Duff Green

Duff Green (August 15, 1791 – June 10, 1875) was an American teacher, military leader, Democratic Party politician, journalist, author, diplomat, industrialist, and businessman.

Green, son of William & Lucy Ann (Marshall) Green, was born August 15, 1791 in Woodford County, Kentucky. He was a school teacher in his native state of Kentucky. He served under General William Henry Harrison in the Kentucky militia in the War of 1812 and led the Missouri Brigade in the Indian Campaign, earning the rank brigadier general. Thereafter he was known by many as General Duff Green. He then settled in Missouri, where he worked as a schoolmaster and practiced law. He was a member of the Missouri Constitutional Convention of 1820, and was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1820 and to the state Senate in 1822, serving one term in each house. Becoming interested in journalism, he purchased and for two years edited the St Louis Enquirer.

In 1826, in Washington, D.C., he bought and later edited, The United States Telegraph, which became the principal organ of Andrew Jackson's backers, helping him defeat John Quincy Adams in the presidential election of 1828. Upon Jackson's election to the presidency, the Telegraph became the principal mouthpiece of the administration, receiving printing patronage estimated at $50,000 a year. Green became one of the côterie of unofficial advisers of Jackson known as the Kitchen Cabinet on which Jackson depended heavily following the Petticoat affair. In the quarrel between Jackson and Vice President John C. Calhoun, Green supported Calhoun, and through the Telegraph, violently attacked the Jackson administration.

In consequence, the Jackson administration revoked its patronage for the Telegraph in the spring of 1831. Under the date of December 24, 1833, Adams records in his diary that James Blair "had knocked down and very severely beaten Duff Green, editor of the Telegraph..." Blair paid "three hundred dollars fine for beating and breaking the bones" of Green. Green, however, continued to edit The United States Telegraph in the Calhoun interest until 1835, and gave vigorous support to Calhoun's nullification views. Duff's daughter Margaret Maria was the mother of Calhoun's grandson, also named John Caldwell Calhoun. In his second term, Jackson replaced Calhoun with Martin Van Buren as his vice president.

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