Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-07-21
HAML[N AND JOHNSON

sprung up since the death or Hannl-
bal lIamlin, concerning his defeat for
the candidacy for yice-president by
Andrew Johnson, has not been spec
tally profitable, though it has been
more or less interesting. 1t involves,
or rather evolves, debate as to what
would have been the history of the
country had IIamlin been chosen, and
thus become president at Lincoln'S
death. Or what would have happened
had Lincoln not been assassinated, for
it is believed by many that Mr.. Lin
coin would not have been slain had |
IIamlin lived. The theory Of those |
people is that it was to make johnson
president that Lincoln was killed, be-
cause johnson was a Southern man
from whom the South could expect
something when peace came, on the
hypothesis that "blood is thicker than
water"
1t is difficult, however, to under
stand how the South could have ar
rived at any such belief, since that
section hated Johnson with a cordial
ity that was almost refreshing, while
the death of Mr. Lincoln was sincerely
and deeply deplored by the thinking
people of the South. Horace Maynard,
William G.. BrOwnlOw and Andrew
Johnson, all of them from East Ten
nessee, where their influence
made large majority of the
people of that region UniOnists,
were more fiercely hated than any
other three persons who were loyal to
the government during the civil
war, and johnson, more than
the others, because Of the specially
active part he took in making speeches
through East Tennessee and Kentucky
for the Union, before the war had ac-
tually reached that far west. Thus
the South had no reason to suppose
that Johnson would favor that Sec
ton. In fact his actions would go to
prove the contrary, and to argue That
the South felt assurance of his favor
is not borne out by single fact in his
tory. Afterwards johnson became an
object Of execration in the North as
well as the S nth, but up to the time
of Lincoln's death he was honOred and
esteemed by all Unionists. The peo-
pie of the South regarded him from
the beginning of his Unionist career
as a traitor, witho~t redeeming trait
in his character, and abused him
roundly. Johnson had been honored
greatly by the people of the South,
and yet when they left the Union he
not only refused to go but became
military governor of Tennessee at the
hands of the Republican administers
ton. In this position he was radically
: opposed to the South and won the
esteem of the North by his zeal in
! fighting the rebels. Such course was
not calculated to win the esteem OF
? respect of the South nor did it.
! As regards the controversy between
.
per, and Nicolay, one OF President
Y Lincoln's private secretaries, concern
] ing the question as to whether or not
b Mr. Lincoln favored or opposed Ham
Inns denomination, there is nothing tC
I be gained TO the country or even to
e history, as for that, for the positive
Z facts will probably never be arrived
K at, through such means. 1t is true
e that the controversy has thrown some
r side-lights upon the history of the
| politics Of that day, which are inter
l. esting and yet not satisfactory, fol
C the acrimOny with which the contrO
+ yersy has been conducted has Invested
5 it Of that careful consideration that
. would have been accorded a dignitieC
, discussion. Colonel Mcclure has dc
= liyered some telling blows on the side
! Of Lincoln favoring the nomination Of
0 johnson, and Colonel Nicolay has cor
( roborated most Of his assertions by
+ testimony of contemporaneous wit
y ncsses and there the matter stands $,
:. far as they and their war Of words arr
r concerned.
e The facts seem to be that IIanniba
n IIamlin was the favorite OF the con
+ vention and would have received |
+ denomination but for the eloquence O
d Horace Maynard. The orator in pre-
# sentng the name of Johnson so cleo
+. trifed the convention with his elo
e quence that his arguments wer,
y received with most careful considera
Il tion and changed many votes. Tn,
$ first ballot stood: Johnson, 200; Ham