The Portland daily press., 1866-09-19
a so,d;.r,. widow to Andrew johnson.

a s,4;o.,s Widow TO Andrew Johnson.
The following reply to one of the President
braooart interrogatories, appears IN the Phlla-
do,nhia Press over an authentic signature, and
needs no further introduction: s..
Ta M. ANDREW johnson, Prcsideat of the Unit
ed States OF An1eficd:t l. ERA4htl -
DEAR SIR:-In the speech delivered by you
at Cleveland, Ohio, on your way to Chicago,
and which, suppose, was reported correctly,
you ask: who made greater sacrifices in the
war than I? Who suffered more than II" SC.
Now, I take for granted that to these questions
you expect from some quarter reply, or you
would not have propounded them. So far as
my knowledge extends, up to this time, no one
has undertaken the task. Therefore, myself,
though but a very humble. woman, scarcely
known beyond the street live in, will venture
to furnish an answer. And whenI have done
so, / will submit to the just Judgment of the
world whether, on the score of "sufferings" and
sacrifices" (if there be nothing else,) your
claims to popular sympathy and support pear
any comparison to mine. ~
Before the rebellion, sir, i had husband,
kind, loving, industrious, economical who for
myself and our four little ones, made comfort
able provision. Our home was the ABODE OF
peace and plenty. What mas become OF MN
he ,cas starred to death at A7,dersoncaLle, and
that by the "chivalric" men whom your poll
icy" would fain restore, without repentance, TO
the head of our Government Since then L
have been trying my best to earn bread TOR my
little ones by plying Me mee h a;i ~ 5l ,ss
1 have even been obliged to stand from early
morn till night, over the tcdshto6l had two
brothers, steady men, kind and generous
Had the rebellion left them as it found them,
pinching poverty should nave never e Anow vi,
posture and want on Belle island, and the 9TH
er had his right arm taken off by rebel shell
at Antietam., He cannot assist me. The .pri-
vations and hardships have had to endure
have so shattered my own health and strength,
that feel, at times, unable even to endure the
fatigue of plying the needle. So that, except
my trust in a nierciful God, have sacrificed
for my country my ALL-husband, brothers,
house, home, living-and am cast, beggar,
on the cold charity of the world? And all this
owe to the Southern shareholders, and to
their Ubiquitous attempt to murder my beloved
country, as they did murder my husband and
my brothers. ii i..,.,..l., II ala, a -
Now, Mr. johnson, since you invite COM
parison, what have you suffered? Exhibit
your scars, and wounds, and bruises Did
you lose leg or an ARM or were yoa even so
much as. scratched or bruised? Where is the
blood yost shed? Would it stain a white cam
brio ocket-handkercbief? How much prop
erty did you lose? q Why, if report speaks
true during most of the time of the war yon
were living on the STAT of the land,' in Nash
vile, out of harms way, protected, as you
were, by Union bayonets. Quito Uncle SANS
OVERLOOKING OOuussdIy rJOICS you view Hlcuty
to eat and to drinE-the best of meats, and,
what was of still more consequence to you,
the choicest of liquors. Add to this your
handsome salary as military governor. Then
the great Union party whom you have since SO
foully betrayed, made you Vice President, with
a salary of $4,000 per annum. Then, to crown
all, John Wilkes Booth made you President
and there you are yet, to the tune of $4,000
year, with Jtrins." The rebellion found you
learn, comparatively q poor man. Now you
are rich, with sound body, not to speak of
your mind, whose soundness is not so certain
I You, Andrew johnson, talk of yoar sacrif-
ces and your sufferings, and challenge q COM
parison. Fie, fie upon you! Why, sir, on that
score, Ought to be Americas Queen, and you
ought to be sweating over the washtub! And
now, sir, are your questions as to who suffered
more than y0a, who sacrificed more than you,
by reason of the war, answered? L did, sir,
and know hundreds of poor women, tossed
from the heights of affiuence into the vale of
penury and want, Who'll have suffered and saeri-
feed ten thousand times more than you, and
are making no ostentatious parade of it either.
Yours respectfully,
n soldiers Widow, and the mother of four
fatherless children. ail- sr.
Philadelphia, Sept,7, 1866. ...4 az