The Coolidge examiner., 1934-01-05

young attorney beyond the mountains 'he turned
toward Tennessee with the comfortable assur-
ance Of the post of attorney general and goodly
fees. He early Joined up with the Blount
faction in politics, associated with gentlemen
who acquired lands far and near, revealed a
hair-trigger sense of honor which resulted in an
appalling number Of challenges and duels and
gathered to himself the good things of the region
in the form of political offices and military lead
ership. He had period in both the house and
senate Of the United States. He became a major
general in the state militia Without undue
struggle or hardship he acquired both place and
power" Thus one reviewer of Marquis James
biography.
If Jackson had aristocratlc leanlngs in his
youth they became all the more apparent in his
manhood Within a few years after he had come
to Tennessee he was a wealthy man with even
greater riches in sight. AT time or another
he owned outright or in partnership more than
100000 acres of land. At different times he
owned a distllery, tavern and licensed ordi-
nary, boat yard, race course a large trading
establishment with three stores in Tennessee
and agents in New Orleans and Philadelphia and
he was a stockholder in the Nashville bank
the first in Tennessee.
He lived In fine house on a model planta-
tion called Hunters Hill and that, as well as his
later homes, the two "Hermitages' were very
much a "gentleman's country seat" But Jack
son not as good business man as he was
a fine gentleman. All Of his enterprises except
the race track and the bank lost money Soon
he became involved in debt that he had to
sell Hunters Hill to pay out and he moved into
blOckhouse which became the first "Hermitage ge'
Then ii was discovered that he had sold set
tiers a large tract of land to which he did not
possess a clear title and that threatened to take
the last dollar he owned. crafty lawyer told
him how he could find legal loophole through
which he could evade responsibility Jacksons
reply was typical of the man. He declared that
he would protect the settlers titles If it made
him pauper. Fortunately for him he was able
to protect them without impoverishing himself.
1t was such traits of character these which
helped make him a border captain" Whatever
faults he may have had, there was never any
question of his personal integrity. Particularly
was this true of him judge during his early
career in Tennessee. OF this James writes: His
record is clean. Barring little fnesse in In
dian matters, which was customary, no hint Of
irregularity renders the dim beginnings of his
career of a color with those of a few of our
other western immor tails. On the bench Jackson
was rectitude embodied. His law library was pre-
sentable and his acquaintance with it ample for
the time and place No written decision by him
is known, that practice being inaugurated by
Jackson's successor, John Overton But tradi-
tion preserves the essence of his frequent charge
to juries. DO what is RIGHT between these par
ties. That is what the law always MEANS"
Just as he was a leader in civil life, so he be-
came outstanding military leader, conscious
of the fact that 1.-The leader must sacrifice him
self for his people" SO when the War of 1912
broke out there was every good reason why An
drew Jackson should have remained at the
Hermitage enjoying the honors that already
had come to him and the companonship of his
beloved Rachel. Certainly he had paid high
price for the right to enjoy the latter, riskng his