Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-08-22
ANDREW JOHNSON.
A Letter From EX-Secretary
~. McCullOch.

10 the editor OF the Ae1G YORK Ir1O-
une-Sir: / have been panied by motto
ing in the London Times a cable dis
patch announcing the death of Andrew
johnson. 1 hope may be permitted
to offer to his memory a brief tribute
of respect. | knew Mr.. johnson lnti-
mately for four years, and had perhaps
as much Of his confidence as he gave to
any member Of his Cabinet. My i'm.
preston, however, was that his expert
ence as a politician had made him dis
trustful, and that he never gave his
confidence unreservedly to any one out
side Of his own family. This distrust
was one cause Of the unpopularity, not
to say failure, Of his Administration.
Had he eonfided in the leaders OF the
party which brought him into power,
and gone with them, his path
would have been a pleasant onei
or if, discarding them, he
had called to his aid the
leaders of the opposition, with whom,
on most qaes ions, he was in sympathy,
be would have shared with them the
responsibilities of most difficult posi-.
ton. and received a support which he
needed but seemed not to desire. Thus
unconsciouslY, perhaps, distrustful of
his fellOw-men, but conscious of the
rectitude of his intentions, he attempt
ed the impossibility of administering
properly the Government IN the most
trying period of its history without a
party to support him. Distrust was
one of his faults, and in becoming Presi-
dent, not BY the choice of the people,
but by the death of Mr.. Lincoln, and
regarded, on account of his being a
TenDesseean notwithstanding the evi-
dence he had given of his fealty to the
Union), with suspicion by many of the
extreme men of the North, it was per-
haps his greatest fault. Another fault,
and very dangerous Une in a Chief
| Magistrate, was an irresistible pro-
pensity to make speeches and to
/ indulge In invectives unbe-
coming his great Office, and frequently
/ unjust to those whom he attacked, or
against whom he undertook to defend
himself. He never comprehended the
power of silence. Then, too, he was
combative. His whole life, from the
tailor's bench to the Senate, had been
| filed with the conIbats in which he had
been engaged, single handed, with
| powerful Southern aristOcracy bent
upon preventing his political and so
/ CT i advancement. This combativeness
he carried into the Executive Mansion.
1t had become a part of his nature, and
/ he could not rid himself of it. He
seemed never to be happy unless he
had some one to strike at or to de-
nOunce. Such were his faults, and
they were gTeviOus ones IN the highest
officer OF the Government, but great as
they were, they were counterbalanced
by many of the noblest qualities.
He was a man of convictions, and
unalterably true to them. Lacking
quicknCss Of apprehension, he was
slow IN reaching conclusions, but when
he had reached them he adhered to
them with uncOnquerable tenaeity.
No Drawer man, morally or physically,
ever lived. Sensitive 70 pain he pos
sessed an indOmitable viii, that en-
abled him to endure pain without a
murmur. During his occupancy Of
the Executive Mansion he was the vic
tim Of a most painful disease, and al
though his agony was, at times, most
excruciating, it was indicated only by
a slight contraction of the facial mus
cles. said to him one day, upon OBJ
serving this peculiar muscular contrac-
ton, Mr.. President, you are not WELL"
mo" replied he; mo, Mr.. Secretary.
l could not suffer more if an animal
were gnawing at my vitals," and yet
he continued at his work as if IN per-
feet health. He was Of the same ma
terial that martyrs were made of, and
had he lived In their days, and
been sentenced to the stake.
he would have died as they did, without
recanting his opinions, or giving ex-
preston to his agony. A bitter enemy,
be never struck a foe after he consid-
cred him vanIuished. In his family re-
latiOns he was affectionate and indul-
gent; fond of children, he was as gem
tie and kind In his treatment of them
as u woman. Notwithstanding his dis
trust Of men, be was full Of generous
emotions. Never absent from his post,
he was one of the most indefatigible
workers. He was orderly In his habits
and tasteful in his dress, and although |
deprived of the advantage of what is |
called good society in his early life, he |
had the bearing and address Of a gen
tleman. The White House was never
more what the mansion Of the Presi.
dcT ought to be than when it was oc.
cupied by himself and his modest, I'M
~ - Z Nrnk II
plished daughters. Stigmatized |
by his opponents as an in
ebriate, he was not Incorporate in the /
use of liquors. For some six weeks /
after he became President he occupied /
a room opening into mine, In the Treas
ury Department, where saw him every
hour, from In the morning until in
the afternoon, and for nearly four years /
there was not day, both in seasOnable
and unreasonable hours, that l did not
meet him, and although | frequently
saw him under excitement which a
stranger might have regarded as indi.
eating intOxication, never saw him
under the intiunce of liquor. The re-
ports of his inebriety, which were cir
culated broadcast over the country, and
believed perhaps by majority of his
were audaciOus calum-
nies.
Mr.. johnson was a man of vigorous
What he lacked in culture
be made up in robust strength. His
annual messages with the exception
of his tdu1 pas in regard to the pay
ment of the Government bOnds) and
his other messages to Congress are ad-
mitted to have been among the sblest
Of our Executive papers. OF his
patriOtism-his his hearty devotion to
the Union-there can be no question.
He gave illustrative proof of this in
when to be an Outspoken |
Union man was attended with danger
that few men, however brave, dared to
encounter. During the dark days Of
the war his was about the only cheering
voice that came up from the South. l
with what enthusiasm be was
received when he came TO Indiana to re-
buke treason and strengthen the faith
Of the supporters Of the Government
when It's existence was IN peril. He
lived long enough to make friends of
thousands of his enemies, and the vel
come that he received when returned
10 the Senate, of which he had been
for eighteen years conspicuous men,