Andrew Jackson
The Man of the People
While Washington, the aristocrat, was using his sword and Jefferson, the scholarly gentleman, was using his pen, to form in America a government of the people, there was growing up in a border settlement a youth who was to be a “man of the people” and bear rule over it.
Andrew Jackson was the son of a poor Irish emigrant, who spent the years after his coming to America in a brave fight for bread for his wife and children. Worn out by the struggle, he died, and the children were left to their mother’s care. Andrew was born at the Waxhaw settlement which is partly in North Carolina and partly in South Carolina, both of which states have been claimed as Jackson’s native place. In childhood he attended an “old field school” where he gained the rudiments of an education and at work and play held his own among his comrades.
“I could throw him three times out of four,” said an old schoolmate, in later days “but he never would stay throwed. He was dead game and never would give up.”
Neither then nor in later life was he handsome, with his pale, sharp-featured face, his sandy red hair, and his keen steel blue eyes.
Andrew’s elder brothers, mere lads at the time of the Revolution, served in the patriot forces and Andrew joined them when he was only thirteen. He was taken prisoner by the British and it was then that a well-known incident occurred.
A British officer ordered Andrew to black his boots and the lad refused.
“I am a prisoner of war,” he said, “and demand to be treated as such.”
The angry officer drew his sword to chastise the young rebel; Andrew, raising his arm to parry the blow, received a wound, the scar from which he carried to his grave. One of his brothers died from neglected wounds. Andrew and Robert were confined with about three hundred other American prisoners in a stockade at Camden. Andrew, through a hole in the fence, watched the battle of Hobkirk’s Hill and the last hope of release departed when brave General Greene was forced to retreat. Not long after, however, the two brothers were released, probably in an exchange of prisoners. With their mother they made their way home. Robert died of smallpox caught while in prison and Mrs. Jackson died soon after of fever contracted while nursing American prisoners. Thus Andrew was left alone in the world,—with a bitter feeling that his mother and brothers had been sacrificed to British injustice.
The orphaned and penniless lad set to work, first at a trade, then as a school teacher; finally he studied law. When he began to practice his profession, he crossed the mountains and went west to the region now forming the state of Tennessee. In that rough border country, as it then was, his strong will, courage, and common sense were even more valuable than his small store of legal knowledge. People soon came to respect and depend on him. When offenses against the law were reported to the governor, he said, “Just inform Mr. Jackson; he will be sure to do his duty and the offenders will be punished.”
Mr. Jackson soon became Judge Jackson. We are told that on one occasion he ordered the sheriff to arrest a desperate criminal; the officer returned and reported that he was unable to do so, the man resisted his authority. Judge Jackson descended from the bench, went out and arrested the man, marched him into court, resumed his seat, tried the case, and sentenced the offender. It was a characteristic incident.
In 1791 Jackson married and between him and his wife there existed a simple-hearted devotion which was never broken. Some one who saw her years later when the beauty of youth was gone, described her as a “coarse-looking, stout little old woman,” but she remained beautiful to his eyes.
After Tennessee was admitted to statehood, Jackson was sent to Congress, first as representative, then as senator. From Washington he returned to the mountains which he loved, and busied himself as store keeper, cotton-planter, and stock-raiser,—recognized in his community as a man of undoubted integrity, a staunch friend, and a relentless foe. He took part in two duels, in one of which he was severely wounded and killed his opponent.
Jackson offered his services as soon as the war of 1812 broke out. He was ordered to lead the militia to New Orleans, which it was thought would be attacked. When he had gone about five hundred miles he was ordered to disband his troops.
Soon after, he led a force against the Creek Indians who took advantage of the war in progress to attack outlying settlements and kill white settlers. The troops failed to receive needed supplies and Jackson gave up his private stores to the sick and wounded and set his soldiers an example of cheerful endurance of hardship. At one time, it is said, he invited some officers to share his breakfast and they found—a bowl of acorns and a pitcher of water.
