The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-04-09

rush. TO destroy or XIII. was the only
inetnod or dealing with enemies. that
ne understood. DR.. Bassett tells us
mat While toward his friends he was
the soul OF generosity toward his
enemies he was irnplacable. for mag
naniInity was never one ~
his virtues
1t is not difficult to imagine what
sort or military leader such a man
would make. Without ~intirnating tina
ne was the greatest American soldier,
Or that he vas even a great soldier
at all. 1t is. perhaps true that he was
the most uniformly successful soldier
america has produced. DR.. Bassett's
characterization OF him as a military
leader. therefore. has peculiar inter
est. 1t is exceedingly we'll Gone. Says
he:
"Jackson's strategy was that Of the
frontier Indian fighter. To move
straight and quickly. surround and ex-
terminate the foe. summed up his mill
ltdry theory Few American generals
nave edualed him IN courage, prompt
ness. perseverance, reSOurcefuInesS,
n the ability to ,nman the con-
hdence OF his officers and the ODE
dlence OF his private soldiers. These
were natural qualities, and they are
much more than half the making Of
a great soldier; but thev were not all.
he lacked-fOr he had no opportu-
nifty to acuuire-the trained officers
knowledge Of military technique. Had
ne risen through the lower grades Of
service the deficiency might not have
existed, though this is not entirely
certain. The campaign preliminary to
the attack on New Orleans was poor
~ tanned from a military standpoint.
1t was his gooo fortune that
fackennam. at the final test Of
strength, utterly despised him. The
British commander threw aside
through disdain the caution Of an ex-
perienced officer as effectively as
jackson lacked it through ignorance
OF the art of war. SO far, therefore
as his career witnesses, the Hero OF
New Orleans was a man who would
blunder against his opponent then
defeat him by sheer fighting. But il
is necessary to remember that there
are many generals Of whom we can
not say as much as this"
In the following paragraph DR.. Bas
sett gives US an unusually vivid de
scription of the man:
In appearance he vas tall, slen.
der. and very erect. His face wa.
pale: his eyes. which were very blue
were also very intense; and above {
high and narrow forehead rose a mas:
Of stiff hair which was too brown tt
be sandy and too light to be auburn
His chin was ~clean-cut and square
but without heaviness, his mouth, al
his best feature, was large, ant
his lips were Of that flexible kin
which emphatically express on certain
occasions extremes Of beneVolence 0
anger. He bore himself with the al
Of a man who was his own MASTER
J, About One-half of the book is de
voted to the Presidency OF Andrew
Jackson. and this is much the mos
interesting half. The author gives IL
; a vivid insight into the political in
trigues of factions and parties an
) treat in q mastery way such nationa
: events as JackSon's dealings with in
/ ternal improvements. h Indians, tn
bank. notification. and the variou
foreign questions which came up dur
ing his administration. His treatmen
is accurate. impartial, and sane, an
i, the reader at the conclusion lays asid
the book fully acquiescing in the tina
Y judgment of the author:
t The American who now knows ho'
: to estimate the life of the Jacksonia
? era will take something from the pre-
tensions Of his enemies and add some
: thing to the virtues hitherto accorde
r his partisans. Jackson's lack Of edI
cation. his crude judgments in man
affairs, his occasional outbreaks c
passion. his habitual hatred of thos
s enemies with whom he had not mad
d friends for party purposes. and h
crude ideas OF some political policies
e all lose some of their infelicity in tn
v face of his brave. frank, MASTER
. leadership Of the democratic move
ment which then established itself i
n nlr life ThiC W9C his task. he VIZ
l. adapted to it; he did it faithful
conscientiously. ably. Few America
e Presidents have better lived up to tf
e demands Of the movements whic
e brought the into power
!, @D~
: NEW O. HENRY STORY.