Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-11-04
Why He Went to Congress

But he had been interpreting the laws
less than two years when he made
known to his friends that he desired
greatly to be nominated again for con-
gress. Some of his friends remon-
strated; why, they asked, did he want
to give up high judgeship for po-
sition in congress and thus remove
himself from Illinois as an important
public figure? This was Mr.. Doug
las reply. substantially.
Since / have been on the bench /
have met a southern Democrat who
was not only political follower but
is also strong personal friend of An
drew Jackson. He has told me many
interesting things about Jackson, and
from him | first learned of the fine
that was imposed upon General Jack
son at New Orleans when he put that
city under martial law in 1914, pre-
paratory to preparing it against at
tack by the British in the War of 1912.
At that time General Jackson caused
the arrest of a Judge Hall and for this
act was fined $1,000 for contempt.
Then he went in and won the Battle
of New Orleans, but to this day the
fine stands against him. Gentlemen, l
have thought much about this incident
about the inconceivable wrong that
was done General Jackson at that
time, and | want to go to congress to
right it. | want to do all / can to see
to 1t that this old fine is RENTED
with compound interest. | therefore
very much want you to support me
for a congressional nomination"
Nominated and elected to congress
in due course, one of the first Official
acts of Representative Stephen A.
Douglas was to introduce a resolu-
tion authorizing the return, with
compound interest, of the fine of 80
years before to the victor of New Or
leans. Early and late, in and out of
session, and with all the earnestness
OF his being, Mr. Douglas, then thirty
years of age. advocated the passage of
the resolution, and with much less
difficulty than he mad anticipated, he
finally had the satisfaction of know
| ing that the fine, with interest, would
/ be returned 10 "Old Hickory" then
| with less than two years of life before
| him.
/ II was in 1856, when he was on
| lecture tour in Illinois, that the late
| Parke Goodwin, author, editor and SON
in-law of William Cullen Bryant, was
! told this anecdote by several of the
Little Giants" close friends in
! Springfield. Four years later, when
/ Douglas was making his campaign for
president, Mr.. Goodwin met him for the
| first time and related this anecdote as
1 he had heard ii.
| Why" exclaimed Douglas in APP
parent surprise. where did you hear
| that story? Yes. it is9true every
word of il" he added Few moments
/ later. land II l had not heard met
/ dentally of the grave injustice done
General Jackson might not have
/ been stirred mp sufficiently to run for
/ congress again But however that
may have been. one of the most salts
tying recollections of my public life
/ is that ] was able TO right this great
/ Injustice inflicted upon General Jack
son thirty years before. And | have
no correspondence that | have treas
ured up more carefully than the per-
sonal note which l received from
General Jackson acknowledging his
appreciation of the service / was able
to do him in his old age"
copyright, 1910 by f. J. Edwards. An
Rights ReserVed.)