The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-06-22
VOL. 10. NO. WHOLE NO. AIS.
ANDREW JOHNSON

Prom The American CySsslEetA
Andrew Johnson, u tennessee, Was born in
Raleigh, North Carolina December 2g. SOS
When be ~ss four Years Of axe BE lost his father
Who died from the effects OF eSersEons 10 save a
friend from drowning Al the age x Ten he Sas
sppreDuced % tailor ia hss ustige Gtg. With
~hOHe he served seven years H. mother sas
unable 10 afford hlul sny educational advantage
and lie never attended school dsE in hls he
While learning his trade. however, he resolved
IA make aH effort 10 EDUCATE b mseli. his aaKi-
ely 10 DC able 70 read particularly eXcited 10y
al incident witch s worthy 81 mention gen
uem2n of Raleigh vas ia iAe habit 81 gong irto
The tailof's shop AID readi-g ahile the Journey e
u1en and apprentice aas az Sork Tie ~ss an
excellent reader. ana has iavoriss booA sas vUi-
ume " speeches, priuclpalis o. Brush state
lAeu. Johnson became luteresIss-. and his hrst
au.oitou ~as 10 equsl him fesSer. and be-
come fsuiil'ar Nith those speeches ke 1oos np
the alphabet wIthost al Is. ructOr. blL- og ap-
plying 10 the journey men wiki whom 4. NOazs5.
De obtained little assistance
Having aoQaire6 kno~lrige ot letters he a.
pied for the loan & the book ~uch he h.c 80
oisea heard read Tn. 0~ivr made h,.n a pres
enl Oi ii, and gsve nm Sssn~ Instructions o. the
Use OF letters in the foroistseD OF ~OidS Thu
he hret exercises IN spelling ~eTe in that oO'
BY perseverance, be -Oon lrarned 20 read. SD
the hours which be devoted 60 his edacaii"h
we're al night after be Was through his dali, Ia
DOR upon The shop board de Dos applied hrn
self To books irOIs t~O to three aOur- evvtA ugrt
after sOrklng from l0 10 ~ hours al iis ua1e
Having completed ni- apprenticeship iu O.,
aufuiDu OF ! e24 hr went - LaureIs Cuuri H"ose
; {. Wueoe he NO ked J,urnes mail iD'
nesfls two wears. " lille Ibese ur became ell
Gagged to be married. but tise eas,ch ~ss b. oxen
ID toy the viOlrut oppOstion of sf- ghIs mother
snd ifiend-, the ground Of Otg g-eEou being Mr.
JObnsons youth aud want OF prcOissssy means
In MAY, 1926. lac returned tu Rde4gk. snere he
procured urney ~erk. ard relDaiue1 0rul sep
teIDber. tie then sci Out 10 seek bis tortS1e Ih
the ~,st, Carrying 9th hun nis norhvr sbG .As
dependent on him tor support Tie stOppeS ~
Greeuvile Tenn and coamenced Wo.k DR. a
iourneSman tie r-nsiued there about twelve
months. m4rri ID Aud soon alter went slill iarIher
~estwa,d but faiiing To q a suitable place To
settle, be returned ~ GreeuVlLe GuO cOG.menced
business
Up 10 this time his education WAs NHitec TO
resOmg. as he uevei hsL' 40 opportunity OF lea
ing To write or cipher; 9ut under The hsTuc-
rOn OF his vile be learned those aud other bran
ebes. The only time, bOweyer. be could devote
10 them in The dead o. night The hfsi
uthce he ever held vas [ a. OF Adermau IA The
village, 10 which he was elected Il IS2s. He
vas re-elected TO the same position IA 1929, aud
again IN lS4O. Ia that wear he sAs chUsen
Mayor, which position he held ioF thr &c yssis.
Ia 1885 he elected 10 the lie gis2t1fe
Ia the sesSian Of that yesI be took decided
ground against scheme OF internal i'm prove
mruts, which he cOntended would not onh prove
failure but entail upun the State burdvnsoue
debt. The measure was popular, however, and a.
the next election lS57) he was defeated. He
came a Candidate again in 1889 By tnls
time many OF The evils he bad predicted from the
internal impi iOv-meut policy ~hich WAS adopted
tOnr years previous we're fully demonstrated aid
he was elected by large majority.
In l840 he served a. presidential eector for
the State at large on the democratic ticket. a
canvassed large portion OF the Stale, meeting
uDon the stump several of the leading Wing Or
aIore- In lSsl ne Was elected 10 the State Sen
ate. 10 lo4l he WAS elected 20 Congress where
by successive elections be served until 1853
During this PEI iOd Of service he was Conspicuous
and active III advocating, respectively, the bill
tor reiUndng the fine imposed upon Gen. Jack
-ou at New Orleans in 1878, the annexation OF
Texas, the tariff Of 1876, the war measures ol
Mr Poiks sdmIni-tratun, and homestead bill.
In 1883 he was elected Cover. or Of Teunes,e,
@iieI oil eAcllinB CANVASS, 10 Rdicu ne was Op-
posed BY tiustaVus A. Henry. He Was re e-c
ted in 1855. after another active Contest, his
competitor being Meredith p Gentrv AT the
expiration Ct his s'cOnu period as GOserDOr, ia
1887, he was elected U ; Senator for a iull
term, ending March 3. 1858.
Ever since the outbreak Of the rebellion. Gov
erhor Johuson has been Lbe stern aud uncOm
promising eneIny Of the slave olgarchists. A
Senator OF the United Staies as a public speskef
IA brhslf Of the U-ion, and for these m.ny
months past as Military Governor Of his own
State, be has yig'liutly and hcsutly wrought 10
our holy cause, aud scored his name high among
the earnest workers Oh behalf OF the imprrlled
Republic.