Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-08-25
Andrew Johnson.


From lIarpcrs WeeklyJ
There has been "a general tribute to the
sincerity and the force of will of Andrew
johnson, and an equally general express
ion of feeling that he died at happy mo-
ment for himself The former is praise |
which is subject to very serious qualifica- |
tons, and the truth of the latter remark |.
would have been more striking had he died |
before Mr.. Lincoln That Mr.. johnson !
was honest in the sense that he made no
money illictly from his connection with !
politics is objectionable But the prac-
teal value of sincerity is to be determined
by the nature Of the conviction which is !
sincerely held. 1t makes great difference
whether we think man sincerely right or
sincerely wrong. TOrquemada was prOba-
bly, Us sincere as Feleon, and Queen Mary
rs sincere as Hooper and Ridley. Mr..
johnson was as sincere in vetoing the Civil
Rights Bill as he would have been in going
to Ohio rs ha is said to have intended to
advocate initiation. 1t is a serious wrong
to aCCustOm ourselves to speak of every
pupiC man when he dies rs If he were an
admirable historic character. Mr.. johnson
was not man of lofty life or Of high intel
ligence Or ability. That he became Presi-
utlII Is no tNlutltt lIhL ne WIS III any Stllet
great man, unless the same fact establish
es the greatness Of Tyler, Polk, Fillmore,
Pierce, and Buchanan, some of whom were
elected President, rs Mr.. johnson was not.
His opposition 10 the secession movement
was courageous, like that Of BrownlOw
and other | Mon men Of the Border States,
and it was the more effective because he
was "a Democrat But he had never been
recognized as q leader by the Democratic
81
his hostility had, therefore, some faint of
personal feeling.
Mr.. johnson was nominated with Mr.
Lincoln in 1864, not because he was man
of great ability, or high character, or iIlus-
tTiOus public service or Of commanding
rcputatiOn-tOr very little was personally
known of him-but because he was con-
spiCious Border State man, a Democratic
Senator who had not betrayed his country
and an old supporter Of slavery. The Re
publiCans had become "A Union party, and
his nomination was intended to be the
proof of it, 1t was "a mistake, as such eX-
pedients at such times usually are. The
election turned wholly upon the question
of national existence, ard il would have
had precisely the same result had Mr. Ham
! lin been rcnOminated. The death Of Mr.
! Lincoln threw Mr. johnson into position
! in which the Republican national party
would never have thought of placing him.
/ and he more than any person or thing was
/ the cause of the confusion and perpleXity
that have attended reconstruction. A soon
as he mad ceased terrifying the country with
az L. -, " ~ u ~ @ l
80 u pm ~ 80 80, " W.
10y III ar i,ro,r.
,'u' "l'.' IN
W. u VIZ la'
y, ,,,hi pI "l,G
49,, Ii v,'U d LAY,
10 ,,ri,n; ana S,jrit ,SSbii% IS,l ~
ti ~ lrI '.' ~ a.
III . ,'; i,,,S' S'.t III.
, 7 WI, - Wv w. Icy
- r,. %, "'r.' 49,. ,'I az ~ Wv.
'''' ,-I
i, Iit"II III
~, y" ,. VI
ms 80 .7, ~ va " 81 I"S ,-.' IT,
| % , ''',, ~. , H., D., %,,s s',.
q. = ~ Ill.,. 9ii,''~ ~
~, .g o,'S ,'' .I , i.fol'
''.. ~ "g.',5 '''o ",C"
..I i''','',.g WE
Nv ''. - Ia 'u - ~. NO. " an"
- r.r .' ...1 nv '.'
49,. .,..,r mai, ~ -: .... -
Wv" 81. n.....' '". '''''D' '-'' P'' i.' '"'''
- .l ,-.- w. ',-.. Icy. .-s
~ VI. a.
~, .,'' - .'.,,. " w.
". ''' vac ""9 ~ 'n pi > va ~ J."
s"- w. .....' i''.., W, I''i'1"'' I"g i o'1
az " n'''nou''Gt" 10 'ut uL"!S VI
va ~. ..'',. u. pa, '''I. ~
Ivy d.. -.' ~ Guo'I' .I'S 49,
I.'. ...t, ''S r"l ". .' uigT
81 w., ,,.., ,.., b,I IN IL, "a
~ ~, ga. 80 "a" 80 ~
,-.,.,.1 - Tga ,-,,.a ~ a., ,,.,.