The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1942-11-26


They thought he was like what they
imagined themselves to be. They be-
lieved he could shoot straight, that he
was afraid of no enemy, and servile
before no superior, that he took no
back talk from anyone, that he
scOrned "high-born" people, detested
the money power" considered bank
ers eXploiters, laughed at professors,
respected all good women, was devoted
to his wife, loved children, read the
Bible, and said his prayers.
What were the problems faced by
these triumphant backwoodsmen, and
their glamorous, aggressive back
woods leader? Already one powerful
Southern state was threatening to
withdraw from the Union. The ques-
ton of slavery had become a terrible
political problem. Regional rivalry be-
tween the South and Northeast was
rising as a tempest. The United
States, which was barely forty years
old, actually appeared to be on the
point of breaking up. The question of
the powerful U. S. bank was extreme
ly acute. The plain people, suspicious
of the money power" wanted to de-
stroy the bank, root and branch.
Relations with the Empires of Eu-
rope were still unsettled. War with
Mexico over Texas threatened Russia
and England claimed Northwest
America. The matter of roads, canals,
farm improvements, forest utiliza-
ton, land speculation, and Indian
segregation in the West all clamored
for attention. The giants of the Sen
ate, who were not elected directly by
the people, were determined to humi-
late and crush the aggressive Ten
nessee farmer who dared defy them.
How did the experiment work out ?
After four years, the people liked it
so we'll that they reelected their hero
by an even larger majority. The work
ers of the towns then flocked to the
standard of the backwoods farmers
and even most of the New England
states cast the majority of their votes
for the Tennessean barbarian.
Jackson destroyed Une L. S. bank
and a panic followed. The people be
lievcd the bank caused the panic, not
their hero. The Senate, distinguished
at that time by the most remarkable
group of orators in American history
voted a censor upon the President, and
daily compared him to the vilest tyr
ants in history The people caused
enough new Senators to be elected to
eXpunge that censure from the
records. The people placed very rough
hands on those majestic senatorial
lines and demanded "eXpunge, eX-
punge" The lions roarcd with a
thunderous eloquencc that fairly
shook the country. And then, in SUI
premely dramatic moment, the old
record book was brought into the Sen
ate, and before the world the cXultant
people through their champions
blocked out line by line that ccnsure of
their President.
Excellent relations were established
with foreign powers. And by bold
course of action this Southerner born
in North Carolina crushed South Caro-
Imam notification, thus saving the
Union.
The wild" champion of the people
ended his eighth year as President
amid scenes dear to the peoples heart
Amid the rather simple furnishings of
the Peoples House, he would sit of
an evening before the fireplace, sur
rounded by two or three closely re-
lated families, with half dozen chill
dren romping in the common room,
and two or three well-dressed women
with their husbands, sitting near by
some knitting, some talking.
At an early hour Andrew Jackson
would withdraw to his bedroom, look
at a picture of his "belovcd wife Ra-
chael" which he always kept on his
table, and read from Bible she had
used before she passed on eight years
earlier. Then he would say a short
prayer and retire, as a large Negro
guard lay down on the floor near by
to join him in sleep. Ae he did this
millions of other Americans might be
kneeling in family prayer, asking di-
vine blessing upon the President. Then
during the night, if baby's cry were
heard the aged President himself
might arise. go to the infant, and
carry it back and forth until it went
to sleep again-just as thousands of
grandpas and fathers throughout the
land were quoting other babies. The
heart of pioneer America and of An
drew Jackson beat together,
am NOT loI llOllCHJ lHIllldIlllE
that all the acts of President Jackson
were good. 1t is plain that many of
his methods were tyrannical, some of
his measures unwise, a number of his
fights harmful. But democracy had
then reached a cross-road. 1t had to
90 forward or collapse. If self-govern-
ment was to survive. the common
people had to govern. They weren't
governing anywhere else except in