Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-06-01
MARTIN LITTLETON
is ORATOR OF DAY
NEW YORKER SPEAKS IN TERMS
OF HIGHEST EuLoeY OF PREsl-
DENT TRIED ON IMPEACHMENT
CHARGES.

rounding the national cemetery, which
for the past forty years, has served
as the resting place for the body of
Andrew Johnson, the seventeenth
president of the United States, thou
sands of the descendants of his old
time neighbors and friends in East
Tennessee today took advantage Of
| the first memorial celebration since
cemetery into national institution to
do honor to the memory of the for
mer distinguished citizen by organic
| ing the Andrew Johnson Memorial as
sociation.
The people came from all portions
of the vast and picturesque east Ten
nessee country, and while most OF
them were of the present day genera
ton, there were some old timers VINO
boasted of having known the Tennes-
see commoner in his day, and who
spoke of the fact with much pride
The orator of the occasion, Martin w.
lLittleton, came all the way from New
i York to speak in terms of highest
eulogy of the one president who, dur
ing hts term Of Office was tried on Inn
| peachmenr charges.
LittIeton Native of Tennessee.
Mr.. Littleton is native of east Ten
nessee, and he expressed high appre-
citation Of the. honor conferred upon
him in making him the orator Of the
occasion. He reviewed at great
| length the life of the distinguishe |
men in whose honor the people han
assembled, and predicted that the day
would come when the entire country
would be pleased to do homage to the
memory of Andrew Johnson.
The place at which the celebration
was held was on the edge of the city
burial places, which, year or two
ago, was purchased by the govern
ment and has since been made into a
national cemetery. 1t is a beautiful
spot just outside of the town in which,
for several years in his early life, Mr..
| Johnson worked as tailor. It is
splendidly cared for and commands a
fine view Of the mountain range which
separates Mr.. Johnson's adopted state
from North Carolina, the state IN
which he was born! Many visitors
came from the outside, and the resi-.
dents found especial pleasure in point.
ing out the still preserved sign OF
/ |"Andrew Johnson, Tailor" which con
tinues to decorate one of the humblest
buildings here. The people also man
| ifested much pride in the fact. tina,
effort to forcibly eject Mr.. Johnson
from the White House, the privare
cemetery in which he Is buried, is the
first of such cemeteries to be given a
national character by congress.
Prominent People Present.
Among those present and participa;
ing in the proceedings was Hon. Wal
ter P. Brownlow, member of con
gress from this district, himself {
near relative of the late Parson Brown
low, Mr.. Johnson's most distinguished
compeer. Mr.. Brownlow was largel,
responsible for the creation of the
national cemetery, and while he OF
cupied no assigned part on today't
} program was by common consent
awarded a position of general promin
ence.
In addition to Mr.. Littleton's
speech, the program consisted of tht
! singing of America" and the "Stal
Spangled Banner" by choir of 20(
J voices; an invocation by Rev. John
Eakin, and the introduction of Mr. Lit
| tleton by Hon. James G. Park, clos
ing with the organization of the M.
mortal association. There was not
able orchestra in attendance, severa
members of which were old-time fid
dlers, who had furnished music at, tht
political gatherings during the not
able Johnson-Gentry campaign 70
governor before the civil war. Man,
of them were in reminiscent mood
and between tunes manifested grea
willingness to entertain visitors will
: stories of the dim and distant past.
Altogether 1t was memorable da,
for Greenville, and visitors general,
voted that they had been well enter
: tanned.