The weekly union record., 1864-06-18

The character and services of Abraham
Lincoln, our nominee for reelection to the
Presidency, are so familiar to our readers thu,
s sketch of them would be unnecessary. OF
the nominee for the Vice Presidency We
subjoin the following record:
Andrew johnson. formerly United States
Senator from Tennessee, was born in Raleigh,
North Carolina, December 20. 1905 When
be was four years of age, be lost bis father, who
died from The effects of exertions to save
friend from drowning. Al the age of ten be
was apprenticed TO tailor in bis native city.
with whom be served seven years. His mother
was unable 10 afford him any educational sd
vsntaees, and he never attended school day
10 bis life. While learning his trade, however.
be resolved 10 make an effort TO educate himself.
His anxiety 10 be able 10 read was particularly
excited By an incident which is worthy of
mention A gentleman OF Raleigh was in the
habit of going into The tsilors shop and reading
while the apprentice and journeyuen were at
work. He was an excellent reader, ard bis
favoriie book was volume OF speeches, princi
paly OF British statesmen. johnson became
interested, aud bis first ambition was TO equal
him as q reader and become familiar with those
speeches. He took up the alphabet without
an instructor; but, by applying 10 the journey
men with whom he worked, he obtained little
assistance Having acquired knowledge Of
The letters, he applied for the loan Of the book
which he bad so often heard read. The owner
made him present of it. and gave him some
instruction on the use Of letters in the formation
Of words. Thus bis first exercises 10 spelling
were in that book. By perseverance he soon
learned TO read and the hours which he devoted
TO his education were al night. after be was
through his daily labor upon the shop board.
He now applied himself TO books from two to
three hours every night after working from ten
to twelve hours at his trade. Having com
pleted his apprenticeship in the Autumn Of
1924, he went 10 Laurens Court House. South
Carolina, where he worked as journeyman for
nearly two years. While there be became
engaged TO be married. but the match was
broken off by the violent opposition of the girls
mother and friends. the ground of objection
being Johnson's youth and want of pecunlary
means. 10 May. 1926, be returned to Raleigh,
where be procured journey work, and remained
until September. He then set out to seel his
fortune in the West, carrying with him his
mother, who was dependent upon him for sup
port. He stopped at Greenvlle, Tennessee,
and commenced work as a journeyman. He
remained there aboni twelve months, married,
and soon afterward wen, still further westward:
but failing to 6nd a suitable place to settle, be
returned TO Greenviiie and commenced business
Up 10 this time, bis education was limited to
reading, as be bad never had an opportunity Of
learning TO write or cipher; but under the in
siructions OF bis wife be learned ihese and other
branches. The only time, however, be could
devote to them was in the dead of night. The
first Office which he ever held was that OF AL
derman of the village, to which be was elected
in 1928. He was re elected to the same posi-
tion in 1929, and again in 1880 In that year
he was chosen Mayor, which position he held
for three years. In 1885 be was elected to the
Legislature In the session of that year he
took decided ground against q scheme of inter-
nal improvements, which he contended would
not only prove failure, but entail upon the
State burdensome debt. The measure was
popular, however, and at the next election
1S31) be was defeated. He became candi-
date again in 1889 By this time many Of the
evils he had predicted from the internal i'm
provement policy which he had opposed four
years previous were fully demonstrated, and he
was elected by large majority. In lS40, he
served as Presidential Elector for the State at
large on the Democratic ticket. He canvassed
a large portion of the State, meeting upon the
stump several of the leading Wing orators In
lS4l, be was elected 10 the State Senate. In
lS43, be was elected TO Congress where. by
successive elections, be served until 1853.
During this period of service he was cOnspicu
GUS and active in advocating. respectively the
bill for refunding the fine imposed upon General
jackson at New Orleans in 1915, the annexa
ZION of Texas, the tariff of 1916, the war meas
ures of Polk 5 Administration. and a homestead
bill In 1858, he was elected Governor of
Tennessee, after an exciting canvass, in which
he was opposed by Gustavus A Henry. He
was re elected in 1855, after another active
contest, his competitor being Meredith p.
Gentry. AT the expiration of his second period
as Governor, in 1857, be was elected United
States Senator for a full term. ending March 3,
1868. Although he was Breckenridge Dem.
ocrat, yet at the first dawning OF the rebellion
he declared himself steadfast friend of the
Union, and for taking this stand be was hung
in etfigy, December 22d, at Memphis. On the
2lst of April, 1861, as he passed through
Lynchburg, Virginia, on his way TO Washing
ton from Tennessee, large crowd of Secession
lists assembled. groaned at him, offered him
every indig0ty, and endeavored to take him
from the cars. He was protected by the con-
ductor and others. He never ceased 10 denounce
Secession. and made speeches at Cincinnati,
before the East Tennessee Union Convention
and in the Senate, approving the acts of the
President, aud advocating measures for sustain
ing the Union and prosecuting the war against
rebellion. While Tennessee was in partial
possession Of the rebels, the family of Andrew
johnson underwent almost every sort of perse-
cution and outrage at their hands on account
Of his opposition TO their wicked schemes
After the taking Of Forts Henry and Donelson
and Nashville, he was appointed Military Gov
ernor OF Tennessee, which position he now holds.
The Lowell, Massachusetts,, papers state that
in one OF the cotton mills of that city, recently,
in opening some cotton bales in the picker
room, little cone shaped article was found
containing eight or ten percussion caps. On
trying them, several exploded. Had these
caps gone into the machinery with the cotton