The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-08-11

man has come here tonight for the
purpose indicated, do not say TO
him, let him speak. but let him
shoot r. After pausing for mo-
ment. with his hand on his pistol, he
said: Gentlemen, it appears that
/ have been Inisinformed. i will now
proceed to address you on the sub
ject that has called us together" On
December z, 1857. Mr.. johnson took
his seat in the United States Senate,
to which he had been elected for a
full term by the Legislature of Ten
nessee. Here, as in the lower House,
he persistently urged the passage of
a bill giving 160 acres of the public
land to any citizen who would settle
upon it, and cultivate certain num-
ber OF years; and he was soon recog-
nized as the leading advocate Of that
measure. The bill was finally pass
ed by more than two-thirds vote in
each House; then President Buch-
anan vetoed it, and the veto was
sustained. In 1858, Johnson was
one of the foremost opponents of the
bill introduced by jefferson Davis to
increase the standing army because
of the troubles IN Utah. and offered
substitute which authorized the
raising of 1000 volunteers. to be dis
missed when the trouble was over !:
which was modified so as to author
ize TWO regiments ofeighteen months
men and passed. In 1859 he was
conspicuous in his efforts to secure
the passage of bill to retrehch the
Government expenses. and in his op-
position 10 the Pacific railroad.
On the question of slavery. johnson
as a Southener and Democrat gen.
orally went with his party. He ac-
cepted slavery as an existing insti-
tuition. but believed it would some
day come to an end, and held that
it must be kept subordinate to the
Union at every hazard. He opposed
the compromise measures of 1850,
but finally voted for them. In the
Charleston-BaltimOre Democratic
convention of 1860 he was the Pres.
idential candidate of the Tennessee
delegation. In the canvass which
followed he supported Breckenridge
and Lane, the candidates Of the
ultra Southern wing of his party.
But when the purposes of the lead
ers of that wing became apparent,
and secession was actually introduc-
cd. he took ground against them
and in a speech delivered in the
Senate. Dec. 18th and 10Th set forth
the injustice and folly of the move
ment. and placed himself unreserv-
edly on the side Of the government.
On March 4th' 1862, President Lin
coin nominated Andrew johnson to
be military Governor of Tennessess;
the Senate confirmed the noInina-
tion; and ON the 18th of that month
he reached Nashville and assumed
the duties of the office. The insur-
gent State government had been
moved to Memphis when the Capital
was occupied by national troops.
On March 18th, Gov. johnson issued
a proclamation which recited briefly
the history Of the State, the means
by which it had been placed in hos.
tility to the Federal government the
re-establishment Of the national au-
tLority, and the abdication of the
Governor and dissolution of the Leg
islature; announced his own appoint
ment as military Governor. and his
purpose to fill the State and county
offices by appointment until order
could be restored.
In a speech at Columbus, Ohio,
March 3, he expressed his belief
that slavery would be extinguished
by the war. but declared that the
emancipation proclamation would
not st all affect the question. On
the first Saturday in March, 1854, by
his order elections were held for
State and county offices and the
usual machinery Of civil government
was once more set i'm motion. On
June z. 1864. the Republican con.
vention at Baltimore, having renom-
mated Mr.. Lincoln for the Presiden-
cy, nominated Andrew johnson for
for the Vice Presidency. He accept
ed the nomination i'm long letter,
in which he set forth fully his views
on the questions at issue. On Sep
tember 3Oth, he issued a proclama.
tion ordering an election i'm Tennes-
see for Presidential Electors, and
prescribing a rigid test oath as the
condition of the suffrage. President
Lincoln was assassinated on the
evening of April II, 1S65,and died
the next morning. The members Of
the Cabinet. except Mr.. Seward,
at once addressed a note to Mr..
johnson announcing the fact. and
urging his immediate qualification as
President. Accordingly at 10
O'Clock he took the oath of office, in
the presence of the Chief Justice,
portion of the Cabinet, and several
Congressman, at his room. in
hotel.
President Johnson's reconstruc.
tion policy early met the disapprov-
al of the majority in Congress. In
June. 1866. that body had resolved
that no State should be re-admitted
until it had ratified tue proposed
Fourteenth Amendment to the
Constitution, which made all per-
sons born or naturalized in the
United States citizens thereof and
of the State wherein they resided
and in the session of 1867 it pass
ed acts requiring the elective fran
chise to be granted without distinct
ion Of color in the territories before
they should be admitted as States.
and similarly extending the franchise
in the District OF Columbia. All
these measures met the determined
of President johnson
but his vetoes were regularly over
ridden by the constitutional majori-