The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-16

/ mUEIanNMEA ONUNUNEtW ANNINNs 0NMM NNHAN
tion was phenomenal. even inthe Mexican war.
gsa-Ssgb NJ n'rtfsh r-s-@r ~
20 ssiin74z - y H. paf-
Xfteftha eonefusl6n or peace. Jaekson's bat
tep9 vas Sent to- Fort Hamilton. on Jona
island 0f'kis garrison life dt this place there
IL little to relate beyond the fact that he was
baptized and received his first communion In
the Episcopal Church. Two years having thus
passed without incident. jackson was tram.
| ferred to Florida. but HIS stay 10 his new quar-
terra was brief, In March. 1851. no resigned
hiacommission IN the regular army to accept
the appointment OF professor ofartilery tao
tics and natural philosophy At the Virginia
Military Institute, in Lexington. Va. Here he
was to spend the next ten years. The oher OF
Ehia chair would probably have attracted but
few. Of Jnckson's contemporaries. but he him
self expressed the opinion that a man who
had turned with a good military reputation
to p%urauits OF a semi-clvjlian character and
had vigorously prosecuted the Improvement Of
his mind would have more chance OF success
In war than those who had remained In tho
treadmiil OF the garrison" At Lexington he
had leisure for mental training. and in the
Uell-stocked library OF tho institute he found
all needful facilities for Increasing his profess
sionAl knowledge. The tactics OF artillery he
was not called upon to impaft. Optics. me-
chanics and astronomy were his special sub
jects, and We are told that he was by no means
successful as an Instructor. Although himself
n thorough master OF the theories OF light and
motion. he lacked the faculty OF imparting a
knowledge OF them TO. others. He mover de-
scended to the level OF his pupils understand
ing. nor did he appreciate their difficulties.
Despite his reputation for courage. he was no
~favorlte with the cadets. He was hardly
In sympathy with them. Time. TO his
mind. was too yaluable to be wasted.
and he made few allowances for the
thoughtlessness OF youth. Neither, does
he seem to have been ,a appreciated by
his brother professors and the other people Of
adult intelligence whom he metin Lexington.
Shy and silent as he was. the knowledge that
even his closest acquaintance could obtainfof
him'was but superficial. A man who was al
ways chary Of expressing his opinions unless
they were asked for. who declined argument
and used as few words as possible attracted
but little notice A few recognized his clear
good sense; the majority considered that. IL he
said little. 1t was because he had nothing worth
saying; his literal accuracy OF statement was
construed as the. mark OF q narrow intellect,
and his exceeding modesty served to keep him
in the background. He was. In short. as in
articulate as, Cromwell. Like the great Proteo-
tor. he lived silent" and. like hlm. he was often
misunderstood.
= The chief landmarks Of his life at Lexington
were the death Of his lrst wife. n daughter OF
the Rev-Br. sJunkin. President of Washington
College. after they had been married but four
teenIfronthss the solution Of his religious diff
eulties by hts reception into the Presbyterian
Church. a five months tour through Scotland.
England. Germany. Switzerland. and Italy,
and his second marriage. to Miss Morrison. the
daughter OF aNorth Carolina clergyman. Why
Jackson should have preferred the Presby-
terrain denomination to all others. including
that In which he first became a member. is not
explained, but. whatever may have been his
reasons. he showed himself a jealous and hard
working adherent of the Church. He becamea
deacon, and devoted a large part Of his leisure
to the collection Of aims and tho distribution Of
them among.t the destitute. He was exceedingly
charitable himself. regularly laying aside one
tenth Of his income for Religious uses. At
church meetings, whether for business or
prayer. he was a regular attendant. and he es-
tablished q Sunday School in which he and his
wife taught o humber OF slave children. There
Is no,doubt that his religion entered into every
action OF his life. In him were Reproduced the
Instincts and thu habits. Of the Scottish Cove.
n6nter.. He, bad long, cultivated he once
said. "'the, habit Of connecting the most trivial
and ordinary actions OF life. with a silent
pIdy5T. 3. MS lltcEdlt ulCEpT6JuLlOil VI. IN0 pre-
cepts Of the Bible caused many to regard him
as "a. fanatic. bis observance of the Sabbath
went much beyond the usage OF the,time. He
never , read a'letter on that day nor posted
one; he believed that the Government in
carrying the mails on Sunday was violating
d divine ordinance. His rigorous respect
for truth served to strengthen the impression
that he was morbidly scrupulous. II he unin-
tentionally made o misstatement. even about
some trihinR matter. he would. as soon as he
discovered his mistake. lose no time and spare
no trouble In correcting 1t. Yet. although he
carried his conscientlousness TO extremes, and
laid down stringent rules for his own govern
ances'he neither set himself up for q model. nor
didhe5 attempt to force his convictions upon
others. He was always tolerant: he knew his
own faults and HIS own temptations. and. II he
could sal" nothing good OF q man. he would not
Bbeaktofh him at all. At the same time. undue
leni6hcy was q weakness to which he never
yielded. Whether with the cadets or with his fell
low offcers.' II an offence had been committed
OF which he wns called upon to take notice, he
was absolutely i%npexible. Punishment or re-
port inevitably. followed. Yet. while he per-
mltted no excuses and no personal feelings to
interfere with the execution OF his duty. he
eyinced'an almost feminine sympathy with the
poor and feeble.,. His servants were his slaves.
but his relations with his black dependents
were of almost . paternal character. and his
kindness was repaid with the childllke devo-
ton peculiar to the negro race. "
What share had the ten years Of quiet study.
OF self-cotnmunion and Of self-discipllne ut
Lexington in shaping the triumphs OF the
Confederate armB2 The biographer answers
by reproducing q remark mado by his prede-
cessor Dabney. whom referring to Jackson's
peculiar form Of mental exercise: Zone can