The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-08-02
Death of Andrew johnson.

On Saturday morning, July 81, in Carter
County, Tennessee, Andrew johnson, the sew
enteenth President of the United States. died
quite suddenly. He was at the time visiting
his daughter. On the Wednesday evening pre-
vious he was stricken with paralysis, from
which he partially rallied, but soon a change
for the worse came, and he sank gradually to
the time of his death.
This most remarkable man was born in Raj
eigh, North Carolina, Dec. %, 1908, and conse-
quently was in his 9th year. He belonged to
the class known as the poor whites. His father
lost his life when the boy was but four years of
age, while attempting to rescue drowning
man. In early life he knew nothing but that
poverty and privation which the system of sla-
very consigned the class to which he belonged.
When ten years of age, he was apprentced to
tailor in st. Laurens Court, House, s. c.,
where after an apprenticeship of seven years,
he was employed as a journeyman until 1926,
when he went westward with his mother and
settled in Greenfield, Tenn. He never had a
days schooling The free school system which
has afforded so many thousands of poor boys in
the North the means of obtaining the rudi-
ments of an English education was not an in
stitution which the slave oligarchy thought fit
to establish. In his early years, however, he
learned to read, and while he was journey
man he spent his spare hours in reading and
studying the best English books obtainable.
Shortly after reaching Greenfield he was mar
ried, when his wife, who had had some educa-
tional advantages, became his teacher and in
structed him in writing, arithmetic and some
of the higher branches. His application and
great natural powers soon made him so con.
spicuous in that new country, that he became
leading man in public affairs. In 1929 he
was elected one of the aldermen of Greenfield.
In 1881 he was elected Mayor and served three
years. In 1886 he was first electedito the state
legislature, but was defeated in 1887. In 1889
he was again elected. In 1910 be was an cleo
tor on the Democratic presidential ticket. In
1S41 he was elected to the state senate. In
1843 he was elected to the national House of
Representatives, where he remained until 1858.
In Congress he made able speeches and was an
influential advocate of the annexation of Tex
as, the tariff of 1876, the war measures Of
Polks administration, the Homestead bill, &C.,
&c. He was Governor of Tennessee during
the years 1858 81 inclusive, and from 81 to '63
was in the United States Senate. From the
very first he was hearty and eager, energetic
opponent of secession, and he was always by
word, by hand and by influence supporter of
the national government during the early years
of the rebellion. In 1862 he was appointed
military governor of Tennessee by President
Lincoln. The career of Mr.. johnson in this
position is worthy of special notice. He held a
difficult office and occupied not very enyiable
position. The state had seeded, Gov Isham
Harris had issued his proclamation, and the
position of Union man was very dangerous,
and his tenure of life very uncertain unless he
retracted. The outrages that were then COM
mitted on loyal citizens were infamous, aud in
many cases brutal, and among the victims of
secession hatred were Mr.. Johnson's immed-
ate family. Yet he stood firm, and when els.
waited by the President to the highest civil and
semi-military position in the state, that of Mil
itary Governor, his lenieDcy towards those who
had bitterly wronged him and his, and the
conciliatory measures adopted by him, won
praise on all sides. He ruled firmly but wise.
ly; he had the fullest confidence of the military
generals, and he became the firm friend, as he
was the most judicious adviser, of the colored
race. As Military Governor of his own state
he achieved success and won a reputation,
the more remarkable from the fact that he had
warm friends and bitter enemies on both sides.
On the 9Th Of March, 1869, he retired from
public life and returned to Tennessee. There
be soon came to participate in the discussion OF
public affairs. and made frequent and bitter
speeches. He made several attempts to gel
into Congress but failed until January 26, 1875
when on the 55th ballot the Tennessee Legisla