widow, was keeping a boarding
house, and among her patrons were Gen
eral Jackson and Judge Overton, both
of them h;gh-toned, honorable gentle
men. Indeed, the general was noted for
his purity of character, his homage and
chiyalrous respect for woman. When
Captain Robards came there to make re-
conciliation with his wife, he took of
fense at Jackson's politeness to her. He
and Jackson had words and further
trouble feared. Jackson changed his
boarding house and Robards went back
to Kentucky and threaten to return and
haunt his wife and make her life mis-
eraible. To escape his persecution she
removed to Natchez, where she had
friends and relatives. In the meantime
Robards applied to the Legislature of
| Kentucky for leave to sue for
a divorce, for that was then
/ the law. Leave to sue was grant
ed to him, and it was generally believed
that he had sued in Kentucky and had
obtained a divorce. Acting ON this belier
jackson went to Natchez and married her.
For two years they lived together in
Nashville as man and wife when to their
great surprise it was discovered that Ro-
bards did not secure his divorce until a
year after her second marriage. So Jack
son procured another license and was
married to her a second time. For forty
years they enjoyed an honorable and
happy wedlock. His devotion to her was
intense and his pistol was ever ready to
avenge her fair name from scandal He
had many political enemies, but he taught
them early that not even a whisper to her
prejudice would be allowed Rachel Don
elson was a true and noble woman.
1T is a singular fact that five of the
first thirteen presidents married widows.
Washington set the example and was
followed by Jefferson. Madison and Fill
more. The last named was married twice
and so was John Tyler. Andrew John
sons wife taught him to write after they
We're married. His humble origin and
vocation and his rise to the highest Of
flee have long been cited to illustrate
the difference between Republican
and monarchical government, but he
was not the only president whose youth
was marked by toll and ignorance. Fill
more was apprenticed to a wool car
der when he was fourteen years of age
apd was bound to the trade, for seven
years. When he was nineteen he bought
his mseryed time and bought a die
tionary. He could read and write a lit
tie, but had not had access to any books,
for his father had none save Bible and
q hymn book. He had never seen
map of the United States nor a copy of
Robinson Cruso. 1t was like being born
again for a young man of nineteen to be-
gin to acquire the rudiments of an edu-
cation. But he did it and climbed slow
ly, but surely, upward until he reached
the top of the ladder He made a bet
ter man than Andrew johnson and was
far more dignihed and happier in his Of
flca. Fillmore became president because
lie was worthy of it. johnson was roll
ed into the Office by the tidal wave of the
civil war. But they We're self-made I
men.
Garfield was known as the teacher pres
ident, but John Adams and Arthur also
taught school. Eight of the earlier pres
idents had no collegiate education, but
this is no argument against the great adj |
vantage that such an education gives. |
College education is great comfort. |
independent of its being a help TO pro-
gress and advancement in science and |
art The limited knowledge / acquired |
in a three-years' course could not be /
bought with money. 1t furnished the tools I
of my trade. There is a positive comfort
in knowing the origin of English words
the old ones and the new ones that are
being continually coined to keep up with
science and discovery. 1t is a comfort
to know how to measure the distance
Of the sun and moon and stars and to
eelipses and why the little hon
ay bee builds the cells in the honey comb
in hexagon shape and the laws of light
and gravity. 1t is a comfort to an old
man to be looked up to by he's children
md grandchildren as the pupils did to
he schoolmaster in Goldssmith's school
And still they gazed and still the won
der grew
That one small head could carry all he
knew"
The danger of college life lis however,
very great, and no boy should be sent
here just for the fun or the name or the
'olish of it. The athletic sport of it seems
nowadays to be a prominent feature of
college education. My ideas about that
nay be prejudices, but if so they are so
trong and / am so antique that 1 cannot
ihange them. ] have no more boys to ed
Icate and they who have must take their
pWn responsibility, but | read the pro-
rr3InTnnQ af fha ma 4cIr1 tea at,,nc fhof ara !