The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-08-11
ANDREW JOHNSON.
A Sketch Of His Life and PO1it-
icaI Career.

Inc lOliOWinS ~ ShcgCu oA All
drew Johnson's life and political ca.
reer:
Andrew johnson, seventeenth Pres
ident Of the United States, was born
in Raleigh. North Carolina, Deeem.
Der 29, 1903. His father, Jacob
johnson. who died in 1912, was City
Constable. sexton, and porter of the
State Bank. Extreme poverty pre-.
vented Andrew johnson from receiv.
ing any schooling. and. at the age OF
ten, he was apprenticed to Mr.. Sci
by, tailor. A gentleman was in
the habit of visiting the shop. and
reading to the workmen, generally
from THE American Speaker !" and
Andrew became intensely interested,
especially in the EXTRACTS from the
speeches of Pitt and Fox. He de-
termined to learn to read, and hav-
ing done this, he devoted all his leis-
ure to the perusal OF such books as
he could obtain. In the summer of
1924. a few months before his ap-
premiership expired, he got into
trouble by throwing stones at an old
woman's house, and ran away to
avoid the consequences. He went to
Laurens Courthouse, South Caro-
lima, and obtained work as Journey
man tailor. In May, 1926. lie re-
turned to Raleigh. Mr.. Selby had
moved into the country. and john
son walked twenty miles to see him,
apologized for his misdemeanor, and
promised to pay him for the unful-
filed portion of his apprenticeship.
Selby required security, which John.
son could not furnish; and in Sep
tember he went to Tennessee, taking
with him his mother, who was de-
pendent upon him for support. He
worked for a year at Greeneville,
during which time he married, and
after vain search for more desir
able home further West, finally set
tied there. Thus far his education
had been limited to reading but
now under his wife's Instructions s.
he learned to write and cipher. TAX
ing an interest in local politics, he
organized, in 1928, workingmen's
party, to oppose the so-called aristo-
cratic, which had always ruled the
town. Considerable excitement en-
sued, and johnson was elected Al
derman by a large majority. lie was
re elected i'm each Of the two follow
ing years. and in 1880 was chosen
Mayor, which office he held three
years. During q portion of this
time he was prominent in debat-
ing society formed by some young
men of the neighborhood and stu
dents of Greeneville College. One
of the students says: On approach
ing the village, there stood on the
hill 10y the highway a solitary little
house, perhaps 10 feet square. We
invariably entered when passing. 1t
contained a bed, two or three stools,
and tailor's platform. Here we
delighted TO stop, because one lived
here, whom we knew outside of
school, and made us welcome; one
who would amuse us by his social
good nature. taking more than ordi-
nary interest in catering to our pleas
ure. In 1884, the County Court
elected johnson a trustee of Rhea
Academy; and iir that year he was
also active in securing the adoption
of the new Constitution of the State.
In the summer of 1885 he offered
himself as candidate for a seat in
the lower house of the Legislature,
and announced that he was Demo-
crat. Meeting with a cool reception.
from the leaders Of that party. he en-.
tered the canvass personally, and i'm
his first speech, made such a vigor-
oas and well-sustained attack on the
political career of his Whig oppo-
nent, that their opposition soon eeas-
ed and he was elected. The most
important measure brought before
that Legislature was a bill which in
volved the State in a debt of 81, ,000..
900. for a vast scheme of internal
improvements, consisting chiefly of
macadamized and turnpike roads.
Johnson 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 on.
ly result in a sQuandering of the
money, without securing the benefits
it promised. The bill became law,
and was so popular that in the elec-
tion Of 1887. johnson failed to be re-
turned to his seat. But before the
expiration of the next two years, the
evils he predicted had developed
many of the works were
and some of the compa-
nies 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.. IAN Buren,, aud was a candidate
on tie Democratic ticket for elector
at large. In 184I, he was elected to
the State Senate. into which he in
troduced q judicious measure for in
ternal improvements in the eastern
part of the State. He was elected
to Congress from the First District
of Tennessee in 1843, took his seat
in December of that year, and held
it by successive reflections for ten
years. During this time he advo-
Gated the bill refunding the tax i'm
posed on Gen. jackson at New Or
leans, the annexation of Texas, the
war with Mexico, the tariff of 1916,
and general retrenchlnent ia the ex-
penses of the Government. He sus-
tanned President Polk In his accept
ance Of the parallel Of 49 deg. as
settlement of the Oregon boundary
question. and was conspicuous in /
urging the passage OF 3 homestead
Law. On August 2. lS47, lie deliv-
cred an elaborate speech in favor of
the veto power. In 1858 he was