by the recollection of any unworthy act. Like them, too, he died in embarrassed circumstances- -a poor sequel to an honorable career in the public service, yet almost conclusive evidence of an honest and conscientious life.

CHAPTER VI.

ANDREW JACKSON.

Birth and Parentage-Early Privations-A Young Soldier-Lawyer and Judge-Singular Marriage-Defends His Wife's Character-A Fatal Duel-Aaron Burr's Schemes-Indian Wars-Battle of New OrleansGovernor of Florida--Habeas Corpus--Seizes a Spanish Fort-Hangs Two Englishmen-Candidate for President-Defea'ed-Elected in 1828-Strangles Nullification and United States Bank-General Reflections-Ilis Character and Acts.

Ir has been remarked that the worst epithet that can be applied to a man is to call him a fool. No one has ever in all the violent heat of party strife applied that epithet seriously to Andrew Jackson. Passionate, determined, willful, perhaps he was, he has never been thought wanting in intellect or in patriotism, and few men have surpassed him in the ability to inspire the people with confidence in the rectitude of his conduct, as well as the purity of his motives. And it is also true that he has had some of the most bitter and determined haters that ever any man had.

The seventh President of the United States was born in "Waxhaw Settlement," in the State of North Carolina, March 15, 1767. His father, of Scotch descent, had emigrated from Ireland, two years previous to his birth, which occurred

two days after the father's death.

It is to his

for

mother's credit that, without any means whatever, she was enabled to give give her son's youthful mind the training and aspirations which "bent the twig" in the right direction. Young Andrew is described as a brave, generous and mischievous boy, very fond of athletic sports, in which he greatly excelled. His good mother desired him to prepare for the ministry, and afforded him every opportunity her situation could command, but he was not noted application, and his education was therefore limited. But though he was not an intenso votary of knowledge, his heart was in the right place, and in 1780, then but thirteen years of age, he was bearing arms in Sumpter's band of patriots. Captured by the British, he received a severe wound from one of their officers for refusing to black his boots, and contracting the small-pox, he barely escaped death-the fate of his brother, also a prisoner with him. His mother also dying of ship fever, contracted in nursing prisoners confined on shipboard in Charleston harbor, young Jackson was left at an early age, with broken health, alone in the world. Perhaps if those who in after years criticised his lack of education or want of refinement, had remembered the sacrifices of his youth in the sacred cause of liberty, they would have been prompted to palliate rather than to exaggerate any seeming short-comings he might have occasionally exhibited in either respect.

Thus being left friendless and destitute, he first found employment in a saddler's shop, which he varied with school teaching, and be fore his eighteenth year commenced the study of the law. It is recorded by some of his historians that he was rather more devoted to horse racing than to his law books, but as he finished his course of studies, and was licensed to practice before he before he was twenty years old, these assertions should be accepted with some caution. Receiving the appointment of public prosecutor in 1788 for the district of Tennessec, he removed to Nashville, and though but just twenty-one, he immediately secured a large practice. Here he became acquainted with and afterwards married a Mrs. Robards, a lady who had separated from, and, as was supposed, had been divorced from her husband.. It afterwards appearing that there was informality in the proceedings, a new divorce was secured, and the marriage ceremony was again performed This delicate subject was afterwards made the theme of unfavorable gossip, which Jackson did not fail on all occasions to resent, and which involved him in many quarrels. It is now known that Mrs. Jackson's first husband was a man of bad character, and that Jackson, on the other hand, was was never known to deviate from the strictest rules of chastity, while Mrs. Jackson's conduct was always most exemplary, and the verdict of the present age is, that Jackson, in

defending his own and his wife's character, did just what he ought to have done to rescue both from the aspersions of a set of political bullics, who were employing such means to lessen his growing influence. It was fortunate for all parties that he had both the courage and ability to do it most successfully.

Prudently investing all his means in land at this time, 1796, its almost immediate rise in value, with his professional income, placed him in easy circumstances. Chosen to assist in drafting a constitution for the State, he was also selected to represent the State in Congress in the same year. He became an active member of the House, and with truc Democratic instinct enlisted on the side of an economical administration of the government, opposing a large appropriation for furnishing the President's house, and in favor of confining the uses of the public money to the purposes for which it was appropriated. His course seems to have given his State entire satisfaction, as he was sent to the Senate in 1797, which, however, he resigned immediately to be to be elected a State Supreme Court Justice. Having been elected a major general of militia over Governor Sevier, a quarrel arose between them, which, by the interference of friends at the last moment, was prevented from terminating in a duel. At this period of his life he was engaged in extensive business, which did not result well through the mismar