Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-09-24

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the Senatorial canvass of 1858, no other
nuine was even suggested than that of Abra-
ham Lincoln. So in 1860, there was abun-
dant competition as to which State should
furnish the Republican nominee for Presi-
dent but no one ever suggested that among
the eminent and honorcd Republicans of
Illinois, there was another possible candi-
date than Lincoln.
| Andrew johnson entered Tennessee an
illitcrate tailor youth, poor as Lazarus in all
! but hope and ambition, without n relative
or friend who could help him to corporal
ship in the smallest company of 'ioodwood'
militia. few years later, he was Mem
Der of Assembly; next we hear from him in
Congress then Governor of his closely
balanced State after spirited canvass for
! Tennessee was then preponderently a Wing
State, and her Wings always ran for Gov
ernor one of their ablest and cleverest de-
baters. johnson had always been very
ardent and active Democrat, and had made
! himself widely obnoxious to his political
adversaries. His birth and breeding were
matters OF common notoriety, and the cul-
tivated aristocracy of Nashville and the
surrounding region were not at all inclined
to be ruled 10y the eX;journeyman tailor of
Jonesborough. They could not help them
|
his term as Governor, was chosen to the
United States Senate, where he made good
his position against the ablest and proudest
in the land. Probably no other Senator had
enjoyed so scant opportunities for intellec-
tual culture but the debates, in which he
freely mingled, give no sign of this. In the
absence of that education of the schools,
which he would gladly have enjoyed and
improved, he had his full share of the rug
ged discipline OF poverty and privation, and
was thoroughly trained in the keen encoun-
| tiers of an active, arduous public career
Doubtless, he feels and regrets the defcien-
cies of his early culture but who will say
that he has not nobly supplied them
Mr.. Johnson, as a leading Southern Dem
ocrat, and supporter of Breckenridge for
| the Presidency, saw the Shareholders Re
bcllion take form and body under his inn
mediate observation. He knows it, egg
and bird'-its impulses, ideas and aspira-
tions. Nearly every other prominent Demo
crat of his State and section was drawn or
driven into its tolls; he never countenarced
1t for moment nor regarded it with the
least allowance. He knew it to be as hos
| tile to the class from which he sprung in the
South as to the 'mudsills' at the North,
and he stood by his order like any British
Iccr. lie exposed the nOllOWncSS OF It's
pretexts, the wickedness of its aims, in the
presence of its contrivers, before they had
imbrued their hands in blood. He warned
the simple against their Vaccinations, and
warned them of their inevitable failure and
ruin. Had other Southern Unionists been
as faithful and fearless as he, the madness
of Secession would have been stayed at the
northern limit of the Cotton Region, and
| our country would not now be rceking with
human blood.
1t Is a common prO-Slavery cavil that
You Abolitionst talk of what you do not
understand" This cannot be said of Lin
coin and johnson, who were born in Slave
States, and have been familiar with Slavery
since they first opened their eyes. Mr.. Lin
coin was never an Abolitionist till Slavery
declared war on the Union; yet he says he
never regarded Slavery in itself otherwise
than as he now does. III Slavery is not
wrong, then nothing is wrong" says he in
his letter to Hodges. Mr.. Johnson was a
tacit supporter of Slavery until Slavery
struck at the life of his country; but he now
holds with Lincoln that Union and Peace
are only possible through the final, com
plete overthrow of their assalant.
Are these men fanatics Ii there were an
easier or shorter way to Peace, would they
not choose it What possible motive can
they have for preterring the wrong way to
the right one Consider aud Judge