The Coolidge examiner., 1934-05-04

t Win WEh4th OF rsaUE argument AiAA
bin was defeated. as was an important amend
ment Of his to another measure bearing on the
same question None the less Crockett stands
head and shoulders above the average thinker
Of his time even above many In high places. be-
cause OF his grasp of fundamental principle
and his willingness 20 fight for H. The cause was
lost. but II was a great cause"
Thus II may be seen that Davy Crockett was
something more than "coonskin congressman"
something more than a picturesque bear-huuter
from the wlds of the West who. by some po-
ltical accident bad chance 10 participate in
shaping the beginnings ot our democracy. But
II later Americans have failed 20 appreciate his
significance In that period his own people ap-
parently we're also blind 10 his true worth Be
cause he dared oppose Jackson. who was then
rising bis high tide Of popularity. on both the
land question and the Indian question they de
MED him reelection In 1881.
But two years later he was again elected and
more than before be became outstanding hE
ure in congress He now an outando out
antl-JAckson man and increasingly danger
Gus obstacle to Jackson's plan OF handing the
Presidency to Martin Van Buren when "Old
Hickory should retire from the white House.
In the spring OF 1884 Crockett started on bis
tour OF the eastern cities which became YER
liable triumphai progress-to Baltimore. TO Phil
adelphla 20 New York. up into New England.
then through Pennsylvania. Ohio and Kentucky.
lie made such an impression wherever he went
that there was even talk OF running him for
President.
Then came the anrl-climax AT the end OF the
summer he was a candidate for reelection But
his enemies were busy The full strength OF the
Jacksonlan partisans In Tennessee was IN
eashed. Playing upon sectional prejudlces. they
used his journey TO New England against him
L. ion In sWbE aIff
weighed the real issue at stake Crockett was de-
feated by narrow margin
Crockett had reached turning point In the
six or seven years just past his entire course
had been changed; he could hardly return 20
hunting and farming. All his life he had
been on the move and he had repeatedly gone
from one frontier TO another. He made a quick
decision. tn going 10 Texas he said"
II was his last journey. The end OF II is one
Of the classics In American heroIsn. In the epic
drama OF the Alamo. as elsewhere back along the
trail OF his life, Davy Crockett held the center
OF the stage. an the wild confusion Crockett
seems to have been everywhere at once" writes
Miss Rourke. a story told afterward that
as he leveled and fred his famous 'Betsey' he
sang invitingly 10 the Mexicans Won't you
come into my bowerT This would have been
Ike him. perhaps he was heard singing this
song In the earlier days OF the siege. But when
the final attack began there would have been
no time for song. nor could any tune have been
heard in the terrific din"
The Mexicans could KIN Davy Crockett the
man, but they couldn't kill Davy Crockett, the
hero. half and half myth Stories about
Crockett are still told In Kentucky and Ten
nessee and in the Ozark mountains" says Miss
Rourke. Even now people In the Ozarks talk
about him as though be were still living just
over the next ridge"
The other day newspaper book reviewer be-
gan an article thus Twice In two weeks Davy
Crockett crashes through. once In his own story.
once in this brilliant biography by Constance
Rourke." The reference TO his own story" is 10
the fact that Charles Scribner's Sons had issued
| THE Adventures OF Davy Crockett: Told Mostly
| by Himself" which includes Davy's Autoblog-
raphy," first published in 1894. and his Texas
Exploits and Adventures" first published in 1896.
| In it Davy Crockett speaks from his unmarked
grave In the "Thermopylae OF America" Out
| from between the covers OF these two books
/ steps the typical American frontlersman. Davy
/ Crockett still goes ahead"
Sby Western Newspaper Union.