Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 April 1887 — Jackson’s Duel With Dickinson. [ARTICLE]

Jackson’s Duel With Dickinson.

In a paper in the Southern Bivouac for April the following conversation between General Harding and General J ackson, relative to Jackson’s duel with Dickinson, is given: “In a conversation with General Jackson one day I said: ‘General, is a brave man ever frightened?’. “I don’t know that I am competent to answer that question,’ said he. I replied: ‘The world accords •on as m uch bravery as is possessed by any man.’ “If that be so, sir,’ said the Ge 1eral, ‘I would say that I have been as badly frightened as a geUtleman ought ever to be.’ “I said, ‘I presume tnat was in some of your Indian fights?’ “No,’ said he, ‘it was when I went on tho field with Dickinson. I knew him to be a cool, brave, determined man, and the best shot I ever saw, and I ne’er expected to leave tlrn fiel alive. I owe my life to the fashion of the day—the fullbreasted coat. This and the peculiar conformation of my muchsunken chest were all that saved me. Dickinson’s bullet struck

what appeared so be the center of my body under he right arm, and the ball grazed my breastbone. I had gone upon the field determined not to fire at Dickinson, but to discharge iny pistol in the air, having no ground of quarrel with him, and not wishing to hurt a hair of his he*' d. My quarrel was with his father-in-law, Ervin; but when I felt myseli shot, under the impression that I had received a mortal wound, -nd smarting under t'.iis belief and the physical pain, I fired the fatal shot, and no act of my life have 1 ever regretted so much.’ “Under the conditions of the meeting we had a right to reserve the fire, because I knew that Dickinson could shoot so much more quickly that I could. It has been asserted in the public prints,’ said Old Hickory, ‘that I advanced on Dickinson to deliver my shot and that he gave back, both of which statements are false, sir. I stood in my place when I fired at Dickinson, and Dickinson remained in his, recejuffiig my shot like a cool, brave man as he was.’ “General Harding said that at this same interview, which was the A

last he ever had with General Jackson, the latter said to him: “The world is greatly mistaken about my having an ungovernable temper. I have never gave an exhibition of my temper without my judgment approved ii I sometimes found it necessary even to prevent the shedding of blood.’ ”

The Indianapolis News, a paper with strong Republican proclivities and bv no means an admirer of the Democratic party, in speaking of Senate bill No. 203 passed by the Republican House at nine o’clock of the < losing night of the legislative session, and signed by speaker Sayre, says: “And this one rightful act (the passage of Senate bill No. 203 by the House) is the condemnation of every preceding failure to do the same thing. The contest for the presidency of ihe Senate did not or struct the legitiy mate course of legislation in this case. Why should it hare done at> at any time? The* contract for carpenter wor on the State House was abandoned the othf r day The building must lie an indefinite time, probably two years, unfinished, unoccupied, useless, becaus speaker Sayre would not do for the general ppropriation bill what he did for Senate bill 203, making an appropriation not a tithe as necessary. His excuse is smashed ‘as Mne as fly legs’ by this evasion of it. He and his alii had to recognize Mr. Smith’s position as de facto President of the Senate to mak% his signature to that bill of any more significance than an ink blot on his table To have done it with no Senate, no officer in the other house to sign the bill with him and thus make it presentable for the Governor’s approval, would have been as idle as writing his name in water. And he knew it, as did all hiar-par-tisans. He and they gave their case away in that one act. It was the dynamite that he boasted so foolishly “could not blow open the doors of the house” to anv commue nication or connection with the Senate till Robertson got his office. His signature to that bill settles the question of responsibility for the failure of legislation What he did for that on the last night of the session he coul have done any time fi r any other bill.”

Judge Mitchell, of the Indiana Supreme Co irt, recently told a Wabash Times reporter that speaker Warren G. Sayre will find it a difficult task for him to make plain to the people of Indiana his arbitrary and revolutionary way of blocking legislation. He thinks no man except one totally blinded by partisan zeal and who held party interests above public duty, wo’d hold for a moment to the absurd idea that the House and its presiding officer had a right to dictate to the Senate who should be its presiding officer. The Judge th nks when the excitement caused by the stormy scenes in the Legislature has died away and the people come to look upon the evil brought upon e State 1 y speaker Sayre and Lis abettors in a calm and impartial manner, they will raise such a storm of indignation that the honorable genb.eman will call upon the rocks and hills about Wabash to fall upon him and hide him from the curses of an outrage I people.

A Chicago minister, preaching on “The Immortality of *he Soul,” stepped to the front of the platform, and, leveling his finger at tne congregation, saia: “You may lose your wives and get others; you may lose your horses and carriages and get others, but when you lose your souls it's good-by; John.” And all the “Johns” in the congregation turned red in the face.

It is said that the insertion of the white of an egg in to the eye will give instant relief m rases similar to those noted recently where pepper had been thrown into people’s eyes. The same remedy may also be used when lime or dirt has >ntered the eye.—Chicago Times.