Sold – President Jackson Declines to Interfere in State Affairs, Regardless of the Merits of the Matter

Placed as I am, exception might be taken to any interference by the Executive chief Magistrate with the local concerns of the state.

Jacksonian Democracy had as a basic tenet the rights of states to control, without federal interference, many aspects of governance. Jackson himself sought to limit the areas in which federal would operate, once promising that he would guard against “all encroachments upon the legitimate sphere of State sovereignty”. As an example of this in action, he believed that banking was a sphere rightly left to the states, so he withdrew federal funds from the Bank of the United States and deposited them into state-chartered banks. This brought down the federal banking institution. However, Jackson maintained, where a law is within the proper scope of the federal government, no state had the power to ignore, overrule or nullify it. Thus, in the Nullification Crisis with South Carolina, Jackson fought against what he perceived as state encroachments on federal power.

Joel Dyer was a Revolutionary War soldier who became the first settler of Crockett County, Tennessee. He rose to command the Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry in the War of 1812, and noted for his bravery, was an admired colleague of Andrew Jackson. His son, Robert Henry Dyer, was himself a Tennessee officer who served extensively under Jackson at New Orleans and in the Indian Wars to follow. Jackson thought highly of him, and once said R.H. Dyer and his men fight like bulldogs. Dyer County, Tennessee was named for him. The elder Dyer died in 1826, with his estate owing money to the state. The son sought to have the estate excused from the debt, but this would involve an act of the Tennessee Legislature, so he sought to present a petition to that effect. He wrote President Jackson seeing if he would assist.

Jackson would, on a personal level, have wanted to help in any way he could. But he felt that this matter was one within legitimate state authority, and that for him to intervene would constitute federal interference, so his principles required that he decline.

Autograph Letter Signed as President, Washington, September 21, 1929, to R.H. Dyer. “I have received your letter of the 1st instant asking me to join in a memorial to the legislature of Tennessee to release the debt of the state against your deceased father.” He regretfully declines to do so, saying “Were it proper in my situation to do so, it would afford me pleasure. But placed as I am, exception might be taken to any interference by the Executive chief Magistrate with the local concerns of the state. The services your father so cheerfully rendered in the most critical times of the late war, the privations he suffered, the wound he endured with so much fortitude, endeared him to me as a gallant, and serviceable officer. The state of Tennessee has cause to remember him with pride & pleasure; and if consistently with propriety and public duty her representatives can do anything to assist and relieve his bereaved wife and children, I have every confidence it will with cheerfulness be done. With my affectionate regard to your mother & family & kind salutations to your own…” Still attached is the integral address leaf with its free frank.

It is interesting to note that despite the principle involved, Jackson felt it was appropriate to indicate his personal hope that the Dyers would receive the assistance they sought. Perhaps simply making this fact known to Tennessee legislators would be all the support the proposal would need. This letter has been professionally conserved.