The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-04-05
SOCIAL fEUD MADE HISTORY.
How Pre.h'psggI 0'ksllI Blasted Cahoan's presl-
dsnllal Ambition.

An exciting quarrel between a prcSl-
dent ana chieftains OF his party began
son 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
cduses-Jacksons discovery that Cal
houn. who was secretary OF war IN
Monroes cabinet. was hostile TO jack
son during the Florida war, in Mon
roe's days, and the refusal of the wife
OF Calhoun and those OF the members
OF Jacl0sOn's cabinet in 1893 10 recOg-
ni2e Mrs. Eaton. wife OF JacksOns Sec
ietdry OF war, socially.
The origin OF the social war which
| changed factors in politics, and indi-
reculy resulted in the formation Of tho
WING party, is thus given by the 81.
Louis Globe Democrat:
Joha IA. Eaton, a personal friend of
jackson, was appointed by Jackson
secretary of war; ana took his seat in
the cabinet i'm March 1929. on Jackson's
entrance into the White House. Eaton
, a Few months earlier married Mrs
| Iimberlake, whose maiden name was
Margaret l.. ONeiH commonly called
Feggy . NcilD, woman of great
beauty OF some accomplishments and
OF unbOundcd ambition. She was the
daughter of a Washington tavern
! Keeper. Gossip had been free with her
name during her welded life with TIM
berlake and when, after Eatons mar
ttage TO her and the intelligence that
he was 10 be member OF the cabinet
reached the pubic, some OF JacksOn's
! friends told him that Ea tons entrance
into the cabinet would cause some en-
! barrassment 10 the administration.
Jackson, who was crcditably slow TO
af a 20
spondcd that Mrs. Eaton was not TO
bc in the cabinet. lie made IL known
| 10 his personal friends Immediately
after The administration began that he
desired that Mrs Eaton should be ac-
corded all the cOurtesies 10 which her
station entitled her. The wife Of Vice
President Cainoun and the wives OF all
! the members OF the cabinet who had
! any wives refused 20 recognize Mrs.
| Eaton. Jackson took up her cause
| with his usual energy, and the question
! entered politics. Van Buren,, the Sec
| retary of state had no wife Che was a
| Nidower). He had no daughters. lie
! was thus free to extend 10 Mrs. Eaton
| the conventional courtesies, which he
| did with rhe dignity and grace Tor
| which he was noted.
This made Van Buren's political for-
( tune. There had been keen rivalry be-
! tween Calhoun and Van Buren, preNi-
! the presidency. The Democratic party
! was invncible. and the man who got
| the presidential candidacy was certain
I OF election. Jackson was the party's
| dictator. Calhoun, by his position as
! president, and by his prominence
/ i'm the party, was popularity believed TO
! stand seXt in line 10 Jackson. In the
/ first year or two or Jackson's first
! term Jackson's feeble health was
! thought 10 be q barrier i'm the way of
/ his acceptance of q nomination for a
! second term. and Calhoun was popu
| larly supposed TO be his political heir.
| The discovery. through the Crawford
| disclosures. Of the unfTiendlneSS OF
| Calhoun for Jackson i'm 1918, in the
| Monroe cabinet and the quarrel which
| the Mrs. Eaton incident brought, de-
| stroyed this hope. Van Buren's cham
/ pionship of Mrs. EatOns cause endear-
! ed him To Jackson.
! Van Burens call upon Mrs. Eaton at
| her residence had mighty political con-
! sequences. Like the shot of the "em-
! the sound OF the silver knocker touch
! battlcd farmers at Concord bridge.
! cd at Mrs. Eatnn's door by Martin Van
| Buren was heard round the world, or
/ at least round that part of the world
| comprised I'm the United states. AS a
| result of the Peggy O'Neill war (sup-
! plemented in Calhoun's case by the
| Crawford disclosures) Calhoun was
| shut out from the presidency. was
| dwarfed from a national into "A sec
tiona figure. and his broding over his
| effacement probably assisted in incit-
ing that system OF political philosophy
out Of which resulted secession and
civil war Eaton and Van Buren re-
signed in April. 1881, in order TO facili-
tate a general reconstruction OF the
cabinet which would free Jackson
from the husbands of the wives who
had dsregarded his Eaton ukase-es-
pecially OF Ingham, secretary OF the
treasury: Branch. secretary Of the
navy. and Bewien, attorney-general.
The county was conVulsed, large
fragment Of the Democratic party was
east off and united with the elements
which founded the Whig party three
years later. and that party received
strength which IL would not otherwise
have gained at the outset.