Andrew Jackson: Steady Through Sorrow

March 29, 2010

Andrew Jackson is known for his Indian campaigns, the victorious battle of New Orleans, and two terms of presidency. His rugged exterior, noble heart, and fiery temper have all become legendary. What is not so well known is the sorrow-stricken childhood he experienced.

A month before Andrew Jackson, the famous soldier and politician was born, his father, also named Andrew Jackson, strained himself while at work on their farm and died. His wife was left with two boys, which quickly became three as Andy saw the light of his first day.

Jackson was born in the tumultuous year of 1767. The passions of American colonists mounted as the years rolled towards that glorious day in 1776 when our rights would be declared inviolable as a separate country from Great Britain. When fighting broke out, Andy's elder brother, Hugh, quickly entered the contest and was killed in battle against the redcoats. Passionate young Andrew, fully engaged in the feelings of his countrymen and devoted to American independence, joined the army as a courier in 1780 at the tender age of thirteen, along with his sixteen-year-old brother.

Andrew made himself useful carrying dispatches and orders along the southern roads from commander to commander. During one of the frequent British raids, he and his brother were captured and taken prisoners of war. When commanded to black the commanding officer's boots, Jackson refused, receiving a deep saber cut for his response. His brother was also wounded by the same soldier, after which both were placed in the rotting, fever-infested prison quarters at Camden, South Carolina.

Both lads became ill during their interment, and their brave mother, determining not to let her boys suffer alone, convinced the commanding British officer to let her nurse her sons. Eventually they were released, but Robert, Andrew's only remaining brother, died in quick succession as a result of is incarceration. As a final blow, Elizabeth Jackson also succumbed to the disease, leaving Andrew Jackson as the sole member of his family by the age of fourteen.

These times must have been very black indeed to a young boy just starting in life. However, he buckled to his tasks, and, endowed with a decent amount of capital from his father's estate, provided for himself. He could have wallowed in his misery, bemoaning his losses and feeling sorry for himself. Instead, he "girded up his loins" like a man, and set out on the rough road of life.

Although I don't agree with everything Andrew Jackson did, or believed in, he is an example of a young man who lived through tremendous hardship and grief without giving in. His will was inflexible, his sense of honor impeccable, his temper a glowing ember. However, he had an enormous love for children, and, although not blessed with any progeny, he played a father's role in many children's lives, including that of the famous Sam Houston. Remembering the pain as a child of lacking a father, Jackson filled this role to many of the children who grew up around his home.

Andrew Jackson is another example of an imperfect but noble man, who rose above the conditions in which he found himself, showing indomitable courage, unquenchable energy, and untarnished honor. It is my hope that we all will bear in mind his example!

Tutela ex Vulnero,

John

Posted by John Horn at 07:36 AM | Permalink

A Call to Return to the Days of Manly Men

December 12, 2008

One thing that has been emphasized many times at this blog is the importance of Manliness.

As has been said so many times, the culture of bold, Christian manhood is under attack. That means that the example of heroes who go into battle to help others is now being questioned by modern day, effeminate wimps. (I say wimps because I don't even deign to call many modern "males" men.) They have their own great commission, and it includes their belief that it is their mission, above all else, to destroy such vestiges of Christendom as manliness and to "wimpify" the nations.

It is our mission to "Teach all nations . . . teaching them to observe ALL things whatsoever I have commanded you." (Matt 28:19-20) This is a command to teach, live, and work in direct opposition to these 'modern-day wimpy men.' I believe that part of "teaching the nations" is setting out examples of true manhood. That's why this website is dedicated to manly authors like Ballantyne and Henty.

I believe that one example of true manliness is a good friend of the Phillips family named Mr. Matthew Chancey. Right now Mr. Chancey is in Nairobi with my Uncle, Brad Phillips, helping and ministering to the Sudanese people. Not only does he help and comfort the Christians, he also brings Bibles to give to the Muslims.

Currently Mr. Chancey is on the docket for "Man of the Year" on the Old Spice Art of Manliness website. (Caveat: I do not support everything on Art of Manliness, furthermore I do not know the full content, and advise all readers to show good judgment and discernment when visiting AoM.) He was nominated by his wife, Mrs. Jennie Chancey, who wrote a truly stunning report on why her husband should be Man of the Year. Everyone should read her amazing tribute to her husband. The best way to know if someone is truly great (or manly) is to listen to what his wife says about him, and anyone who read Mrs. Chancey's essay sees just how much she thinks of her husband.

Here are a couple of key points about Mr. Chancey that I appreciate and that make him an example of a true man:

1. Proverbs 20:11 says "It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself if his conduct is pure and right." Mr. Chancey is only 32, yet he has eight children and has accomplished many great things because when he was a young man he began digging into the world of law and politics, and set his hand to the plow and put his back into honoring Christ as a teenager.

