Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-18
wv Jacksons Life Story One of Tempestuous Chapters

again and not only did the presi.
Gent devote weeks and months to the
complete establishment OF Airs.
E,aton's inpocence, but he brought
every force OF his iron will TO beat
down the social ostracism that the
wives of cabinet members had de.
creed
1t was a battle that made history.
Martin Van Buren,. the Secretary OF
State, happened to be II widower. but
Calhoun suffered from a strong.
minded. aristocratic wife. II cost him
the presidency fer Mrs. Calhcun's
exclusiveness added fuel To Jackson's
growing dislike of her husband. even
as Van Buren's chivairic attitude to-
ward Mrs. Eaton was at the bottom Of
The friendship that impelled JACKSON
tn give him his powerful support IN
1886.
In the Presidents approach To .he
great political issues Ut the ,av tie
influence OF his mother is plainly soen.
Elizabeth jackson was Of fne tjain
people. cornpo nioned from BIRTH lN
poverty, and 1t was ehis that gave
the son his passionate sympathy with
the toiling struggling masses of htt.
mainly.
Democracy had not been the inten.
of the Fathers--in framing the Consti.
tuition they gave the shadow, not the
substance-and at the same time
Jackson assembled to the presidency.
all power was in the hands of prfvi.
legged groups. Even jefferson had not
uprooted the oligarchic features of
American life, for his purpose was 10
do good for the people. not to let the
people do good for themselves.
Against these conditions the Presi.
dent hurled himself with the impetu.
Gus courage that had marked him as a
soldier. No one dreamed that he
would dare to lay impious hands upon
the United States Bank. that great
citadel of privilege, but Jackson saw H.
clearly as a vast monopoly that put
loaded dice in the hands of a few, and
he vetoed its rechartering as a first
attack. and then withdrew the Gov.
ernment's deposits to complete it's
ruin.
When Calhoun and South Carolina
boldly set aside Federal laws, threat.
ening armed resistance and secession.
can it be doubted that Andrew Jack
son thrilled to the memory of his dead
mothers hopes and sufferings? Free.
ly, gladly she had given two sons that
America might win free from Old
World tyranny, and following the
dream of a great republic. had laid
down her own life. Now that rude
hands tore at the bonds of union. in
viting chaos, was he to sit by, idle
and acquiescent?
THE Federal Union! 1t must and
shall he preserved" This was Jack.
sons answer to Calhoun and his nulli-
fiers. If single drop of blood shall
be shed there in defiance of the laws
of the United States" he said II will
hang the first man / lay my hand on,
engaged i'm such reasonable conduct
upon the first tree / can reach" 1t
sufficed.
At the end of his second term he re-
tired in gladneSs to the quiet of the
Hermitage, and while he delivered a
long and able farewell message, the In.
tegrity and selfessness of the man is
hest expressed in this letter to
friend:
II returned home with just 500 In
| money. having expended all my salary
| and most of the proceeds of my cot
| ton crop; found everything out Of re-
| pair; corn. and everything else for
| the use of my farm, to buy: having
but one tract of land besides my home
stead, which l have sold. and which.
has enabled me to begin the new year
clear of debt. relying on our industry
| and economy to yield us a support,
and trusting to kind Providence for
| good seasons and prosperous CROP"
Simply. contentedly. he lived and
worked his fields, spending a part OF
each day at the grave of his wife.
until June 8. 1845. when athe tempes-
tuous spirit left the body that it had
racked for so many crowded years.
Some time before his death, admir-.
ing friends had offered him the sar-
cophagus of the Roman Emperor
Severus, but he waved 1t away con
temptuously, wanting nothing but to
share the plain tomb of his beloved
| Rachel.
| And as the end drew near. he made
clear his belief >in a hereafter. but
whispered. Heaven will be no heaven
to me if do not meet my wife there.
| fConvri1ht 1907