The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1869-09-18
pion and American.
:asa II isl isiasl.

aea - sifss
Eas sn ~ iIiay morn
went, which, T.; eelining health
e the venerable bi,s'l ssleess-.an for more than
.wo wears past, might have been expected
It any time. A dispatch from Cumber
and Iron Works, shortly after noon yes
terday, which was promptly given in an
extra, brought intelligence that John
Bell died at two O'Clock A. NJ, on that
day. About three weeks since Mr. Bell
became the subject of = fever which as
sumea a typhoid + PC. His nervous sys-
tenn had for some years, been greatly
compelling his retirement from
active pursuits, and under this attack, his
vital powers gave way, and he expired
from suffocation carsed by an accumula-
tion of mucus in the air-passages. Thus
died the {" foremost ma9 that Tennessee
has ever produced, and whose superior
as a statesman, the nation has had few, II
any.
Mr.. Bell was born on farm six miles
south of this city on the 18th of Februa-
ry, 1897. and was consequently IN the
ssysqEydt ct .hiid hs sgSJsiiege uTJS %ASf
under charge of DIR. Priestly (now the
University of Nashville-) His father
vas in moderate circumstances, but made
all effort to give this promising son an ed
ucation. The stock from which he sprung
was of the Scotch Irish-the former in
gredient, from the Bells of Scotland (see
Robertson. the historian predominating.
The combination, however, has given
the American nation some of its first
men. Jackson and Calhoun were of the
He adopted the profession of
law, and was licensed an attorney in the
year of his age aud having
settled at franklin, Williamson county,
was sent the Senate in 1917, before he
was of constitutional age. This term oi
service ended, he withdrew from public
and for ten years, devoted
himself to his profession, in which he ac-
quired large business, and made high
character and extensive popularity. In
1927, he was elected to Congress over
/ elk Gruudy, then in the zenith OF his
fame, and The favorite of Andrew Jack
son, who in the year following was elect
ed President of the United States. This
Was the first of the many famous contests
in Tennessee on the hustings. 1t lasted
a year, and the young champion bore off
&e laurels on every field, and won the
or over Grundy and Jackson
Agres ith national reputa
OF rank in the House
fifte4Rrs after
porter ofOen. ack-
Tas the representa-
hon until that time.
Cp0S "a the Removal of the
DepQs4 " nited States Bank, he
toceF issue With Jackson; and in this
breach, great results were involved.
There it was that Hugh l.. White and
Iol6fBell of Tennessee, and james h.
Polk of Tennessee. and Martin Van Bu-
rem of New York, became the leaders re
spec.igely of the Jackson aud antiJ ack
tie is.:.ss - sud whle p,.Tsss-. Is .l; 3;
existed for twenty years afterwards. Clay
and Webster sided with Bel and White,
ap6ithe great South Caroiinian held aloot
acksou's support, though he was
led as a Democrat In this most
tant political era, John Bell was
the most important man, saYeGen.
RS34, he was elected
nc Of Representatives
Tst arH- only timefE
ht position ever oc-
meiaeeTS.f from the
the - encement
Van Buren's cleo
ovS hite, Harrison, and
|d the~6rganization of the
81; and John Bell was the
nd of the movement, and his
&ySs6en jackson, always so regarded
IN He defeated Gen. Jackson's
Candidate in this Staten 1886, and
again in 1910, aud in 1914 Mr..
Bells career ~ the House of Represen-
tatives, from 1928 to 1871, was brilliant.
He entered it as the representative of the
Hermitage district and the defender of
The Presidents administration; he differed
with and was, from the character CT
Jackson, compelled to defy him, and
hen became the leader of the opposition.
He was chairman of the Indian Affairs
Committee when the removal of the
Jherokees from Georgia was threaten
ng question, and carried it safely
through. He was made chairman Of the
Committee on the Judiciary when the
Force Bill and the question of nullifica-
ion were agitating the country. He
yere a leader in debates on all questions. |
His speeches in favor of the bill to secure |
he freedom of elections in favor of the
reception of abolition petitions, not be-
ause they were anti-slavery, but because |
hey were part and parcel of the great
Petition of Right which our English fore
ather had established, and on all the |
questions arising during the Van Buren, |
administration, are luminous with states |
nanship of the first, order
Mr.. Bell in 1871, was called to Gen. |
1arrison's Cabinet as Secretary of War. |
Webster, Crittenden and Thomas Ewing |
we're members, alkbeing hisseniors. In
of that year, he resigned on
ccount of disagreement with President
ryler, Mr.. Webster of all the Harrison
'abinet remaiug to complete the Ash
'urton treaty. He returned to Tennes-
ee, and in the year following was urged
or vacancy in the United States SEN
tie, but yielded in favor of Ephraim H
Foster. From thistime until 1847, Mr.
Bell was engaged in private pursuits and
II the practice of the law, in Important
auses. He appearedin the latter capac-
~ on several occasions, and his argu-
lents were of that character that made
lwyers regret that he had not given his
reat talents exclusively to the profess
ion. In that year he was made a mem
er Of the House of Representatives of
'canessee, aud was elected to the United
tates Senate in November. The war