The Scars Made The Difference

     One of the ways Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States, changed the presidency (and I believe he changed it as much as any president) was to reward friends and eliminate foes in federal positions. Although common today, it was not a traditional practice by his predecessors. Jon Meacham’s brilliant biography, American Lion contains a great story about how Jackson was moved to rescind one such political replacement decision.

     The Postmaster of Albany, New York, General Solomon Van Rensselaer, was a veteran of the War of 1812. He was also a Federalist and a supporter of Jackson’s opponent John Quincy Adams in the presidential election. When Van Rensselaer was informed of his termination he journeyed to the White House to make an appeal to the President himself.

     After waiting on Jackson to finish with his guests for the evening he approached the President. Meacham recounts the story:

     “General Jackson, I have come here to talk to you about my office.” Van Rensselaer said once he had the president alone. “The politicians want to take it away from me, and they know I have nothing else to live upon.”

     Accustomed to such pleas and committed to his course, Jackson said nothing. Desperate Van Rensselaer moved to strip off his own clothes.

     “What in heaven’s name are you going to do?” Jackson said. “Why do you take off your coat here?”

     “Well sir, I am going to show you my wounds, which I received in fighting for my country against the English!”

     “Put it on at once sir!” Jackson said. “I am surprised that a man of your age should make such an exhibition of himself.” Still, recalled Benjamin Poore, a journalist who recorded the story, “the eyes of the iron President were suffused with tears.” Van Rensselaer took his leave.

     The image of the scarred old man stayed in Jackson’s mind overnight. “The next day Messrs. Van Buren and Wright called at the White House and were shown into the President’s room, where they found him smoking a clay pipe.” Apparently unaware of Von Rensselaer’s preemptive strike the previous evening, Wright began to make the case for sacking him. Jackson “sprang to his feet, flung his pipe into the fire,” and virtually roared at his two friends.

     “I take the consequences, sir; I take the consequences,” Jackson said, “By the Eternal! I will not remove the old man – I cannot remove him. Why, Mr. Wright, do you not know that he carries more than a pound of British lead in his body?” The postmaster was safe.

The scars made all of the difference.