The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-22

the fact; the contemporaneous accounts
published at great length in the Rich
mond Wing and Enquirer and the
Fredericksburg Arena show that the
bold intruder had not apprised his
friends of his purpose. The passengers
crowded into the cabin to learn if the
president had sustained serious injury.
There was some blood on his face.
No. said he, Il am not much hurt,
but in endeavoring to rise 1 have
wounded my side, which now pains me
more than it did" This wound in his
side was received % years before in his
duel with Dickinson. 1t gave him con-
slant trouble and eventually shortened
his days. The redoubtable old bellig-
erent carried on his person through
most of his life distressing memorials
of his many desperate encounters. In
1882 DIR. Harris made a deep incision
in Jackson's left arm, gave a hard
press and out came bullet which he
had received in the bloody ARRAY with
the Bentons more than 20 years before.
The presidents assailant was quickly
known to be Lieutenant Robert Bever-
ley Randolph, a member of the Vir-
ginia family Of that name, for rs years
in the navy, and who had only IS days
before this assault. been, by order of
the president dismissed from the t'erv-
ice for some irregularity in his ac-
counts as purser. A citizen Of Alex
andria excitedly addressed the presi-
dent and said: "Sir, if you will pardon
me in case I am tried and convicted
l will in 10 minutes kill Randolph for
this insult to you" mo, SIR re-
sponded jackson, Il cannot do that. 1
want no man to stand between me and
my assailants. Had known that Ran
dolph stood before me I should have
been prepared for him. No villain has
ever escaped me before, and he would
not had it not been for my confined
situation
This Lieutenant Randolph had expert
enced a most honorable service in the
navy, having been midshipman and
lieutenant under Commodore Decatur
in the notable career of that command
er in the war of 1S12-14. He was no
nonenity to be put up and down by the
chief executive at his pleasure. The
blood in his veins ran in as rapid cur
rents as in those OF the stormy chief
magistrate whom he had assaulted He
disdained to offer any explanations. A
court Of inquiry had found that the in
accuracies of his accounts existed, but
that there was not ground to charge
him with intent to defraud the govern
ment. Without further formality "Old
Hickory" published an order stating
that he could not concur in exonerat-
ing Randolph from Intentional
fraud" and declaring that he was "un-
worthy the naval service of the repub
lic." This summary condemnation and
punishment by the president was di-
rected against man every whit as de-
termined as himself, one who had rath-
er die than submit to insult
In the midst of the confusion and up
roar attending the incident Randolph
walked quietly from the wharf up into
the town, hired horse and rode COM
placently nine miles out into the cOun-
try to attend wedding to which he
had been invited in Fairfax county. He
remained in this vicinity without mo-
lestation for two days, and four lays
after the occurrence on the Sidney
went to Fredericksburg on a visit to
relative in the neighborhood. The af-
fair created intense excitement and
there was widespread expression of
public Indignation. Much of this ex-
preston was. however, rather in def
erence to the exterior properties than
a genuine manifestation of regret, for
beneath it there could be discerned
secret satisfaction at Rando!ph's
course. 1t was period of violent po-
litical excitement and rancorous poll
teal and even personal antipathies.
The rumblings and connections of the
political earthquake that attended the
removal of the bank deposits were be-
ginning to be distinctly felt. William j.
Duane, the secretary of the treasury,
had plainly animated to jackson that
he would resign sooner than comply
with what he regarded as an unconsti-
tutonal order to remove the deposits,
and only a few months Were to elapse
before Roger B. fancy was to "elin-
quish the office of attorney general to
assume Duanes portfolio of the treas
ury and carry out the imperious de-
mand Of the president. The president
had warm friends and bitter enemies.
and while the former denounced the
attack of Randolph as more diabolical
act than the gunpowder plot of Guy
Fawkes, the latter defended his course
upon the technically correct ground
that a court of inquiry could only IRE
fer Charges" which a court martial
must finally pass upon, and that the
president had been premature in ex-
pelHng him from the navy.
Public meetings were held in Wash
ington, in Alexandria and in number
of the principle cities to consider the
proper steps to be taken to right the
great wrong. The puzzlng question
propounded but never answered was
how to magnify the affront to the
president above a mere assault upon
private citizen. Jackson himself had
openly maintained that public officials
had no more immunity from personal
assault than individual citizens. This
was notably exemplified in the case of
the bloody, not to say brutal, attack of
Sam Houston upon Congressman Stan
the District of Columbia had imposed
Jackson. by public proclamation, de-
cd ahSn1NFnI