Show sIj iI t Ii 5 2 2 ate Iii n 1 PIl u 4 S Si SONE t tel I SO 5 i fC i S z 1 ONE of the Strangest Develop ments in American Political m I History Which Had for Its Centre p a I a Charming Pretty and Vivacious Ii Woman and as Her champion j m 1 I the Most Rugged Man Who Ever r fV 0 11 fl ti Has Occupied the Presidential 1 i Chait I e II IIi i t tt tI x t bb b I y 1 for Peggy b U ONeal sure she was pretty unusually vivacious un uncommonly uncommonly commonly witty with and in tho oyes 8 51 u 0 peen nen altogether charming I i 4 f to No woman had so great an pp i on the or of the tho United p f j States as did she For a she sho IS had ono olle of 01 the tho sternest and most chI chiv of oC men Andrew Jackson deaf u H of oC th UnIted When pray II t u I ally all the women ot of the official set setI I refused to receive h her r rj p j 1 attend nAY any reception to whIch mho sho o r I was 15 Invited Old Hickory let Jet It ft be known J ii that unless they changed their attitude tJ I they ey never could expect to bo be guests gUest JI at the tho White House while ho he was In the presidential chair Whoa his niece wino who presiding over his household was wash h first lad lady ot of the tho land declined to moot meet N leggy Pem ONeill ONeal the tho old general sent her II l home omo to Tennessee Thereafter until 10 the tho niece returned and begged forgive 00 near Peggy ONeal sat in the tho seat ot of iii 6 honer at state dinners In the tho WhIte WhiteHouse 10 House m Petha s It would have been better for Cor l thu Jsu nose and happiness of Peggy hud had she not had so sturdy a d de 91 90 as Andrew Jackson Jaclson Perhaps there hs hl ve be been n fewer tears Iu In I hc 1 eyes had 8 not lc bee the subject ot of national u o 1 B Put t then had It not been fur tor t ae nI ea ons championship ot of her hor hertl tl 13 the h Peggy SS ONeal war would not have hao haver r f s 1 beanie Lm It a queer Iu r chapter In American JI history he bc would not have been en cn 7 to tho consideration ot of posterity II Van Buren BUIen might never have I betel president and John C Calhoun k might not have ben been crushed as he was wasby r by the hero of oC New Orleans a CASTE t Poor Peggy ONeal Her sin was not in III being pretty or vIvacIous or witty or r In being unduly attractive to men mIght have havo b bean on overlooked but buther buther her chief chic offense was In beinG a tavern p ke keepers rM daughter and a Washington daughter at that Of OC reason was alleged It 1 never would have done dono for tOl the tho cabinet a ladles ladies of oC a Democratic government to have made their fight on the tavern Issue however much they were a af 1 routed fronted b by the Idea or of assocIating with withof of so EI humbly born a creature so they 1 1 were willing to o accept any and andall 1 nil all stories her good name mune munet Society and especially sow so society w t clety was wae more mOIe stilted In those days daysI I than In these It did not look with par part parc t c i ocular favor tavoI upon Jackson himself Ho He 11 was a rude harsh man a L duelist a brawler an Indian fighter 1 True Truo he was a great soldier and andi i there was a suspicion that ho might bo be a great statesman but people who I prided themselves on their nt and gentle breeding were mildly shock shocked I ed cd at the tho idea Iden of thIs rough westerner c who fought gamecocks and gambled on r horse occupyIng the tho seat or of Washington Washington Adams Jefferson Madl ron Eon Monroe and John Quincy Adam e eThey The They felt Celt a good deal IlS as man many persons felt when that thal other homely i westerner Abraham Lincoln assumed r the chief magistracy Society ha has hasy y changed a bit since the days or of Peggy Pegy h ONeal Otherwise hoW could a woman f tavern k have havo become the only 4 undisputed leader of octet Now YorK r t ever eYer has baa had k f The tavern that Peggy l father ather owned was called the tho Indian I f y QUeen There Andrew AndroW Jackson and hIs wife lived when they wore In Washing Washington I l ton while Jackson was a L senator The Tho bright and Peggy was the tho pet w ft F ot of Mrs frs Jackson who childless herself gaVe a mothers love loe to pretty Peggy 4 Never Va man man more devoted to worn wom si than was Andrew Jackson to his d Rachel 11 and n If t for no other rca I t than that his l wife Iro loved Peggy ONeal ho would have har been her stanch defender But there waS a more pow erCul u 1 reason n Mrs rs Jackson a life lICo hid had I been and Tacks rt n believed her death caused by the evil tongue ot of slander Knowing what she had suffered ho he was all the tho more ready to sympathize with another whose character was assailed assane And the tho Peg Peggy gy ONeal affair developed at the tho time when ho he was almost heartbroken over ocr the death ot of his wife THE TWO WOMEN l There Thero wormy strange points ot of simi similarity larity In the tho lives ot of Peggy ONeal and Rachel Jackson Both wore handsome hand some somo clever women Both were mar married I ried twice The first husband ot of each I of the tho women was WIlS worthless The Tho sec sea second and ond husband or of both wore were the best ot of men Both women were wera the victims ot of assassins of character When Whon Jackson assumed the tho preal presidency dency In March 1829 he was