The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-05

mocracy. The more carefully one stud
les his life, the more one is led to look
( upon MIN not so much a personal
force as an exponent of conditions, as
a center from which can be seen the
United States as it was in $780, and the
fresh impulses that were expressing
themselves in the social and political
activities Of the people.
He was born in South Carolina-at
least. 50 he said himself, but Parton
insists that North Carolina was his
birthplace. Such a dispute is the
strongest proof Of very humble origin.
His bOyhOOd was spent in poverty, in
sGualor, in the midst of coarse sur
rOundings, and there is little or no indi-
cation that he sought to rise above cir
cumstances. or that, like Lincoln, am
bilious and energetic, he studiously
sought either learning or culture. His
early life is modifying and uninterest-
ing, for it gave no promise of career
above that of his rOlliCking, careless,
ignorant companions, who reveled in
cock fighting, card playing and in all
sorts of mischief and horse play.
He began the study of law Q7SD, but
he was not fitted either by tempera-
ment or industry to be a lawyer, and
never knew much law; perhaps it is
not right to suggest that ne knew even
its fundamental principles thoroughly.
He naturally was averse to theoretical
principles OF any sort.
Just after he became of age he moved
into Tennessee and entered upon a life
in the frontier community. He fitted
well into this environment. for rough
force courage and love of conflict were
much more in demand than culture and
book learning. The man who could
OF har- a
must be ready to play his part in a
tavern braWl or to respond promptly
to the demands Of the code of honor.
Jackson was naturally quarrelsome
and dOmineering, and he did not lack
opportunity for exercising his native
propensities. We read Of duels, IN one
of which he killed his man; Of feudS
and fights Of one kind and another as
incidents in his Tennessee career, and
he carried in his body for twenty years
a bullet from the pistol Of one Of the
BentOns, with whom he was engaged
in q dfsgTaceful row in a tavern This
was poor. preparation for public serv-
ice as a president Of the United States,
and we can never go over the details
of his turbulent life without amaze
ment that this irritable, pugnacious
man should be lifted out of the society
in which ne staggered and fought. 10
become the chief magistrate or
great nation Even stranger does IL
appear that during the years Of which
we have been speaking he held a. num-
Der Of public Offices that seem honor
able and dignified He was public
prosecutor. judge, representative in
congress, United States senator. But
the character of the man and his fitness
for. responsibility in a position where
discretion and calm judgment were
needed are we'll indicated by the words
of Jefferson, who in 1924 said OF him:
when I was president or the senate
he was a senator and he could never
speak on account of the rashEess of
his feelings. I have seen him attempt
II repeatedly, and as often choke with
rage" In 1918 Monroe asked Jefferson
what he thought Of the wisdom Of ap-
Doinffng Jackson minister to Russia,
and the venerable ex-president re
sponded in what seem to be words Of
agtonishment at MOnroe's temerity;
''Why, good God, he. would breed you
a. quarrel before he had been there a
month"
7 have gone over some Of the more
/ important facts Of Jackson's early ca
reer in order to bring out somewhat
clearly the society from which he
| emerged. as well as the essential char
! acter of the man. Although in later
wears as president of the United States
| his manners were usually dlgnifed and
! courteous. although he had a remark
able facility in winning adherents ana
| holding friends, and gave evidence also
/ Of a strong mental grasp OF things IN
which he was personally interested, es-
pecially of those which aroused his an
! tagonism we cannot understand the
| more important events of his later life
nor the significance of his election to
the presidency unless we have some
/ aDprs citation Of his early surroundings
and OF the society of which he was a
part. We must pass rapidly over his
success as an Indian fighter and the
national renoWn he gained in the war
of 1872 by defeating the Creeks and
winning the battle of New Orleans over
!, the saasOned Veterans Of Packenham.