Evening star., 1925-03-22
Iron Will Carried Jackson to Victory in Every Contest

son would remain out of consideration
for the welfare OF his antagonist. He
ordered his surgeon to remain in at
tendance on Dickinson. and early in
the evening sent him a bottle of wine
with his compliments.
Dickinson died that night, where
upon Jackson consented TO proper
medical attention and to announce
ment of the fact that he had been
shot in the duel. Later he conf1ded
to Judge Overton that his reason for
secrecy at first was that he did not
want Dickinson to have the salts
faction of knowing he had been hit.
X Y
w day opinion of this performance,
Il demonstrated the sort Of courage
jackson possessed his grim determi-
nation to go through with a pre-
scribed course whatever the conse
Quences, and his implacable hatred
of any person he considered an enemy
Only such a man could have made
the single-handed fight against the
United States Bank, run by Emperor
Nick Biddle of Philadelphia. and
smashed it when it fought back at
king" Jackson Nobody but Presi-
dent with his deep conviction of the
justice of his course could have
fought the battle against "nullifica-
ton" and crushed both II and its
brilliant sponsor, John c. Calhoun.
Always a sufferer from intestinal dis
ease that caused intense pain, Jackson
almost died from the wound inflicted by
Dickinson. After recovering sufficiently
to get about again he was still so i'll
that he looked like a walking skeleton
The lacerated lung never healed, but
was constant source of pain and sick
ness as long as he lived. 1t produced
frequent hemorrhages, which were
treated by the then popular remedy of
bleeding" Jackson had been bled so
many times that by the time he reached
the White House he had ceased to call
in a doctor to attend him. Wherever he
was he would roll back his sleeve, send
for his servant get out his pocket knife
and have the negro hold basin while
he slit a vein in his arm himself. When
a sufficient amount of blood had been
drawns off to stop the hemorrhage Of
the lung he would tie up his arm and lie
down. Naturally. he would be so weak
for days that he could hardly lift his
head.
When attacked severely by his chronic
ailment he would gain relief in only one
way. That was to stand astride of d
straight chair and relax heavily over
it's back, his arms dangling almost to
the floor and the chair back pressing
hard into his stomach. In such position
he would remain for hours, and at the
same time dictate letters, give directions
and hold conference with his Kitchen
cabinet" But in the Indian War days,
or in the heat of his many violent con-
troversieS as President, the trumpet call
to action found him ready for the fight
For days at a time when he was clean
ing the Indians out Of the new South
west or defending New Orleans he was
so i'll he had to be lifted to his horse.
but once there his jaw would set his eye
flash fire and his militant spirit COM
municate itself to his troops and spur
them to victory. In his entire career he
never lost military or a political
battle.
Congressional investigations seem to
have been in order even in those early
days or the Republic, but no one has
dealt with them in recent years like
the impetuous, fiery jackson. He had
previously been a member of both the
House and Senate. which was probably
! an advantage, but his experience with
one particular investigating committee
probably gave him the knowledge which
made it possible for him to cope with
Congress successfully when he later be-
came President
Jacksons conduct of the Seminole
campaign caused some of the Senators
grave apprehension. He had been sent
into the South with an army to stop the
Indian outrageS if possible but had been