While Andrew Jackson has always had his detractors, not long ago most Americans — elite and otherwise — considered him to be one of the country’s greatest presidents. As recently as 2009, no less than Jon Meacham, WASP scion and pillar of the establishment, and who oversaw Newsweek’s transition from somewhat popular newsmagazine to a near bankrupt and subscriberless opinion journal, authored a Pulitzer Prize winning airport book about Jackson, which praised him as an effective and revolutionary leader.
Needless to say, Meacham wouldn’t write that book today. Jackson has been “canceled.” The Democratic Party, which owes its origins to Jackson and his acolytes, no longer holds annual dinners bearing his name. Prominent Democratic office holders celebrated the left-wing rioters who nearly tore down his statute in Lafayette Park, a stone’s throw from the White House. While Jackson remains on the $20 bill, his replacement by noted Black Woman Harriet Tubman will probably occur in a few years. And Meacham, meanwhile, has traded Old Hickory for “Dark Brandon,” coauthoring Biden’s tragicomic speech in Philadelphia.
The events recounted in the preceding paragraph, and the people who are perpetrating them, deserve great contempt. For Jackson is not only a great president — he is America incarnate.
The start of summer has made me lazy, and delayed a review that I’m writing on a book about Jackson’s efforts to destroy the Second Bank of the United States. I should have that posted soon.
But in the meantime, check out this excerpt of Jackson’s call to arms to the militia of Western Tennessee — the volunteers — which he commanded at the outset of the War of 1812.
Jackson’s reputation, in his time and ours, is as an uneducated, backcountry ruffian. This message belies that — and reveals the power of his writing and rhetoric. Note that I haven’t changed Jackson’s emphasis, spelling, or capitalization style. Enjoy!
Hermitage, March 7, 1812
VOLUNTEERS TO ARMS!
Citizens! Your government has at last yielded to the impulse of the nation. Your impatience is no longer restrained. The hour of national vengeance is now at hand. The eternal enemies of american prosperity are again to be taught to respect your rights, after having been compelled to feel, oncer more, the power of your arms. War is on the point of breaking out between the united States and the King of great Britain! and the martial hosts of america are summoned to the Tented Fields! . . . .
[A]nother and noble feeling should impell us to action. Who are we? and for what are we going to fight? are we the titled Slaves of George the third? the military conscripts of Napoleon the great? or the frozen peasants of the Russian Czar? No—we are the free born sons of america; the citizens of the only republick now existing in the world; and the only people on earth who possess rights, liberties, and property which they dare call their own.
We are going to fight for the reestablishment of our national charector, misunderstood and vilified at home and abroad; for the protection of our maritime citizens, impressed on board British ships of war and compelled to fight the battles of our enemies against ourselves; to vindicate our right to a free trade, and open a market for the productions of our soil, now perishing on our hands because the mistress of the ocean has forbid us to carry them to any foreign nation; in fine to seek some indemnity for past injuries, some security against future aggressions, by the conquest of all the British dominions upon the continent of north america. . . .
Should the occupation of the candas be resolved upon by the general government, how pleasing the prosect that would open to the young volunteer, while perfomrning a military promenande into a distant country. . . . To view the stupendous works of nature, exemplified in the falls of Niagara . . . to tread the consecrated spot on which Wolf and Montgomery fell, would of themselves repay the young soldier for a march across the continent.
I have a biography of Jackson on my desk ready to read; I admire him greatly for abolishing the Rothschild controlled Second Bank of the United States, although I've heard less than stellar things about his treatment of the Indians, and perhaps the federalism Jackson espoused hasn't worked out so well. That being said, you wrote "While Jackson remains on the $20 bill, his replacement by noted Black Woman Harriet Tubman will probably occur in a few years." Jackson is only on the $20 bill, which is a Federal Reserve IOU, as a "screw you" to Jackson for his opposition to the Second Bank. He was maliciously placed on the Fed's funny money as a way of saying "ha-ha, we won", and he would have never wanted to be on it. I'll be glad when it's off.