Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-04-22
RICHMOND WIG, SATURDAY MORNING, APRIL 2, 1865

Such ia brief Gas been the public service of n Johr
son. His political antecedens from 1886 to 1866 has
been uniformly TO the Federal Union to rigid pub
lie Onomy independent labor, free represent tion
Lee meseads His practice rather than Or fessiOl
| has been that of democracy. His democracy was il
the cknOwedg nent AZ assertion the right and rn
0. e Ieop!e. Fr 1899 10 1851 he iden lie will
the so called Dem1c All, " Of Tennessee. He hon
the party by his CO scen Us and upright service
the repese at tive and Executive Of the people
cessyeIy, was honored by it because Of these and
the ad ona qua -a'ion of consistent and useful not
TO able staiesmansh The her pro nnent leaders
OF his party did always love him, especia y while
Cover or lie ;0use tn. If ,emOcracy was of ierel
or ar from his humble origin fruga habits and u
pretending walk and conversation in igh Office But
they early learned to respect him because of the hold
which he had upon the people and because Of ks in.
flexible integrity. When, the early troubles Of 1861,
the. forgot this lesson aud attempted to rush the State
out Of the Union against his eiOq ent and indignal [
oes in the Senate aud on the stump. and against the
direct popular OF the people, on direct vote for
invention Ia re rusry, of that year. they were not long
dis ring if not thfir own great mistake, bis pre-.
ence and cons st ncy power in the ct ite VIII oh
} ad abhored Notification in, and since the days #
JACKSON md which hid made the capital too hot to hold
when atl mpted by the fire eaters Of the other
Jdtht IN States, at ashyiile, IN 1850.
A retrospect of Mr. JOhnsons carrier position in the
politics OF Tennessee may not be uninterestng The
Constitution of the State remOleled in 1884 Ora
dual emancipation was petit ned for extensively from
the Eastern and other untan Districts to the Staie
Cor rention but rejected by the arger Savehodng Dele
gltC Mr. johnson was not a member Of the convention
but that hi sympathies for Free Representation
and tn th, movement, il atesed by an earnest sub
s5queu effort in the Legislature for the equal appoon
ment of the Free White Notng population OF the state by
Congressional Districts under the succeeding census of
ISlO He held the principle Of tne three.flths Slave
constitutional bunder at best and its
application to the Free Mountain Districts of East Ten
nessee iniquity He was not successful however
in reforming It
Mr. johnson was made a member OF the first Iepisla
ture under the new constitution in 1887 He was then
only 81 years of age young energetic and thoroughly
mbued wilh an independent and self reaI spirit The
wear before, breach had been made IN the hitherto
dominant and overwhelming Jackson Democracy of the
State as between Mr.. Van Buren, and Judge Hugh L.
White for the Presidential election. Mr.. Polk and Mr.
Bell the rival leaders as they had been rv Is for
the Spe kershp Of the United States House of epresen
IA ives on the appointment OF Mr.. Andrew stevenson As
Minister to England Mr.. Bell elected in 1884 to fill
this Chair for the remainder of that Congress- But the
contest exceedingly bitter aud carried into the
next Congress- President Jackson taking part against
Bell for Speaker and White for the next Presidency and
ouelly for Polk and Van Buren,. N Polk Was mada
Speaker. But EEL and White carried the State for Gov.
ernor and Legislature in 1895 and the Presidency in
1896. Mr. johnson entered public life as a Bell and
White man. He was iavorite of the party in the LIE.
ris ture OF 1856 and their cand date for Sneaker
of the House in 1887 but was defeated by coalition
between the Van Buren, minority and another White
delegate from East Tennessee. When White and Bel
q ibseguenty became closely identified with the ola
Wing parry, Ilr. Johnson left them, and wss the ac.
knowledged leader Of tie Van Buren, Governor POLK in
the Legislature of 1889.
We have intimated that Mr. johnson, in his highest
positions at home and in Washington was man OF fru
gal economical habits In this he was consistent with
his early life as an industrious hard aborng mechanic
and the provideut care of his wife and family. The
former had taught him to read and WI lie ait they
were married Hesubsequently became emulous of put.
lie ife lie en- cred upon il with st and loved II for its
flscinatons, and faithfully won honors be had no pro-
fessol al training amb tious OF none. He was never
LAWYER as bel has been generally supposed He
was neyera hucNsleng poltican paid money for
nomination or for an election beyond the incidental
expenses of his stump campaigns for Congress and for
Governor He ana is devoted 10 Oh public service
for its usefulness and is honOrs, ami content with ana
systematically econOmizing moderate emoluments for
the SAX tf his family And in this il safe to say that
pafsimonv has little to do with his sense of domestic
dutv as expensive tastes or pro lgd wasteulness.
Above all Mr. johnson is true as vel as a brave
man; fat fu four years ago among The faith of his
old rivals of the Wing party, and lis old colleagues of
the Democratic party Of Tennessee true to the Union
when il cost some hing to be tue; to the government in
is life struggle against rebellion and Instructions to
free labor and IFS dsnthralment from the incubus of
slavery and 10 that answering line OF duty and devo-
ton TO hard study progressive craftsmanship aud rpen-
inc eypere which have carried him from the hum.
blest 10 the topmost round Of human ambition.