2. Theodore Roosevelt said "It is the doer of deeds who actually counts in the battle for life, and not the man who looks on and says how the fight ought to be fought, without himself sharing the stress and the danger." As was already noted, Mr. Chancey is in Africa right now being a "doer of deeds" and not just sitting back or saying "how the fight ought to be fought."

3. Often you can really know a manly man by his enemies. Overseas, the enemies of Mr. Chancey and his coworkers at the Persecution Project include Islamic jihadists, like the janja weed, who murder men, women, and children, and hate efforts to rescue the Sudanese people with the Gospel and practical supplies. Here in the U.S., Mr. Chancey's enemies include homosexual activists and hateful feminists who despise Mr. Chancey's manly resolve and convictions. (Mark 13:13--"And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. ...) Even his enemies show him to be a real man.

4. He reads the works of G.A. Henty to his family. What more need be said?

Mr. Chancey with Sudanese friends

To sum up: Mr. Chancey is one of the manliest men I know and has set an example that we should take note of. He is an honoring man, a dutiful man, and a true friend.

Now it is our turn to honor a Biblical and Henty-esq man, to tell the world what type of men we set before us as examples, and as my friend Nathaniel Darnell pointed out:

As George Washington once called upon his country, we must now call upon ourselves to "raise a standard which the wise and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God." We must raise the standard of true Christian manliness so that others will gather to that righteous standard. Supporting Matthew Chancey candidacy is a terrific way to raise such a standard.

And give Biblical manhood a podium for the world to see.

So, I encourage all of you to immediately vote for Matt Chancey as the Man of the Year. In some ways, I look on Mr. Chancey's nomination as David standing up against Goliath. In this case though, it is Mr. Chancey (as David) standing up against the Goliath of effeminate men and preparing to chop off the head of that monster. With only two days left, please Vote now! As one of my friends said, "Matt is clearly the most awesomly manly man to choose from." But even more than that, it is time to raise up more examples for the modern generation of men like King David, William Wallace, and G.A. Genty.

Also, please pray for the gospel to reach the Muslims and animists who are in the Sudan. Mr. Chancey and my Uncle Brad always take in many Arabic Bibles, and the Muslims are grateful for any gifts, so pray for God's blessing on their work in the Sudan.

Now, VOTE!

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 01:34 PM | Permalink

The Professional Detective; Sherlock Holmes

July 10, 2008

One of my favorite visits on the journey across England after the Scotland Tour was our visit to Sherlock Holmes house, 221b Baker Street London. Despite many of the problems with Arthur Conan Doyle and even his hero in the stories, The Sherlock Holmes mysteries have been one of the most captivating series of books I have read. I had not been the mystery-adventure-loving-type until I first read Doyle's A Study In Scarlet. This was the first "Holmes" adventure I had read and it sent thrills up my back to see the magnificent way Doyle had interwoven the past and present of the main character's life into Holmes and Watson's adventures.

Sherlock Holmes was a famous fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He first appeared in publication in 1887, the creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (another Scot). An ingenious detective living with his friend Dr. Watson at 221b baker street London, Holmes is probably best known for his method of detection, deductive reasoning and abductive reasoning plus an amazing sense of observation, giving him the ability to solve the most difficult cases.The original Holmes stories cover the period of 1878 through 1903, with a final case in 1914.

As one person notes on the character of Holmes,

Holmes is always fearless. He dispassionately surveys horrific, brutal crime scenes; and does not allow superstition (as in The Hound of the Baskervilles) or grotesque situations to make him afraid. He intrepidly confronts violent murderers, and is generally unfazed by threats from his criminal enemies, and indeed Holmes himself remarks that it is the danger of his profession that has attracted him to it. The only thing that truly bothers Holmes is boredom.

When we went in to the home of the Detective and the Doctor it was like stepping into a time capsule. The house was every thing I had ever imagined it could be. The rooms and furnishings, unlike the houses portrayed in all the old (and new) films, was perfect to every detail in the original books, down to the inch. One of the things that you see immediately on coming in to home is the giant "V. R." which stands for "Victoria Regina" (the Queen of England) shot into the wall with his revolver. It was funny to think of a time when that is the sort of thing men would do for target practice. The main room is gloriously manly! With their revolver on the desk and all sorts of equipment in the room it was like stepping into a world of the past.

One of the things that I appreciate about the character created in Holmes is the fact that he has trained himself to take dominion of the mind that God has given him and even with all his faults he understands how to use what he has to the fullest extent.

221b Baker Street.

The far famed "desk of Holmes".

The detective's violin.

The archenemy, Moriarty!

Sherlock Holmes, Detective.

Posted by Joshua Phillips at 09:35 PM | Permalink