Evening star., 1902-08-07
JACKSON, IRON JUDGE
APPOINTED BY LINCoLN-sPEECH
AGAINST SECESSION.
How the Patriarchal Jurist of West
Virginia Fought Anti-Union
Sentiment

wv. Va Correspondence Chicago Rec
ord d-Hcrzld.
"An my life have been opposed to re-
bellion and revolt against the government
1 was opposed TO ii in 1850; l am opposed TO
it now
So said John Jay Jackson. the patriarchal
jurist, the iron Judge" as they call him
here. 1t was an eloquent appeal for the
Union in 1850 that won Jackson his Judge
ship at the hands OF Abraham Lincoln. The
story of that episode. as L had II from the
lips of the venerable judge is a most inter
esting one. When the black cloud OF seces.
sion darkened the nations sky in 1860 Mr..
Jackson was a young and successful laws
yer in this town. then within the borders Of
old Virginia. He had been graduated al
Princeton in is45. had been prosecuting at
torney of his county, and had served three
terms in the Virginia legislature. Like his
father before him he was a whig-a Henry
Clay whig. He elector on the whig
ticket in 1852 and 1885, and in 1860 was
chosen a presidential elector when the Bell
and Everett ticket carried Virginia. In De-
cember Of that year he visited Richmond to
discharge his duties as a member of the
electoral college. The visit gave rise to an
incident which changed the whole course OF
the young lawyers career. and came near
to changing the history OF his country.
The Whig Electors.
The citizens of the Virginia capital gave
a banquet in honor of the whig electors.
This young lawyer. from what was then
called Northwest Virginia, was down for a
toast. Speakers who preceded him talked
little but secession. Lincoln had been elect
ed. South Carolina was preparing to go out
of the Union. sOutherners feared and de-
tested the new regime and abhorred the
threatened coercion of sovereign states.
The heart Of aristocratic. intrepid Virginia
was fired with the new Idea. and this night
1t leaped into flame. Speech after speech
was made in favor of secession. The tide
was running strong that way.
When Jackson's turn came his blood was
hot with Indignation. but ne controlled him
self and started calmly. He knew the fierce
ness of the passion which he had to face.
and realized the need of caution. He began
with the simie that our sisterhOod of states
could be compared to a family. The family
must have a head, responsible and authori-
tative. 1t was for the head of the family
to issue his orders. to lay his injunctions.
for the good of all II his commands were
disobeyed. 1t was his duty to punish. The
federal government at Washington was the
head of the Union family. Every citizen OF
the republic. every foot of soil, was subject
to its sovereign will.
Hostile Cries.
% him! he's in favor of coercionr'
cried rich planter from the other end OF
the banquet hall At this a storm OF Kisses
broke and for few moments II was doubt
full If the audience would permit the speaker
to continue Kisses greeted every word he
uttered.
Finally a measure of quiet was restored.
and Jackson went on. nothing daunted.
Would you coerce sovereign state? a
voice interrupted.
There is no such thing as sovereign
state he retorted. "All the states in this
Union are satellites revolving around the
central sun. which is the government at
Washington"
Here more Kisses filled the air, and the
banquet hall was in an uproar.
Would you coerce South Carolina?"
yelled a man with great voice.
IF South Carolina attempted to leave this
Union Of states, one and fnseparable now
and forever" roared Jackson in reply. "if
that child rebels against the authority OF
the head of the national family. by the
Eternal I'd whip her till she was ready to
come back again.
More Kisses. mingled with cries OF Pull
him down. Pull him DOWN.
81 am Jackson. and you can't pull me
DOWN. was the defiant answer.
This paraphrase of the words of Old
Hickory caught the crowd. A latent senti-
ment In favor of the Union began to ex-
press itself. and the speaker found he had
friends in the audience.
Rebukes Virginians.
With the tide now running his way, the
bold young orator shamed his hearers for
their threats to pull him down. us this our
Virginia?' he asked. Are you the sons of
the cavaliers. gallant and generous? Has
1t come to this. that a Virginian cannot en-
joy freedom of speech before an audience
of Virginians?"
He asked them what they of East Vir-
ginia had to complain of, anyway. Their
slaves were secure. They had the fugitive
slave law. They lost few slaves, because
they had Maryland between them and the
north The county from which he came.
up on the Ohio river had lost more slaves
than all of the eastern part of the state.
His own fathers plantation had lost more
than all the plantations along the James
and the Rappahannock.
THE people of my part of the state have
uncomplainingly borne our LOSSES" he de-
clared. I'VE like our slaves but We like
the Union better. And / say to you here
a nd now. that If the state of Virginia
cedes from the Union. sure there Is a
God i'm heaven Northwest Virginia will
cede from the state of Virginia.
Like bolt of thunder from a clear sky
came this declaration, bold and prophetic.
1t threw the assemblage into an indescrib-
able uproar But it set in motion the waves
of thought which at one time promised to
hold the old dominion in the Union. To this
day ii is believed by many the motion to
go out was not fairly carried in the seces-
sion convention. but was worked through
by fraudulent count OF the votes.
Lincoln Makes Appointment.
In those days there were few stenogra-
piers. Speeches were rarely reported In
full. But an imperfect account of Jackson's
courageous address was printed. 1t attract
ed the attention Of Lincoln. Jackson was
summoned to Washington and asked to
take the United States judgeship. You are
the man we want and must have" said
"a born Virginian who can make a
speech like that at Richmond is the man
we need on the bench" Jackson demurred.
He was doing well with his law practice.
The salary of the judgeship was only s., 500
a year. He asked two three days for
and while he was considering
the President sent his nomination 10 the
Senate. and il was confirmed.
Forty-one years ago on August Mr.. Lin
colin signed the commission. Judge jackson