When Men Grew Tall, or The Story of Andrew Jackson — John Shaqi
When Men Grew Tall, or The Story of Andrew JacksonLewis, Alfred Henry
History
When Men Grew Tall, or The Story of Andrew Jackson
Lewis, Alfred Henry
Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845
Andrew and woolsack McNairy are members of the committee which draws
a constitution for the would-be commonwealth. The constitution, when
framed, is brought by its authors into open convention, and wranglingly
adopted. Also, “Tennessee” is settled upon for a name, albeit the ardent
Andrew, who is nothing if not tribal, urges that of “Cumberland.”
The constitution goes, with the proposition of statehood, before
Congress in Philadelphia; and, following a sharp fight, in which such
fossilized ones as Rufus King oppose and such quick spirits as Aaron
Burr sustain, the admission of “Tennessee,” the new State is created.
Its hunting-shirt citizenry, well pleased with their successful step in
nation building, elect Andrew to the House of Representatives. A little
later, he is taken from the House and sent to the Senate. There he
meets with Mr. Jefferson, who is the Senate's presiding officer, being
vice-president of the nation, and that accurate parliamentarian and
polished fine gentleman writes of him:
“He never speaks on account of the rashness of his feelings. I have seen
him attempt it repeatedly, but as often choke with rage.” There also he
encounters Aaron Burr; and is so far socially sagacious as to model
his deportment upon that of the American Chesterfield, ironing out
its backwoods wrinkles and savage creases, until it fits a _salon_ as
smoothly well as does the deportment of Burr himself. Our hero finds but
one other man about Congress for whom he conceives a friendship equal to
that which he feels for Aaron Burr, and he is Edward Livingston.
Andrew the energetic discovers the life of a senator to be one of
dawdling uselessness, overlong drawn out; and says so. He anticipates
the acrid Randolph of Roanoke, and declares that he never winds his
watch while in Congress, holding all time spent there as wasted and
thrown away.
Idleness rusts him; and, being of a temper even with that of best
Toledo steel, he refuses to rust patiently. Preyed upon and carked of
an exasperating leisure, which misfits both his years and his
fierce temperament, he seeks refuge in what amusements are rife in
Philadelphia. He goes to Mr. McElwee's Looking-glass Store, 70 South
Fourth Street, and pays four bits for a ticket to the readings of Mr.
Fennell, who gives him Goldsmith, Thompson and Young. The readings
pall upon him, and athirst for something more violent, he clinks down
a Mexican dollar, witnesses the horsemanship at Mr. Rickett's
amphitheater, and finds it more to his horse-loving taste. When all else
fails, he buys a seat in a box at the Old Theater in Cedar Street, and
is entertained by the sleight of hand of wizard Signor Falconi. On
the back of it all he grows heartily sick of the Senate, and of
civilization, as the latter finds exposition in Philadelphia, and
resigns his place and goes home.
When he arrives in Nashville, the Legislature--which still holds that
he should be engaged upon some public work--elects him to the supreme
bench....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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