Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-01-20
General 1aekson's famous Feat
lust ninety-four Years H9o

Ninety-four years ago (January -
Andrew Jackson gained the victory
over the British at New Orleans when
forever placed the United States IN
the list of truly sovereign nations.
The day is more generally celebrated
than is the anniversary of any otner
battle which American soldiers have
fought But, curiously enough, the
celebrations are more often political
than otherwise, and the day is devoted
to recalling General Jackson's civil
career rather than to a glorl1catlon
of his military prowess.
In Louisiana the day is legal holl-
day and in New Orleans it is always
celebrated with patriotic zeal. the
cessation of many kinds of business,
the meeting of historical and patriotic
organizations, the devout celebration
at the shrine of Our Lady of Prompt
| Succor-these are some OF the feat-
ures of the ordinary Jackson day in
New Orleans.
New Orleans celebrates the victory
on the field of Chalmette, Nashville
celebrates the signal day in the life
of it's greatest townsman. Ohio, Ne
| braska. Massachusetts and the others
celebrate a day writ red in the calen-
dar of the democratic party.
The first statue erected by order OF
congress to any man was the Mills
equestrian statue of Andrew jackson
in La Fayette square, directly in front
of the white house. The statue has
been severely criticized by artists and
several times efforts have been made
to have it removed. The last attempt
was made about year ago. The
president sat down on the movement
so hard that it is now quite dead.
| And then he fastened to assure some
Tennessee friends that as long as he
was president and as long as his eyes
could see across the street no mans
hand should ever be put out to dis
turb the statue of Andrew Jackson.
The president is insisting that con-
gress provide for the care and main
tenance of Jacksons old home-the
Hermitage. The Hermitage is fine
old place, ten miles from Nashville.
Jackson acquired it early in his career
and it was "home" for most of his
married life. After he left the white
house he retired to the Hermitage,
and from that retreat dictated the
politics of the country, committed the
people to the Oregon policy and did
such yeoman service in the cause of
the annexation of Texas that history
has accorded him the lions share of
credit for the election of Polk over
Clay, and the subsequent events which
sent our flag to the Rio Grande and
the Pacific.
In 1856 the state of Tennessee
bought the Hermitage, intending to
present it to the United States govern
ment as a site for military academy.
Events prevented that, and the state
still owns the land The mansion and
grounds are kept Zip by the Ladies
Hermitage association. On the farm
is the confederate soldiers home of
the state. President ROOSEVELT pro
poses that the federal government
shall undertake to pay for the care of
the house and tomb, leaving the adj
ministration in the hands of the pa
triotic ladies. Mr.. Roosevelt declared
that every president ought to make a
pilgrimage to the Hermitage, and it is
his intention, if possible, to make it
second only to- Mt. Vernon as a ma
tional shrine.
Among the many interesting things
to be seen in the Hermitage is the
New Orleans mantel. That mantel is
made entirely of hickory wood and
required many years work to com
plete it. General Jackson himself in
dulged the fancy that it should not be
worked on except on the eighth day of
January. Thus he gave his own con
sent to the selection of that day
rather than his birthday, March Is
as Jackson day.