Don't Mess With Politicians From Tennessee

THE FIRST TIME anybody ever tried seriously to kill an American president, there was a funeral underway, in January 1835, in the House of Representatives. As it ended, President Andrew Jackson got up to leave. A mentally ill Englishman walked up to the President, announced himself as King George of England, accused Jackson of owing him money, pulled a pistol out of his coat, pointed it at the President, and fired. The weapon failed to discharge. All this got the attention of people nearby, including Congressman Davy Crockett. Crockett jumped up and threw himself on the would be assassin, just as the madnman pulled another weapon from his other pocket, aimed, aand fired. It also failed to discharge. Davy pinned the man to the ground till he stopped struggling, then stood up, still restraining the wacko. Nobody restrained Andrew Jackson, however. Nobody ever did. He raised his cane and began swinging away, thrashing the dazed and confused chap, and had to be persuaded to cease and desist, since it was now unnecessary. Jackson might have killed the guy, which would have been justice, but doing so would have been decidedly rather unpresidential, and it wouldn't look good for the country, which already had a reputation of being somewhat, shall we say, "uncivilized". Andrew Jackson himself had such a reputation, of being a backwoods brawler, which he in fact was. But he dressed and spoke like a gentleman, which Crockett did not. Jackson and Crockett, both from Tennessee, didn't like each other. Crockett thought Jackson was a tyrannt, which he was, and called him "the government". Jackson, for his part, thought Crockett an obnoxious hillbilly, which he was. Davy Crockett, when asked about the incident, replied "I met a heap of mighty low varmints in my time, and I always wanted to meet the lowest. Now I have." Enough people hated Thomas Jefferson to want to kill him, but usually, the people who hate American presidents are content ot merely wait until the hated chief executive leaves office. For that, we should all be grateful.