Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-07-03
HUGH LAWSON WHITE,
Tennessee Politics Forty five Years
ago.


Hugh L. White was a native of North
Ca rolina, but removed with hif father to
Knox county, Tenn, when he was thirteen
years of age. After receiving liberal
education he studied law and commenced
the practice of lis profession in Knoxville.
In 1901 he was appointed judge of the
supreme court and served until 1907. In
1903 he was sppointet United States
district attorney. In 1909 he was elected
to the State senate. Then again he was
placed on the supreme bench AZ d served
another term of six years. La 1915 he Was
chosen President IF the State BANK OF
Tennessee. In 1890 he was appointed by
President Nj onroe u commissioner to adjust
the claims of ocr citizens against Spain.
In 1925 he was elected to the Unl ed States
Senate to fill the vacancy ocCasioned by
the resignation Of Andrew jackson. He
was rec tected in 1929 and 1889. In all
these high positions he acquitted himself
with great honor, and Was Immensely pop
ular in Tenne see He and General JACK
son had been intimate friends from early
manhood. Up 10 the year 1880 no man
/ stood higher III the confidence Of General
jackson than Judge White. That year
developed the fact that the judge had got
the Presidency in his head and was deter
! mined to run as an independent Candidate.
The General had long been committed to
| Mr.. Van Buren,. and, besides, he was
against any Democrat who would no sub-
nj bis claims to the decision Of a national
convention. Furthermore, he believ ed
hat bis enemi-s had much to do with puts
ting Judge White on the Presidential
track, their object being to divide the
party. John Bell and all his colleagues,
save James K. Polk and Cave Johnson,
| took active part IN bringing W hlte
| forward rs q candidate. l well recOlect
that Bell Was denounced as an enemy to
JacR son in d sguIse, and was working in
the interest of the Wigs. This accounts
for Mr.. Bell S overwhelming defeat for the
| Speakership of the House by James X.
| Polk in December, 1885. Mr.. Bell denied
| tn Sc charges against his fidelity, and
pointed to his votes sus, aiming the Admins
lstration of jackson to prove their talslty.
| At that time there Was 10 Wing party IN
Tennessee. All the leading supporters Of
White urged the people to vote for him on
ths ground that he would be more certain
to carry out the ess entail measures OF Jacks
sons Administration tn N Mr. Van buren,.
Their spec, hes were rich reading in the
light of their future movements. They
carried the State for White" the better
Jackson man" by 00O0 IN -iOrity, and
four ears afterward carried 1t for IL 4rrison
the nom Lee of the W ig party, by l3,t0Ol
1t Was Whites candidacy ana tae pref :
dice excited against Van Buren, during
the Can yass that did the job. If it had not
been for this race Tennessee would have
remained one OF the strongest Democratic
States III the Union.
l snail never forget the speeches made in
that cahvass by deceased friend, Balie
| Pey ton. Tney were admirable spec linens
of stump oratYry. l do not think thai he
ever equalled them afterwards He threw
his whole soul into the support of " b te
| His ridIcue of Mr.. Van Buren, and so ne
of MS prominent supporters was imitable
George w asnIngto Cam pccil then living
in n ashville ard friend TO Mr. Van
Buren,, Was Mr.. Madison's Secretary of the
Treasury in 1914, when the British troops
landed in the vicinity of Bla ensburg, near
w ashi gton, and attacked General Wins
der's raw militia. Peytor sa ! that VIII IN
the fri commenced t . Pr sident and
MS Cabinet got on their hursor and rode
out in that direction. As the firing kept
getting bearer ana nearer " ashlngton,
Mrs Campbell became very uneasy and
stationed negro boy at the door t. look
out for her husband At last the boy
bawled out Lord, Missus, yor der they
come and Massa is ahead of 'em ali"
Judge White resigned his seat in the
senate in 1889 rather than obey the in>
structions Of the legislature. He died in
| lc49 aged s,xty>seyen yeas.