 |
| Emily Donelson |
 |
| Floride Calhoun |
Kristen
Wood, the author of “One Woman So Dangerous to Public Morals,” recounts the political
uproar surrounding Margaret Eaton’s personal life and documents her impact
upon Washington society. Eaton, the wife of Jackson's Secretary of War, faced rejection due to her reputation as a women of questionable character. While some accepted her into the political inner-circle (for a variety of reasons),
others vehemently disapproved of her lifestyle and were determined to “shun the
Eaton Woman.”[1] The wives of the prominent men in Washington
saw Eaton’s “malignant” actions as an extremely serious matter with the potential
of degrading their own reputations, “corrupting the country’s leaders,” and negatively
influencing national political perceptions.[2] Despite being a “cabinet lady” herself, Eaton was seen by the
Washington ladies as an immoral woman to be avoided at all costs. Floride Calhoun and Emily Donelson, women
with close ties to the White House at the time, led the charge in upholding the
idea that the morality of women could truly influence the reputation and divert
the course of their beloved nation.
Pursuing this end, they were determined that Eaton should be excluded
from the Washington social and political scene and live as a “stranger in the
capital.”[3]
 |
| Margaret Eaton |
But why
was such a dramatic reaction triggered by so private a matter? Prizing virtue,
prudence, and etiquette, the wives collectively argued that they had an
important and influential role to play and that their actions, good or bad, had
the potential to “influence the destiny of nations.”[4] As the “personification of purity,” the ladies
resolved that the “slightest contact with the sinful woman” would have manifold
negative repercussions.[5] Although it may be argued that their
exclusion of Eaton was improper, disrespectful, and an overreaction, the
determination and resolve of the Washington ladies proves that this was a pivotal issue with deep roots.
 |
| The Washington Wives |
 |
| John Adams |
Looking
back to the writings of our founders, it becomes clear that the Washington
ladies were neither irrational nor overly zealous, but were articulating an age-old principle. Indeed, there is a long-standing tradition
that emphasizes the vital role female morality plays within a nation. John Adams, in his Autobiography, explained this idea. He stated that “the manners of women are the
surest criterion by which to determine whether a Republican government is
practicable in a nation or not.”[6] Adams went on to warn America of the danger
that is imminent if this truth is not observed.
Recalling the downfall of ancient societies, he marked that “the Jews,
the Greeks, (and) the Romans…all lost their public spirit, their Republican
principles,…and their Republican forms of government when they lost the modesty
and domestic virtues of their women.”[7] While personal animosities and “insider politicking”
may have been woven throughout the Eaton Affair as Wood describes, a close reading of Adams’ 18th century writings legitimizes the Washington wives’ unwavering stance.
[1] Kristen
Wood, “One Woman
so Dangerous to Public Morals": Gender and Power in the Eaton Affair,” Journal of the Early Republic 17: 2
(1997), http://www.jstor.org/stable/3124447
(accessed September 25, 2013).
249.
[2] Ibid., 250.
[3] Ibid., 253.
[4] Ibid., 250.
[5] Ibid., 253.
[6] John Eidsmoe, Christianity
and the Constitution: The Faith of Our Founding Fathers. Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 1995: 272.
[7] Ibid.
