n and for retaining his position in the
estimation of General Jackson. On one occasions he said to Mrs.
Eaton that he had been reading much and thinking deeply on the
characters of great men, and had come to the conclusion that General
Jackson was the greatest man that had ever lived--the only man
among them all who was without a fault. "But," he added, "don't
tell General Jackson what I have said. I would not have him know
it for all the world." Of course, it was not long before Mrs.
Eaton repeated the conversation to General Jackson. "Ah, madam!"
said Old Hickory, the tears starting in his eyes, "that man loves
me; he tries to conceal it, but there is always some way fixed by
which I can tell my friends from my enemies."

Mr. Van Buren was noted for his willingness to sign applications
for office, and he used to tell a good story illustrating his
readiness to oblige those who solicited his aid. When Governor of
the State of New York, a lawyer called upon him to get a convict
pardoned from the penitentiary, and stated the case, which was a
clear one. "Have you the papers?" he asked. "If so, I will sign
them." "Here they are," said the lawyer, producing a bulky document,
and the Governor indorsed them: "Let pardon be granted. M. Van
Buren." He then left for the office of the Secretary of State,
but soon returned. "Governor," said he, "I made a mistake, and
you indorsed the wrong paper." He had presented for the official
indorsement the marriage settlement of an Albany belle about to
marry a spendthrift.

To ingratiate himself further with General Jackson, and to strengthen
the Democratic party, whose votes he relied upon to elevate him to
the Presidency, Mr. Van Buren organized the war against the United
States Bank. General Jackson was opposed to this institution before
he became President, and it was not a difficult task to impress
upon his mind that the Bank was an unconstitutional monopoly, which
defied the legislative acts of sovereign States, which was suborning
the leading newspapers and public men of the country, and which
was using every means that wealth, political chicanery, and legal
cunning could devise to perpetuate its existence. All this the
honest old soldier in time believed, and it was then not difficult
to impress him with a desire to combat this "monster," as he called
the bank, and to act as the champion of the people in killing the
dragon which was endeavoring to consume their f