At last Jackson agreed that if provisions did not come in two days the troops might return home. Soon after they turned back, they met supplies; they refreshed themselves and then started to continue the homeward march. Jackson galloped to the front, raised his rifle and furiously swore that he would kill the first man who made a step homeward. The troops, driven back to the path of duty, defeated the Indians in several battles. After one battle Jackson found an Indian baby in the arms of its dead mother. The Indian women refused to care for it and Jackson took it to his own tent, fed it with brown sugar and water and finally sent it to his home, the Hermitage, where the young Indian was cared for and reared.
Jackson’s military merit was now recognized and he was made major-general.
At New Orleans which was attacked by British forces about the close of the war, he won the one important land victory of the war. The British, secure in their superior numbers and discipline, were confident of success.
“I shall eat my Christmas dinner in New Orleans,” said one of the British officers.
“Perhaps so,” said General Jackson to whom this remark was repeated, “but I shall have the honor of presiding at that dinner.”
With wonderful skill and energy, he put the place in condition for defence and made ready for the British attack which took place January 8, 1815. Fortune as well as good generalship favored the Americans. The British were defeated with a loss of about three thousand men, including their commander. The Americans lost only eight men killed and thirteen wounded. A treaty of peace had been signed two weeks before, but there was then no ocean-cable to convey the tidings, and the news did not reach America until after the battle had been fought and the repulsed British had sailed away.
In 1818 Jackson led troops to put down the Seminoles in Florida who were making war on the border settlements and had massacred the people at Fort Mimms.
In 1824 Jackson was one of four candidates for the presidency. The People’s Party founded by Jefferson was divided and put forward two candidates both from the west,—Jackson and Clay, who were bitter enemies. Adams was elected, but four years later Jackson was the successful candidate. The poor son of the Irish emigrant had fought his way upward,—saddler, lawyer, judge, general, he now held the highest office of the country. He thought and said that his will was the will of the people and he ruled with autocratic power, never hesitating to oppose Congress. If he thought that a bill was not for the best interests of the country, he vetoed it. He never forgot a friend and seldom forgave a foe. He accepted the view of one of his followers who said “to the victors belong the spoils of the vanquished.” He removed office-holders to bestow offices on his friends—a bad example followed and carried to great excesses by all parties from that day to this. In 1832 he was re-elected; the people recognized that with all his faults he was honest and loyal to their interests.
The most important acts of his administration were his attitude towards the Nullification Act of South Carolina and his leadership in the “bank war.” A dramatic incident, at a dinner in honor of Jefferson’s birthday in April, 1830, showed clearly the president’s attitude towards those who were beginning to be dissatisfied with the general government. Jackson was called on for the first toast. He raised his glass, saying, “Our federal union! it must and shall be preserved.” Calhoun, the great South Carolina leader rose and offered the next toast, “The union, next to our liberty the most dear.” After a pause, he added, “May we all remember that it can only be preserved by respecting the rights of the states and by distributing equally the benefits and burdens of the union.”
South Carolina considered herself aggrieved by certain tariff regulations, and proclaimed that these duties should not be paid after a certain day and that if the United States attempted to enforce payment the state would secede. Jackson issued a proclamation stating ably his views as to the binding force of the union. He sent to Charleston a naval force, one of the officers of which was Farragut, and he ordered General Scott to have troops ready to march at once to South Carolina. Through the influence of Clay, a compromise tariff bill was passed and the conflict was postponed thirty years.
Jackson acted with equal energy in the bank matter; thinking national banks are unconstitutional, he vetoed a bill in their favor, even though his friends believed it would cost him re-election. Feeling ran so high on this subject that the Senate passed a resolution of censure on the president; this resolution was afterwards removed from the record. During Jackson’s administration the national debt was entirely paid. He was probably the only president who went out of office more popular than he went in.
He retired to his beloved home, the Hermitage, and there he died in 1845. His tomb bears this inscription:
“General
Andrew Jackson
Born on the fifteenth of March, 1767
Died on the eighth of June, 1845.”