Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-08-14
TO BE CONTINUED.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

| AO0AsAA 1AANAA CAL1OA
of the late Andrew johnson, the most
remarkable man of his time, and the
lastofour ex-Presidents. He possessed
much moral courage, great intellectual
ability and undoubted honesty.
Andrew johnson, the seventeenth
President of the United States, was
born in Raleigh, N g., December %,
1903. His father, Jacob johnson, who
died in 1872, was city constable, sexton
and porter of the State Bank. Ex-
treme poverty prevented Andrew from
receiving any schooling, and at the age
of ten he was apprenticed to Mr.. Selby,
a tailor. A gentleman was in the habit
of visiting the shop and reading to the
workmen, generally from the ''Ameri-
can Speaker" aud Andrew became in
terested, especially in the extracts from
the speeches of Pitt and Fox. He de-
termined to learn to read, and having
done this he devoted his leisure time
to the perusal of such books as he
could obtain. In the summer of 1924,
few months before his apprentice
ship expired, he got into trouble by
throwing stones at an old woman's
house, and ran away to avoid the con-
sequences. He went to Laurens Court
House, s. O., and obtained work as a
journeyman tailor. In May, 1926, he
returned to Raleigh. Mr.. Selby had
removed into the country, and john
son had walked twenty miles to see
him, apologized for his misdemeanor,
and promised to pay him for the un-
fulfilled portion of his apprenticeship.
Selby required security, which John
SON could not furnish, and in Septem-
Der he came to Tennessee bringing
with him his mother who was depend
ent upon him for support. He work
ed for a year at Greenville, during
which time he married, and, after q
vain search for more desirable home
further West, finally settled there.
Thus far, his education had been lin
tied to reading; but now, under his
wife's instruction, he learned TO write
and cipher. Taking an interest in
local politics, he organized in 1923
working mems party, 20 oppose the So
called aristocratic element which had
always ruled the town. Considerable
excitement ensued, and johnson was
elected alderman by large majority.
He was reelected in each of the two
following years, and in 1880 was chosen
mayor, which Office he held three
years. In 1884 the County Court
elected him trustee Of Rhea Acad-
emy, and in that year he was also ac-
tive in securing the adoption of the
new constitution of the State. In the
summer of 1885 he offered himself as
a candidate for q seat in the lower
house of the Legislature, and announc-
ed that he was Democrat. Meeting
with a cool reception from the leaders
of the party, he entered the canvass
personally, and in his first speech made
such vigorous and well-sustained at
tack on the political career of his
Wing opponent, that their opposition
soon ceased, and he was elected. The
most important measure brought before
that Legislature was bill which in
volved the State in a debt of $1,000
600, for vast scheme of internal i'm
provements, consisting chiefly Of mac
adamiaed and turnpike roads. john
son strenuously opposed it. on. the
ground that no such debt should be
incurred until the question had been
submitted to the people. and predicted
that the scheme would only result 10
the squandering Of the money, without
securing the benefits it promised. The
bill became q law, and was so popular
that in the election Of 1887, Mr.. John
son failed to be returned to his seat;
but before the expiration of the next
two years the evils he predicted had
developed themselves many of the
works were abandoned, and some of
the companies had defrauded the State.
In 1889 he was again elected. In the
presidential contest of 1910 he can
vassed East Tennessee in favor Of Mr..
Van Buren, aud was candidate on
the Democratic ticket for elector at
large. In 184l he was elected to the
State Senate, into which be introduced
a judicious measure for internal i'm
provements in the eastern part Of the
State. He was elected to Congress
from the FIRST district in 1913, took his
seat in December Of that year. and held
| it By successive reflections for ten
years. During this time be advocated
the bill refuding the tax imposed on
Gen. Jackson at New Orleans, the an
nexation of Texas, the war with Mex
leo, the tariff Of 1876, and general re-
trenchment in the expenses of the
government. He sustained President
Polk in his acceptance of the parallel
of 40 degrees as settlement of the
| Oregon boundary question, and was
conspicuous in urging the passage ofa
bemestead law. On August 2, 1913,
he delivered an elaborate speech in
favor Of the veto power. In 1853 he
was elected Governor Of Tennessee
over Gustsvus A. Henry, the Wing
candidate, and in 1854 be was re-elect-
ed, oyer Merideth p. Gentry, eandi-
date of the Wings and Know-Noth-
ings. On December z, 1857, Mr..
johnson took his seat in the United
States Senate, to which he had been
elected for full term. Here, as in
the lower house. be persistently urged
the passage Of a bill giving l60 acres of
the public land to any citizen who
would settle upon il and cultivate il q
certain number of years ard be was
soon recognized as the leading advocate
of that measure. The bill was finally
passed by more than q two-thirds vote
IN each house; but President Buchan-
an vetoed it, aad the vote was sustain
ed. In 1853 Mr.. johnson was one OF
the foremost opponents Of the bill in-
troduced by Jefferson Davis to IN
crease the standing army because OF
the troubles in Utah, and offered a
substitute which authorized the rais-