Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-11
nEATH or InHN RELL.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER II. IS69.
) e go
DEATH OF JOHN BELL.
An announcement in Thursday morn
ius's issue prepared the public for an
/ event, which, from the declining health of
q the venerable statesman for more than two
years past, might have been expected at
any time. A dispatch from Cumberland
Iron Works, shortly after noon yesterday,
: which was promptly given in an extra,
brought Intelligence that John Bell died
( at 2 o'clock A. n. on that day. About
> three weeks since Mr.. Bell became the
Z subject Of fever which assumed q ty%
phoid type. His nervous system had
for some years, been greatly weakened,
: compelling his retirement from active
: pursuits, and under this attack, his vital
powers gave way, and he expired from suf-
q location caused by an accumulation Of mu'
{ Gus in the sir-passsges. Thus died the
: foremost man" that Tennessee has ever
{ produced, and whose superior az q states
! man, the nation has had few, If any:
AIr. Bell was born on a farm six miles
s south Of this city on the 18th of February,
1877, and was consequently in the seventy
3 third year OF his age. lie was educated
: at Cumberland College, then under charge
+ of DR.. -Priesuy (now the University of
: Nashville). His father was in moderate
8 circumstances, but made An effort to give
4 this promising son an education. The stock
{ from which he sprung was Of the Scotch
3 Irish-the former ingredient, from the
= Bells of Scotland (see Robertson, the HE
torian,) predominating. The combination,
3 however, has given the American nation
some Of its FIRST men. Jackson and Cal-
: houn were of the number. BE adopted
{ the profession of the law, and was licensed
an attorney in the nineteenth year of his
& age, and having settled at Franklin, Viii
9 Hanson county, was sent to the Senate in
8 1917, before he was of constitutional age.
= This term of service ended, be withdrew
9 from public employment and for ten
years, devoted himself TO his profession,
$ ia which he acquired large business, and
S made high character and extensive popu-
3 larity. In 1927, he was elected TO Con-
) gress ever Felix Grundy, then in the
zenith Of his fame, and the favorite of An
drew Jackson, who in the year following
& was elected President of the United States.
This was the first of the many famous con-
tests in Tennessee on the hastings. 1t
lasted year, and the young champion
bore # the laurels on every field, and won
: the fight.
The victor over Gruody and Jackson
: entered Congress with national reputs-
3 lion, and was 3 man of rank in the House
g Of Representatives for fifteen years after
q wards. He was a supporter Of Gen. Jack
son until 1888, and was the representa-
81 tive Of the administration until that time.
IA Upon the question Of the Removal of the
81 Deposits of the United States Bank, he
took issue with Jackson; and in this breach
Il
81 that Hugh L. White and John Bell
q of Tennessee, and James X. Polk
81 of Tennessee and Martin Van Buren, Of
g New York, became the leaders respectively
3 of the Jackson and anti-Jackson party,
8 which subsequently became The Demo
g cratic and Wing parties, as they existed
for twenty years afterwards. Clay and
g Webster sided with Bell and White, and
81 the great South Carolinian held aloof from
: Jackson's support, though he was regarded
s. as q Democrat. Ia this most important
political era, John Bell was really the
most important man, save Gen. Jackson.
q In 1884, he was elected Speaker of
the House Of Representatives over
q Mr.. Polk, the fest and only time
3 in which a contest for that position
81 ever occurred between two members,
z from the same State. II was The com
mencement Of the opposition to Van Bu-
n rsns election in 1886 over White, HarIi-
81 FOL, and Webster, and the organization Of
IS the Wing party; and John Bell was the
s. master mind Of the movement, and his
q rival, Gen. jackson, always 90 regarded
81 him. lie defeated Gez. Jackson's candi"
81 date in this State in 1886, and again in
81 1910, and in 1874. Mr.. Bells career in
q the House Of Representatives, from 1928
81 to 1871, was brilliant He entered it
= as The representative of the Hermitage
81 dirtricl and the defender Of the Presidents
& administration; he differed with and was,
8 from the character Of jackson, compelled
81 10 dgfy him, and then became the leader
81 of the opposition. He was chairman of
81 the Indian Affairs Committee when the
e removal Of the Cherokees from Georgia
was d threatening question, and carried it
81 safely through. He was made chairman
81 Of the Committee on the Judiciary when
s. the Force Bill and the question
y of notification we're agitating the
s. country. He were leader
s in debates on all questions. His speeches in
s favor of the bill 10 secure the freedom of
s elections; in favor Of the reception Of alb
& clifton petitions, not because they were
anti slavery, but because they were part
s and parcel Of the great Petition Of Right
5 which our English forefathers had e3tab
lished, and on all the questions arising
s during the Van Buren, administration,
3 are luminous with craftsmanship of the
I frs! order.
Mr.. Bell in lE4I, was called to Gen.
Harriscn's Cabinet "a Secretary Of War.
Webster, Critlenden and Thomas Ewing
were members, all being his seniors. 10
Sep of that year, he resigned on
account OF disagreement with President
Tyler, Mr.. Webster of all The Harrison
! Cabinet remaining TO complete the Ash-
burton treaty. lie returned to Tennessee,
and in the year following was urged for
a vacancy in the United States Senate, but
yielded in favor of Ephraim IL
Foster. From this time until
1917, Mr.. Bell was engaged in private
pursuits and in the practice Of the law, in
important causes. He appeared in the
latter capacity On several occasions, and
his arguments were Of that charac-
ter that made lawyers regret that
he had not given his great talents |
exclusively to the profession. In that |
year he WAS made member of the House |