The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-31
SOCIAL FEUD MADE HISTORY
How Peggy o'Neil Blasted Cal
houn's Presidential Ambition.

From the st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
An exciting quarrel between a presi-
dent and chieftains OF his party began
soon after Jackson went to the White
House. In this feud Calhoun was the
principal figure on the anti-JaCkson
side. The quarrel was melted by two
causes-Jacksons discovery that CAL
houn, who was secretary of war in
Monroe's Cabinet, was hostile to Jack
son during the Florida war, in Mon
roe's days, and the refusal of the wife
or Calhoun and those of the members
Of Jacksons Cabinet in 1929 to recog-
nize Mrs. Eaton, wife of Jacksons Sec
retary of War. socially.
The origin of the social war which
changed factors in politics, and indi-
rectly resulted in the formation of the
Whig party, was this:
John II. Eaton, a personal friend OF
jackson, was appointed by Jackson
Secretary of War, and took his seat in
the Cabinet in March, 1929, on Jackson 8
entrance into the White House Eaton
few months earlier married Mrs. Tim
berlake, whose maiden name was Mar
garet L. O'Neill Commonly called
Peggy O'NeilD. a woman of great
beauty, of some accomplishments, and
of unbounded ambition. She was the
daughter Of a Washington tavern keep
er. Gossip had been free with her name
during her welded life with Timber
lake, and when, after Eatons mar
riage to her and the intelligence that
he was TO be a member of the Cabinet
reached the public, some of Jackson's
friends told him that Eaton's entrance
into the Cabinet would cause some en-
barrassment to the administration,
Jackson, who was creditably slow to
believe anything ill of a women re-
sponded that Mrs. Eaton was not to be
in the Cabinet. He made it known TO
his personal friends imedately after
the administration began that he de-
sired that Mrs. Eaton should be ac-
corded all the courtesies to which her
station entitled her. The wife of Vice.
President Calhoun and the wives of all
the members of the Cabinet who had
any wives refused to recognize Mrs.
Eaton. Jackson took up her cause with
his usual energy, and the question en-
tered politics. Van Buren, the Secretary
of state, had no wife Che was widow
err. He had no daughters. He was
thus free TO extend to Mrs. Eaton the
conventional courtesieS, which he did
with the dignity and grace for which
he was noted.
This made Van Burens political for
tune. There had been keen rivalry be-
tween Calhoun and Van Buren, pre-
Viously for the successionto Jackson in
the presidency. The Democratic party
was invincible, and the man who got
the presidential candidacy was certain
of election. Jackson was the party's die
tator. Calhoun, by his position as vice.
president and by his prominence in the
| party, was popularly believed TO stand
next in the line to Jackson. In the
| ance of a nomination for second term,
| JaCksOn's feeble health was thought TO
| be a barrier in the way of his accept
| ance of nomination for a second term,
and Calhoun was popularity supposed to
| he his political heir. The discovery
| through the Crawford disclosures, of the
| unfriendliness of Calhoun for Jackson
| in 1918, in the Monroe Cabinet, and the
| quarrel which the Mrs. Eaton incident
| brought destroyed this hope. Van Bu-
! ren's championship of Mrs. Eaton:
| cause endeared him to Jackson.
Van Buren's call upon Mrs. Eaton al
! her residence had mighty political con-
/ sequences. Like the Subl Oh lilt EN-
| battlcd farmers" at Concord bridge
| the sound Of the silver llnockcr touched
at Mrs. EatOn's door by Martin Van
| Buren, was heard round the world, OF
at least round that part of the wOrlt
! comprised of the United states. AS a re-
! ault of the Peggy O'Ncill war Supple
| meuted Calhoun's case by the CTaw
! ford disclosures Calhoun was shut GU
! from the Presidency, was dwarfed from
| a national into q sectional figure, anC
! his brOOding over his effacomcnt prob
| ably assisted i'm melting that system
| Of political philosophy out of whicl
| resulted secession and civil war. EaI N
and Van Buren resigned in April, 1881
in order to facilitate a general recon
! struction Of the Cabinet which would
free Jackson from the husbands of tn,
! wives who had diSrogardod his EatOi
ukase-eSpeclally Of Ingham. Secretary
Of the Treasury; Branch, Secretary o
| the Navy, and Bcnien, Attorney
eral The country was convulscd,
| large fragment Of the oDmocratic party
! was cast Off and united with the ele
| mcuts which founded the Whig part!
! three years later, and that party re
ceived a strength which it would no
| otherwise have gained at the outset.