The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-08-16
TIE LATE ANDREW JOHNSON.
sketch OF hi. Eurly Life md Public Career

Sketch Of his Enrly Life md Public Career.
Andrew Johnson, seventeenth Presi.
dent of the United States, whose death
is announced, was bornin Raleigh, n. c.,
December 80, 1903. His father, Jacob
johnson, who died in 1872, was CITY COLI
stable, sexton, and porter of tho State
bank. Extreme poverty prevented An
drow from obtaining my schooling, md
at the age of ten he WIS apprenticed to n
tailor named Sclby. A gentleman was
i'll tho habit OF visiting tho shop md
reading to tho workmen, generally from
tho "Amcrican Speaker and Andrew
became intensely interested, especially
i'll the extracts from the speeches of Pitt
and Fox. He determined to learn to
read, and having accomplished this he
devoted NIL his leisure hours to the
perusl OF such books rs he could obtain.
In tho summer Of 1924, few months
before his apprenticeship expired, he
got into trouble by throwing stones at
M old woman's house, aud RIM away to
avoid the consequences. Ho went to
Lalrcns Court House, N. c., and OBJ
taincd work as iourueyman tailor. In
May, lS2G, he returned to Raleigh.
Selby had moved into the country, and
Andrew walked twenty miles to SEQ him,
apologized for his misdemeanor. and
promised to pay him for the unfulGllel
portion OF his apprenticeship. Selby,
however, required security, which
Andrew could not furnish and in Sep.
tembcr he went to Tennessee, taking
with him his mother, who was dependent
on him for support. lie worked for fl
year III Grcenville, during which time he
married, and, after vain search for n
more desirable home further West, he
finally settled there. .'.
Thus fur his education Ind boon lin
lied to reNdiug, but now, under his
wifo's instruction, he learned to write and
cipher. lie began to take M interest in
local politics; and in 1928 n working.
mans party, to oppose the so.calleu
arlstocrntic clement which had ALWAYS
ruled tho town, was formed Consider.
able excitement ensued, and johnson
was elected alderman by n large major.
ity. He was reelected III each of the
two following years, and in 1880 was
elected mayor, which Office hc held for
three years. From this time forth bo
was n rising politician, and, rs he used
to boast, rose by successive steps from
tho lowest to the highest Offices of
State; his various contests and cam.
paigns being marked with extraordinary
turbulence, obstiuacy, and coumgo on
his part.
He WIS elected to Congress in 1873
and became Governor Of the State nj
Tennessee i'll 1853, and again in 1856
He was elected United States Senator in
1857. Hc was Democrat, and on the
question Of slavery generally went with
his party. He accepted slavery MS an
existing institution, but believed that n
must some day como to m end, and held
TINT it must bo kept subordinate to the
Union Mt every hazard. He ut first Oh.
posed the compromise measures of 1850
but finally voted for them. In tho cam.
paign of 1860 he supported Breckenridge
and Lane.
Tho Legislature having voted tho State,
OF Tennessee out Of tho Union, on March
4, 1862, President Lincoln renomipated
Andrew johnson to be military governor
Of Tennessee. The Senate confirmed thc
nomination, and on tho 18th Of that
month ho reached Nashville and ass,rn.
cd tho duties Of the Office.
His election ms Vice. President on the
ticket with Mr.. Lincoln, tho melancholy
death Of tho latter five weeks after hiIs
second inauguration, the accession of
Mr.. johnson to the Presidency, and the
difficulties between himself and Con-
gress while holding that Office, will be
well remembered by NIL WHO have taken
any interest in the politics of recent
years. Finally, articles of impeachm( nj
were prepared against him, and his trinl
began March %, 1868, benjamin n
Butler being leading counsel for Tic