Source:
Andrew Jackson is Accused of Serious Crimes
October
18, 1828. We lay this far-famed handbill before our readers today. We have two
reasons for doing so. Many of them have never yet seen it-this is one reason.
The other is, that the Jacksonites
call it an infamous bill, and pronounce all its statements false. It is neither
infamous nor false. If there be any infamy connected with it, that infamy
should attach to General Jackson-for, however black-however appalling this bill
may appear, it presents but an inadequate representation of the still blacker
and still more appalling acts of this violent and vindictive man. . .
No
man living would be more rejoiced than we would, to be satisfied that the
charges contained in this bill against Gen. Jackson were not well founded. At
least one ground of our objection to him would then be removed. As an
inducement for his friends to attempt their removal, we hereby offer $20 for
such evidence as will satisfy the public that the six militia men were not shot
by Gen. Jackson's order, after their time had expired, and contrary to law.
$20
for any evidence by which we can convince the public that the eight regulars
were not unnecessarily shot, by order of Gen. Jackson, near Nashville.
$20
for any evidence by which we can convince the humane and the merciful that the
gallant but unfortunate youth, John Woods, was not cruelly and unnecessarily
put to death by order of General Jackson.
$20
for the pointing out of any mistake in Gen. Jackson's own account of the
massacre of the sixteen Indians, and the murder of the Prophet and his
countrymen.
$20
for any evidence that may enable us to convince the public that Gen. Jackson
did not run his cane sword through Samuel Jackson.
$20
for any testimony showing that General Jackson and his bullies did not make the
attack on Col. Benton and his Brother, an account of which the Colonel gives in
his letter. And
$20
for such facts as will satisfy the public that the Jackson party
have not been misrepresenting those bills with a view of deceiving the
people as to the real character and temper of their Farmer Hero.
If
our offer be not taken, the correctness of the charges must be considered as
admitted by the Heroe's friends. And if all these
charges be true if all these black and horrid deeds have been done or
sanctioned by Gen. Jackson, where the impropriety?-where the infamy?-where the
falsehood of the bill? There is neither impropriety -infamy-nor falsehood, in
the business. But, on the contrary, there is a virtue in proclaiming the
deep-dark-cold-chilling-damning facts, that this bill
sets forth against this aspirant for a situation, for which every consideration
of prudence, of justice and of patriotism, proclaims him unfit and undeserving.
And, "if it should be the last act of our life", and subject us to
the penalties of the 11 second section," if possessed of the means, we
would spread this black bill-this true picture of wrong-oppression-and
tyranny-through every district-city-town-village and neighborhood, that no
living soul in the land, entitled to the right of suffrage, should be ignorant
of its contents, when he deposits his vote in the ballot box at the next
election.