The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-09-06
President Inhnsnn,s ra,h0,.

j President JOhnsOn's Father.
!, The following obituary notice ap-
3 peared in the Raleigh Star of January
10th, 1912: =
"Died il this city, on Saturday last
{ Jacob johnson, who had for many
years, occupied an humble, but useful
station in society. He was city consta-
Die, sexton and porter to the State
Bank. In his last Illness he was visit.
ed by the principal inhabitants Of the
city, by all Of whom he was esteemed
for his honesty, sobriety, industry and
humane friendly disposition. Among
all to whom he was known and es-
teemed, none lamented him more lex
cept, perhaps, his relatives,) than the
publisher OF this paper, for he owes his
lie, on particular occasion, to the
ooidness and humanity Of johnson"
Jacob johnson was the father of the
present President of the United States.
What interesting associations, asks
the Raleigh Standard, are not the
reading Of tie foregoing obituary cal
culated to excite2 At the time it was
written Andrew johnson was less than
four years old-an age so young that
the loss Of his parent could not affect
him at the time, oAe-hundredth part as
much as the reading of these lines are
likely to do now-ifty-three years after
/
scenes, what exciting events, what po-
htlcal commissions, has the orphan boy,
then left fatherless, since passed
through! How consoling must be to
him. now that he has reached the high |
est political station in the world, the
reAection'that this tribute Of affection
and regard was paid to the memory of |
his honored father-not by some venal |
pen-not by some interested panderer
to greatness and power-but by the
grateful heart of one who knew him
well, and who had been the recipient |
| of his unselfsh beneficence. ....
The occasion referred to in the con.
Guiding lines of the above obituary no |
tice, the Standard says, was this: Thos.
Henderson was upset in canoe, and |
was so near being drowned that life |
was nearly extinct when he was re-
covered. Jacob johnson was on the |
bank, safe and secure. But he saw
his friend drowning before his face |
Thoughtless of self, he plunged in at
the hazard of his own life He did |
finally succeed in saving his friend
but both were nearly exhausted when
they reached the shore. The statement
in regard to Jacob johnson being 'es-
teemed for his honesty, sobriety, indus.
try and humane friendly disposition,
is concurred in by the old inhabitants
now living in Raleigh The grateful
and generous tribute to his worth and
goodness of heart is more to be valued
and esteemed than "storied urn or
animated bust" AS such, President
Johnson may SO regard it, and no
doubt he does. That peculiar trait, so
marked in the father-of devotion and
attachment to proved friend-the SOC
seems to have inherited in an eminent
degree. Those who have known him
well, and known him long, concur ia
the statement that where his friend
ship and confidence are once secured,
he allows no extraneous influences, no
party violence, no whisperings of enmi-
ty, no reverses of fortune, to ALLEVIATE
mis- feelings.
Such a character is almost unfailingly
accompanied with sincerity, generosity
and-warmth of heart. Their possessors
may sometimes be deceived as to who
are their real friends; but they never
desert friend from impulses of selfish
ness, or fekleness of disposition.
We may wen imagine what may be
President Johnson's feelings on reading
this tribute to his fathers Worth-pre-
served in the mrsty files of journal of
by gone times. There it has remained
in quiet forgetfulness for ffty-three
years, till brought to light by the great
ness and elevation Of the then orphan
boy Little did the author suppose that
the fatherless child, with whom he, no
doubt, deeply sympathized, would, in
process Of time, acquire a name and
reputation commensurate with the lin
its Of the christian world. The follow
ing extract fsOm Mr.. Johnson's speech
in the House of Representatives, on his
great faForite measure " the home
stead bill delivered April %, 1902
will show the touching affection he still |
cherishes for the land Of his birth, in
which reposes the ashes of his father
Some object 10 this measure, IS cal
culated to take away the population
from the old States. Let me ask the
oid Domipion-let me ask North Caro-
lina-Gop BLISS HEB for although she
ia not. as the Romans would call it, my
ana yaatsr, tst she L my H0theri Al
though poverty-gauut aud haggaFd
rnonster-expatriate me from her linn
ia. 10 seek nome in my adopted State,
where every fibre, every tendril Of my
/ heart Is eutWined with the interests 1
of her people-yst Ehi, North Carolina IS
~ pa,i5s State, and IN Bly heart, respect /
aE.d JUs her sg s
Strange to say, adds the Standard,
the very paper containing the above
obituary, is in mourning for the terrible |
disaster Of the burning Of the Rich
r,ond Theatre in 1912; and the pro-
eeedinqs Of = meeting Of coincidence on |
/ the mart Of the citizens of Raleigh, |
presided over by Col VIM Polk In
4 the same paper is an obituary notice Of
/ the death Of the no5her Of Vim. Gas
ton. such IS lifei one generation pas /
eth away and another succs OILS. Finy- |
] three years from to-day all who sre now
1 the busy sectors on the theatre Of life, |
viii have passed 20 that bourne from /
which there Is no resuzn, and another
lgeneration win have taken their places
! and another, and another, in one con.
/ dnual cycle.
l 90 1s.r, C,r,,-.-,.r,,.,,t 4. A., ha -