The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-26
Voice Of the People
Andy Lncknon.n nIrthplnre.

40 the EultOT oil inc Times DISPATCH,
Sir.-You seem to be serious In your
persistence to convey the impression
mat Andrew Jackson was born in
South Carolina. The writer of this
communication realizes your unusual
tendency to be humorous, and would
say nothing now II your humor was
not likely to cause many people TO
have I, wrong idea, Wien SOU recently
reproduced Il statement from Andrew
jackson TO tho effect that he was a
native of South Carolina. your cdito-
rial uttorances paused the comic stage.
and since Tho page" OF The Times
Dispatch has lately attempted to set
y number of records straight. you, MIR.
Editor. should be sufficiently generous
10 allow a North Carolinian to present
Andrew jackson really believed that
he iirst saw the light OF day or South
Carolina soil; IT U be admitted
Ono person VIII take the word OF an
other AZ 10 his place of birth. because
individuals are supposed to possess the
upon such a point rs that.
There appeared Il book seven years
ago from the pom of n civil engineer.
The gentleman, Augustus C, Buell.. had
already published other works before
the appearance. of his biography OF
Jackson, publications which entitle
him TO rcspectful consideration In this
inent OF biographers depends upon the
viewpoint. But let him speak;
There Is still another question TO
Pc Sonsidered In connection With the
do b~ioSraphcrs disagree as to whether
Or not he vas a posthumous child.
but Jackson himself disagreed with at
least one Of his bIographcrs MS TO the
State. of his nativity. In his famous
proclamation 10 the nulllGcrs OF South
Carolina Presiden. Jackson officially
addressed them MS 'Fcllow-citizens of
my native state Bnt Mr.. Parton, as a
result or the most thorough territorial
investigation. proves that tho site
Or the McCamie cabin. In which he
was born, Is on tho soil of North Caro-
lima, about eighty rods north of the
present boundary line between the two
states.
I'm his work as n historian. which
for enduring value as well as for com
mon. humanIike interest, has few If
n superiors, Mr.. Parton was always
prompted by that keen journalistic In
stinct commonly called the nose for
news and he also we'll understood that
subtle trait OF average human nature
which SO many writer's fail to perceive:
often Judges an authors value by his
cxactitude III the little things OF his
tory as by his philosophtc treatment OF
its greater themes. On the Issue under
consideration. General Jackson is right
from one point OF view and Mr.. Parton
Is correct from another. jackson was
born In 1857. At that time the exact.
boundary line between the two colo
NAL Carolinas was debatable; at least
Il had ncvor been subjected to scientific
delimitation; But the spot where the
der the unquostioned-or rather the
tacitly Observation-Disclosures of the
Colony of South Carolina. Therefore,
Andrew ackso was born in that Col
ony. But shortly after the adoption of
the Federal Constitution, In 1889. an
nmicablc movement for dcfinitive loca-
zion OF tho boundary was made. This
by Inhn HlOv1E The III fnQ1lt nf IUlfnl,
was n reimbursement not only Of the
line between the two Carolinns, but
also of the south boundary OF Ten
nessce. So far as concerned the Caro-
linas but little change was made, the
reimbursement nowhere amounting to
more h n mile or two. and even
Of old ines that had been carelessly
located or inaccurately mi rked in the
colonial surveys. At the particular
Point concerned In this narrative the
enough from the true parallel to throw
the site of the McCamio cabin on tho
South Carolina side. But Floyd's sur
vey located the line on tho true par
allei. which cut through a. small chord
of the former ~rroncou arc and there
by located the McCamie cabin about
was then u794} Mcckienburg county.
but since set off In what is now Union
county. North Carolina. Therefore.
Jackson, though born In the colonial
South Carolina of 1861, was also born
ON soil that became part OF the State
of North Carolina In 1884,"
Now comes tho question:: Has North
Carolina a right to mark the spot OH
her soil where tho McCamic cabin
stood? Mr.. Editor, you VIII notice
that. although the author OF the above
quotation wishes to credit the actual
birth to South Carolina. he freely
admits that tho ground was debatobIc.
If South Carolina assumed authority
over land not her own. it follows that
South Carolinians, oven though they be-
lieved themselves to be. However. this
matter is small TO qutbble about.
tho land to-day upon which Andrew
Jackson was born. and If any marking
SIS to bic done by anybody the %authori-
consulted. CASTOR LICIITENSTEIN.
April va.