The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-01-17

This is the"Sth Of January a day me-
morable in the annals of American history.
The young people ought to read about the
battle OF New Orleans -Jaokson's great
battle, where his troops in less than an
hour killed and wounded 1900 of the
flower Of the British army and lost only
eight killed and thirteen wounded.
Never in the history of the world has q
battle been fought in which there was
SO great disparity of loss. PakeIiAam,
who was in command of 10000 troops,
was the brother-in-law of Wellington,
and had only a short time before obtain
ed a great victory over Napoleon at Sala-
manca. Jackson had only 5000 unframed
rifemen, ana Pakenham was killed and
his army routed and put TO flight This
battle established the prowess of the
Southern yoemanry and made Jackson
President. lie was certainly very Won
derful man. He had but n little school
ing In an old field school, and never learn
ed in the course Of his life to use the
English language correctly. When only
thirteen years old an English officer cut
him with a sword because he refused to
black his boots. His father died early;
his brothers were killed in the Revolution
airy War, and his mother died from hard
ship and suffering and so he grew up
with an intense hatred of the British
The family were Scotch-Irish, and my
friend, George Adair would say that
accounts for.ail his wonderful deeds. He
had but little knowledge of law, but was
made public prosecutor and was a ter
ror to eyil-doers. lie gave the new State
its name Of Tennessee, and waged war
of years against Indians, whom he sub
dled not only la his own State, but even
IN Alabama and Mississippi and Florida.
He had TO cut out roads wherever he
went with his troops, and almost every
great highway in the South from north
Georgia to the Mississippi Is still known
to the old men as Jackson's road When
on the warpath he paid no respect to Or
ders from Washington, but pursued his
own Tsaas in defiance of the government
He was several times wounded in battle
and in duels with his political enemies,
but seems to have lived a charmed life.
He followed no precedents and made no
alliances with political eliqucs. He was
always original, self-willed and defiant.
John Forsythe was his Secretary of State
and Berrien his Attorney General, both
from Georgia He hated Adams and
Clay and alF the followers OF Jay and
Hamilton. lie challenged Winfield Scott
for a remark he made about him. lie
turned Calhoun ont of his Cabinet be-
cause Mrs Calhoun wouldn't associate
with Mrs. Elton, the wife OF the Secre-
tary of War The Wing papers had
malgned Jacksons wife aud Jackson
never forgave the party for it and turned
1000 Of them out of Office the first year
&c his administration. His chiyalrous re-
spect for the female sect was the most
winsome feature about his character.
Sam Houston ard Dayy Crockett had
fought under him and were his trusted
political friends and advisers Like
Grant and Taylor, they had fought their
way up in hard, dangerous warfare, and
rad but little respect for the limitations
of law or the provoking delays of red
tape. Almost all West Pointers have a
similar contempt for tha slow methods of
the civil law, and especially for the writ
of habeas corpus and appeals from court
to court | remember when General Joe
Johnson ordered q coart-martial at Cen
terville, Va. To try two soldiers for stslk-
ing Their cart.lan. The crime was eAn.
mitted at 10 o'clock in in the morning.
They were tried on the afternoon of the
same day and shot the next morning at
sunrise. That Is the kind of swift justice
that military men admire.
There are some curious things about
these old-time Presidents. Three of
them died on the Fourth of July. The
first fourteen wore no beard; sixteen no
nloustache; twelve had no middle name:
FIVE were named James; seven had thir-
teen letters in their names, and every
name had the letter A in it somewhere,
except John Tyler's, and he was Vice
President So it is no use in nominating
a man who has not that little vowel to
give him luck, nor is thirteen an unlucky
number among Presidents. It is my
misfortune that | never saw a President.
/ looked toward Franklin Pierce once IN
New York, but he was SO tangled up III
a carriage with other gentlemen that |
could not distinguish him. But | have
seen quite a number of great men-some
Of them, indeed, who were greater than
Presidents. / saw Daniel Webster and
Clay and Choate and heard them speak.
Mr.. Calhoun put his hand ON my head
wheu / was lad and spoke
kind words to me. | still reyer-
ence his memory, for he was a
great and good man. | saw and heard
Jefferson Davis on the battlefield and on
the platform after the war. / saw and
heard all the great men Of Georgia who
figured in politics in the 40s and Sos.
The greatest speech | ever heard from
any OF them, it seems to me, was made
by Walter Colquitt, but ] was young
Democrat then and very susceptible.
During the war | saw the great generals
quite often. Lee and Johnson, Long
street, Beauregard, Early, Hardee and
others. / never saw Stonewall Jackson
but once, and then he was asleep, lying
upon some straw in General Lees tent.
! wish had a photograph Of that scene.
1t was about MONDAY. Lee, with his
staff We're dining ar their camp tables,
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