Memorial and Biographical History of Dallas County, Texas. Page: 51 of 1,110
vii, 9-1011 p. incl. ill., ports. : ports. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this book.
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United States Attorney, which demanded
frequent journeys through the wilderness
and exposed him to Indian hostilities. He
acquired considerable property in land, and
obtained such influence as to be chosen
a member of the convention which framed
the Constitution for the new State of Tennessee,
in 1796, and in that year was elected
its first Representative in Congress. Albert
Gallatin thus describes the first appearance
of the Hon. Andrew Jackson in the House:
"A tall, lank, uncouth-looking personage,
with locks of hair hanging over his face and
a cue down his back, tied with an eel skin;
his dress singular, his manners and deportment
those of a rough backwoodsman."
Jackson was an earnest advocate of the
Democratic party. Jefferson was his idol.
He admired Bonaparte, loved France and
hated England. As Mr. Jackson took his
seat, General Washington, whose second
term of office was just expiring, delivered
his last speech to Congress. A committee
drew up a complimentary address in reply.
Andrew Jackson did not approve the address
and was one of twelve who voted
against it.
Tennessee had fitted out an expedition
against the Indians, contrary to the policy
of the Government. A resolution was introduced
that the National Government
should pay the expenses. Jackson advocated
it and it was carried. This rendered
him very popular in Tennessee. A vacancy
chanced soon after to occur in the
Senate, and Andrew Jackson was chosen
United States Senator by the State of Tennessee.
John Adams was then President
and Thomas Jefferson, Vice-President.
In I798 Mr. Jackson returned to Tennessee,
and resigned his seat in the Senate.
Soon after he was chosen Judge of the Supreme
Court of that State, with a salary of
$60o. This office he held six years. It is
said that his decisions, though sometimes
ungrammatical, were generally right. Hedid not enjoy his seat upon the bench, and
renounced the dignity in 1804. About
this time he was chosen Major-General of
militia, and lost the title of judge in that of
General.
When he retired from the Senate Chamber,
he decided to try his fortune through
trade. He purchased a stock of goods in
Philadelphia and sent them to Nashville,
where he opened a store. He lived about
thirteen miles from Nashville, on a tract of
land of several thousand acres, mostly uncultivated.
He used a small block-house
for a store, from a narrow window of
which he sold goods to the Indians. As he
had an assistant his office as judge did not
materially interfere with his .business.
As to slavery, born in the midst of it, the
idea never seemed to enter his mind that it
could be wrong. He eventually became
an extensive slave owner, but he was one of
the most humane and gentle of masters.
In 1804 Mr. Jackson withdrew from politics
and settled on a plantation which he
called the Hermitage, near Nashville. He
set up a cotton-gin, formed a partnership
and traded in New Orleans, making the
voyage on flatboats. Through his hot temper
he became involved in several quarrels
and "affairs of honor," during this period,
in one of which he was severely wounded,
but had the misfortune to kill his opponent,
Charles Dickinson. For a time this affair
greatly injured General Jackson's popularity.
The verdict then was, and continues
to be, that General Jackson was outrageously
wrong. If he subsequently felt any
remorse he never revealed it to anyone.
In 1805 Aaron Burr had visited Nashville
and been a guest of Jackson, with
whom he corresponded on the subject of a
war with Spain, which was anticipated and
desired by them, as well as by the people
of the Southwest generally.
Burr repeated his visit in September,
1806, when he engaged in the celebratedsrruv
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Lewis Publishing Company. Memorial and Biographical History of Dallas County, Texas., book, 1892; Chicago, Illinois. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth20932/m1/51/?rotate=90: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dallas Public Library.