WIlS sore soro at heart One month after atter his election his wife had died Throughout the tho cam campaign his enemies had been bitter In attacks Partisan feeling ran higher In those times than In these th es 0 and men were more violent In their language The old old story that Jackson had stolen another mans wIre wife was told It was true truo Jackson thought they were free ree to marry when whon they thoy wore were not and that tho they had to bo be married over again The tact fact that there thoro was some somo irregularity was basis for attack In Ia the tho heat ot of the tho political fight The truth was Vias that Mrs Jack Jacksons Jacksons sons first husband was a scamp who was WIlS Insanely jealous ot of her and who abandoned her soon after aCter her mar marriage They lived In Tennessee at that time was pot not a state The hus husband husband band Robards went to Virginia and began proceedings for a divorce It was more dIfficult to get a divorce then than now and besides divorce was not looked upon so lightly as at pros pres present eat ent FIrst Robards had to apply to the tho legislature for permission to bring suit this he dill did The Tho tact fact was dulY published when the permission WM was ranted granted News traveled travelled slowly In days and after the lapse lapso of soma s time te and supposing that Robards had obtained ob the tho divorce Jackson and Mrs Robards were married Not until two years after their marriage did they discover that Robards did not institute the suIt until after the marriage and then made his claim on the ground that Mrs Robards was a bigamist This was the tho sorriest point In Jacksons Jack Jacksons sons life UCe For hIs wife he had a love lovo approaching reverence Fiery FloO of temper tem temper per bitter and unforgIving he never uttered a L harsh word In this womans presence but he fought duels with and pursued lifo those who M as assailed sailed her hor good name namo WA EID Ho was In no mood to listen to as assaults on ch character when whon shortly after ho he announced his selection of oC his ono one ot of his friends called his attention to the tho fact act that the ap of oC MaJ Eaton as secretary of war would give rise to scandal Maj Eaton had been guIlty ot of pretty Peggy ONeal Some Somo years be toro Jacksons election to o the presidency p cy Peggy had married a purser in the navy named What led her herto to marry him Is a mystery for tor ho he vms a worthless drunken creature On n a cruise In 1 Mediterranean waters he had cut his throat and thrown Imse f over overboard board leaving hel a idem Maj Eaton who had lived at Lt the tho Indian Queen In rooms adjoining those e or of Mr and Mrs Irs J JAckson courted co and marrIed the widow The marriage gave rise to toa toa a good deal ot of gossIp Eaton who had been ono one or of Jackson Jacksons stat at New Or Orleans Orleans leans was a United States senator a aman man of oC great dignity culture and wealth The gossips said he had be been m devoted to Peggy ONeal al while sho s ho was the iCo or of mb ke Then they thoy I added to o the tho story until they had him tho father Cather ot of Peggys two children antI and antIma ma made e her out to bo be a woman shame When the friend told Jackson that through vu Peggy O ON the tho appointment 1 ot of Eaton lEhton IlS as n a officer would bring scandal to the administration the tho president asked for proof that Pe Peggy ONeal was not a L good woman The Tho I friend could furnish h nothing except I that It was general gossip This enraged en enraged raged the general Ho declared that If there thoro a virtuous good woman on onearth earth It Was Peggy ONeal That she was other than ho and his wife had known her hor to be 00 ho he could not believe For the tho he had no toler tolerance tolerance ance For or those who attacked women he bo bad an abiding hatred So he or ordered ordered dered hIs friend out ot of his sight But those who attacked Peggy ONeal were mostly women and when whon Eaton became secretary ot of war r the tho Peggy ONeal attar began a war such 11 America never nover had before or since Tho cabinet was made mado up ot of Van VanBuren VanBuren Buren secretary ot of state Eaton sec secretary secretary ot of war Ingham secretary or of the tho tr treasury Branch secretary of oC tho navy Borden Berrien attorney general and Barry postmaster general Van Buren was a L bachelor and Barry a widower Tho others wore were marrIed and their wives ot at once put tho ban on Peggy ONeal Amy the tho women or of the tho cabinet were the loaders of socIety In the capi capital tal theIr decisIon bound theIr follow tollow followers ers ETS u At the tho first reception In the White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House some somo women left when Peggy ONeal arrived they ru ro fused to go thero therm unless assured she was not to be present Of all the tho wom women women en In tho official set only the wives ot of foreign ministers would ro tho proscribed prescribed woman THE OF THE COUN Ot Of course of oC little else than Peggy ONeal and soon the whole country talked ot of her Never was Womans name name 5 so mercilessly assailed as sailed The stories of oC her con conduct conduct duct grew until she was accused ot of almost everything overy thin possible for Cor woman to do In vain aln did Jacl Jackson son tr try to stem the tho scandal Ho asked his cabInet to aid him Van Buren politician courtier cour courtier tier and bachelor was charmed wIth Peggy PeRSY ONeal So was Barry the widower But Ingham Brunch Branch and Berrien argued that It was Idle to endeavor to influence their wives In such a matter And so It was Eaton proud upright man that he was glad gladly gladly ly would have challenged any an man ho could have havo fastened the stories on hut but ho he could not challenge everybody over body Wil Willingly VII would he have havo resigned but that would have been a confession or of the truth ot of the tho charges And nd poor Peggy With every ever woman spurning her what could she do Jackson had fought mutiny In the tho Indian wars when his Ils troops rebelled Ho had checked those outbreaks by hanging one or of the tho ringleaders But he could not hang n a wife of oC a 8 cabinet minister rot for refusing to associate with Peggy ONeal Week after week the tho fight continued Grimly determinedly Jackson persist persisted ed In showing every mark of oC respect to When his nIece who was the wife ot of his private secretary join joined joined ed the rebels ho he said to her hor Go home my dear to Tennessee Next day da ho he had a new private secretary THE SLANDERERS But Jackson being a man of oC action was not wIlling to let the war drag out In this manner He determIned on a now new line or of procedure one which ho he firmly believed would bring the tho contest con contest test to a proper solution Patiently and painstakingly ho interrogated ever every man and woman In his Immediate Imme diate circle rp the stories they had heard and who had been their Informants Then ho ha sent for tor the tho In informants and questioned them ns as to where thO had heard the tales With tireless energy ener ho he continued this In Inquiry and was gradually gradual maltIng making progress when he was materially help helped helped ed by b receIving a letter from Crom the Rev Rov Mr Mfr Ely a clergyman of oC Philadelphia containing definite charges against Mrs Eaton Enton which he declared he was In n a position to prove proe Mr Ir EI Ely was WilS ono one of oC the persons to whom General Jackson had traced some of oC the tho stories and the tho charges were the tho result of n a letter Jackson had sent to him This was not nil all Another clergy clergyman clergyman man the tho Re Rev Mr Ir Campbell of Wash Washington ash ashIngton Ington was discovered to be the source from Crom which most of oC the tho Washington women had hear the tho reports derogatory to Peg Peggy ONeal The president noW had something definite to work on He summoned the two clergymen to the tho White hIto House Ho HI had been a chief justice In Tennes Tennessee see and he held helli a regular judicial In Inquiry with the tho two men as witnesses Every question and every answer was taken talton down Ely had no proof Worse or e ethan than that Imo he had no basis even for tor suspicion Campbell was In n a worse wore plight He was the pastor or of the tho Pros I church the attend attended ell ed Ho broke down completely when General questioned him This examination or of the two clergymen was held In the presence of oC the cabinet n September 1829 1529 more than six months after acter Jackson had assumed once office It was as absolute an expose ot of the tho falsi falsity ty of oC the stories circulated as possibly could rould bo be obtained and ana the president was teas delighted He was sure now that the tho women of Washington knowing how base were wert the slanders against Mrs F Eaton ton and how greatly the they had wronged her would do everything to right the Injury done the much ma maligned maligned Peggy pegg Poor man he did not know women It having been proved that she sho was guiltless the they decided that she was all the moro morn guilty guilt And so deciding the they renewed the tho warfare with a a more savage Cur fury than before RETRIBUTION Jackson could not believe tho affair was personal to Mrs Eaton As a politician ho he always looked on any anything thing that af affected his hili career adversely as being the work of oC his political enemies ene enemies mies He saw or thought Ito ho saw In Inthe inthe the attacks on Peggy ONeal the samo s nto hands that struck at him In other mat matters matters lie Ho got to think that henry Clay was at the bottom of It There Is an Idea too that he suspected Vice President Pres PresIdent Ident Calhoun He and amI Calhoun had been clo close o friends hut but had begun be n to drift apart A little later when he received n a letter from Senator Crawford Craw ford ot of Geor Georgia la disclosing the fact that It was Calhoun sitting In Monroes cabinet with Crawford who had pro proposed posed arrest for Cor what ho he had done dono In the Seminole war Jackson broke broko completely with the tho vice presIdent president dent Up to the time or of receiving this letter Jackson lad had believed that Craw Crawford ford Cord had been his enemy and Calhoun his defender In the Monroe cabinet Whether It was the Pe Peggy ONeal matter or the Crawford incident or both that actuated Jackson Is hard hartl to determine but he decided to get rid or of orthe the three members of oC his cabinet whose wIves led the war on Mrs Irs Eaton n It happened |