The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-10-17
Woman Wrecked Cabinet And
Lost Calhoun Presidency
(From the Washington Starr

courtly man born IN 1904 ana not olo'
when came to Washington, that
was in 1875, an old lady used to
come here to talk with me. We would
sit on bench in the shade of the
lodge. She was old, though sprightly
and vivacious, and there was a charm
in her way of speaking, and in the
expression of her faces and in her
gestures, which would be- hard, if mot
impossible to describe. Her hair was
white, but her eyes were bright and
merry, and her voice was clear and
musical. It was still the voice of a
young woman.
"It was very easy to understand
that in her youth she had been a wo-
man of exceptional beauty and charm
of manner. WWe talked about many
things, especially about the old homes
and people of Washington and George
town. She had had an extensive ac-
auaintance and, although she told
scores of gossipy little stories about
men and women who had been promi-
nent in the long ago, there was moth
ing uncharitable in the stories. At
last, she died, and she lies buried on
that slope. That old lady was Peggy
O'Neal, who was the central figure
in the bitterest social war that ever
broke out in Washington. That war
extended outside the bounds Of So
ciety and got into politics. It upset
the cabinet of President and play
ed a parti u thwarting the presiden-
tiai hopes of a foremost statesman
and gave the prize to his political RI
val. It resulted on the recall Of at
least one foreign minister to the
United States. And all that happend-
ed back in the first administration of
President Andrew Jackson"
The story Of Peggy O'Neal, her
charm her life and her adventures is
ono of The traditions of old Washing
ton.
Peggy was daughter of William
O'Neal, keeper of a tavern. Peggy
was "a tavern keepers daughter" !"
That was horrible position for a
woman.
The wives of politicians in Wash
ington at the time of Andrew Jack
son heaped abuse on Peggy O'Neal.
They said the worst things they dar-
ed to say and urged their husbands
on to saying worse. But old Andy
Jackson stood up for her, even
though his cabinet tumbled, even
though John C. Calhoun was beaten
for succession to Jackson as President
of the United States and even though
Chavelier Bengeman Huygens, min
lister of the Netherlands, was recalled.
Jackson stood by her and her hus-
band John Henry Eaton. The gossips
then couple Jackson's name with that
of Peggy.
Cabinet Wives "Angers" Jackson
There is bit of material concern
ing Peggy o'Neal in the Encyclope-
dia, as follows:
Margaret O'Neal Eaton, 1896
1897, we'll known as Peggy O'Neal,
was the daughter of the keeper of
popular Washington tavern and
was noted for her beauty, wit and
vivacity. About 1923 she married
a purser in the United States
Navy, John B. Timberlake, who
committed suicide while on service
in the Mediterranean in 1928. In
the following year she married John
Henry Eaton, 1790-1856, Tennes-
see politician, at the time a member
of the United States senate.
'Snator Eaton was a close person
al friend of President Jackson, who,
in 1929, appointed him secretary of
war. This sudden elevation of Mrs.
Eaton into the cabine: social circle
was resented by the wives of several
of Jackson's secretaries and charges
were made against her of improper
conduct with Eaton previous to her
marriage to him. The refusal of the
wives oc the cabinet members to rec
ognize the wife of his friend anger.
ed President Jackson and he tried to
coerce them.
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