Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-02
Served in the Senate.

After serving one year on the bench
he retired to practice law, but was al
most Immediately elected to Congress,
and when John A. Eaton was appointed
Secretary of War, in 1879, WIS chosen to
ill out his uneXpired term in the United
states Senate. Three years later he was
elected for full term and served until
l>:'S. when he was appointed Attorney
General by President Van Buren,. A year
later he resigned to return to the Sen
ate and remained in that body until his
death, in 1919.
The correspondence with President
Jackson is the most interesting of all the
autographs in Mr.. Dickinson's scrapbook
because he writes TO Mr.. Grundy with
great freedom and frankness. The letters
which were all written by Gen. Jackson
own hand do not show much evidence to
sustain the prevailing impression that he
was an illiterate or an uncultured man.
Indeed, he writes with great huency and
expresses himself with force, although
there is an occasional lapse in grammar
and spelling. His penmanSnip IS plain,
hut regular and rather larse, and ne uses
a good deal of ink, but his letters are
those of man accustomed TO writing
and able. TO express his thoughts with
force and freedom. One of the earliest
autographs iof Gen. Jackson is character
Isle. He SAYS:
1T is painful to me to have to utter
sentiment respecting politics which can be
judgment or feeling of my friends in the
estimate which they have formed or are
a bout 10 form of candidates for public
office. y sense of what is due TO my Of
fetal station and To that sensiDility which
il is natural and right the people should
cherish in regard TO the conduct of those
they have entrusted with power has ever
imposed upon me the most solemn re-
straint this subject.
These considerations. however, did not
i trust, in the estimation of any candid
portion of my countrymen, require so UNI
reasonable a sacrifice that which one
Of The Nashville papers had prepared for
me and which, if submitted 10, would
have involved me entertaining the opin-
ions | do. and which | nave practically
maintained i'll the dminiStration, in the
double crime of apostacy and ingratitude
IL the republicans who have honored me
with their confidence and support.
Would Put Himself Right.
1T was my duty to put myself right in
this respect, when | was held up 10y that
newspaper printed in my own neighbor-
hood and processing to speak as a friend,
as perusng line of conduct adverse to
the harmony and the union of the repub-
ian cause. Having done this. can have
no desire to take any part In the matter
further than 10 continue my exertions to
make the administration worthy of public
appreciation.
Believe me- my dear sir, with senu-
ments of the greatest respect for your
uniform and talented support of the
great principles of republicanism and of
gratitude for the manly and generous
manner i'm which YOU have indicated me
from the aspersions OF my enemies, your
friend and very obt servant,
ANDREW JACKSON
None of these letters has ever been pub
Ushed Although James Parton in his
Life of Jackson gives us many char
aCteristic examples of the correspondence
of ..Oid Hickory, these evidently es-
ga ned his attention. and, being of a pure
" personal character, were preserved by
MIR Grundy's family. Here is a charac-
teristic letter: