The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1864-10-12
LIWC0LEg AND 50HNeCN.

were porn III The CLASS 0L poor whites
which slavery Greats and preserves for its
lowe convenience. Lincoln obtained most
! of his scanty schoolingsnot only after his
removal into free State. but after he bad
lreached the full stature cf manhood, and
was enabled to earn and plan for Himself;
while johnson never had any schooling. at
all, and learned to read from his wife after
his removal from bis native State, North
Carolina, into almost free East Tennessee
Neither ofthe men could ever have been
chosen even tothe Legislature in an essen
tia'lv slaveholding community, no matter
how thorough their subscfvicnce TO "thc
iustitution They surnounted thaiufu
/ euce of slavery by taking position outside
Of its palpable domain.
To maintain that such mcu lack ability
3r force Of character, is to hold that re.
pulias are ruled by idiots Lincoln en-
;ered Illinois portionless, illiterate b2y,
earning livelihood by the rudest and
hardest manual labor, and, within twenty
years thereafter, had become one Of her
/ foremost lawyers and the acknowledged
leader OF the more intellectual Of her two
great political parties-conspicuouS in her
Legislature, her only Wing member of
! CONGRESS, candidate for Senatorial Eleotor,
/ z. S. Senator, Vice President, and ulti-
matcly for President. All these positions
were accorded to him without contest or
hesitation. johnson cut,red Tennessee
an illiter2te tailor youth, poor in all bu.
hope aud ambition, without relative or
friend who could help him 10 a corporal.
ship in tie smallest company Of flood
wood militia. 4 few years later, he was
Il member Of Assembly; next We hear
from him in Congress; then Goyenrer Of
his closely balanced State after spirited
canvass; for Tennessee was then prePon
dcrantiy Wbig State, and her Wings
always,,ran for Governor one Uftheir ablest
|Tnd cleverest dc5aters. Johuson had al
ways been very arden. and active DEM
ocrat, and had made himself widely oh,
noxiOus to his political adversaries HIS
birth and breeding were matters Of com.
mou notoriety, and the cultivated ar,toc
racy Of Nashville aud the surrounding
recjon we're not at all incl;nod to ha r,l, J
by the OK iourneyman tailor Of ,Joncsho.
rough. They could not help themselves.
however; and johnson. alter scryjno hi,
term as Governor. was chosen to,bo Irni
ted States Senate. where he mado oood
his rosilion aoajnst thc'ablost and rroud.
est IN the Land Iln Laa ~ fpII s},.ro ~
the rurged diSein}inc oT n,,ror.v ara mi
yalion. and was tboronoljv tr,;yod :, ,Lc
keen encounters nf an ,c,iro .,rJ.rc,.
npbjic career DonhfIoss 10 faors md
raurets tho defcicn.ips of his carlv a,It,ro
but who will saw that he has n,s nobIv
supphed them? ...
Mr. Johnson aea lcadino Dc,,oor,t
aud a supporter Of Breckenridge for the
Presidency, saw the shareholders rebellion
take. form and body. He knows il 5000
and bird d"-itS Impulses, ideas aud aSpir;,
tions. Nearly cverv other prominent
Democrat of his State and section was
drawn or driven inIo its talls: lie never
counteuanccd il for 8 moment.por rerar1.
4 ed it with the least allowance. IL
knew it to be as hostile to the class fon
which he sprung in tie South, as 70 tbe
''mudsills' at The North, and he .stood
by his order" like anv British Peer. He
exposed the hollowuess Of its prtexts, the
wickedness of its aims, in the presence oI
its contrivers, before they had imbrued
their hands iG blood. lie warned the
simple AGAINST their nachinotio,s o,c
warned them Of their inevitable f,i,or.
and ruin, Had other Southern Toionist.
been as faithful and fearless as he tbt
madness of secession wonId have baor
STAYED at the northern limit Of the cortor
region. and opr country won}d not now