Evening journal., 1911-12-20
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Story Of Ambition and
the Presidency
By Holland.

" T.
an Englishman, Alfred Johnston, by
name, with his little family, consist
ing Of a wife and two children. He had
purchased "A considerable tract of land
in Utica, which at that time was the
most remote consider able settlement
In central New York Beyond was
nearly all wilderness.
Mr.. Johnston became an influential
citizen and he had many business deal
ings with Judge Peter Smith, who was
the father Of Gerrit Smith, the noted
abolitionist Judge Smith aftreward
came into possession of large tracts Of
land some miles distant from Utica,
and, having begun to develop the prop
erty, founded town which in honor Of
him was named Petersboro. These
lands were the source Of the fortune
which afterward made it possible for
Gerrit Smith to be enumerated among
the few millionaires of the nation in
his day.
Mr.. Johnson and Judge Smith were
accustomed to- visit back and forth
One day Mr.. Johnston said to his son,
then a lad about ten years of age, that
he would take him to Judge Smith
house, and while he and Judge Smith
were talking about some business mat
ters he could play with Judge Smith s
son, Gerrit AS soon as they met, the
youngsters took" to each other, and
while the two fathers sat upon the pi-
azza of Judge Smiths house their sons
frolicked on the lawn in front of the
house. They were of about the same
age, of equal height and strength and
of abundant animal spirits.
After the business consultation was
ended the two fathers watched their
! frolicking sons. Mr.. Johnston said
Judge Smith, your boy and my boy
ought to become the leading citizens
of this town They ought to take Il
prominent part in public affairs. They
ought to be associated in business
am certain both will make successful
careers and be equally successful"
We'll, Mr.. Johnston Judge Smith
replied, Il agree with you in much
that you have said; but there is one
thing In which my son will have an
advantage over yours. and it is an ad-
vantage which can never be taken
away from him.
"Why, what is that?' Mr. Johnston
asked.
1T is this; my son can be President
OF the United States, and if | live long
enough ] expect to see him elected
President. Your son can never become
President of the United States"
Il should like to know why not, %
MIR. Johnston said.
Because he was born i'm England
and you were. at the time Of hls birth,
an English citizen. No one but a ma
tive-born citizen of the United States
can be elected President"
Mr.. Johnston appeared to be a good
deal disturbed by this statement, not
ever having heard that no one of for
eign birth could become President of
the United States At last he said:
well, Judge Smith, my son may
never be President, but / have a pre-
monition that he will get nearer the
Presidency than your son will ever be
able to do"
The two men parted in friendship
and on their way home Mr.. Johnston
narrated TO his son what Judge Smith
! had said Many = time after that the
( boy said to his father: Its going to
be exactly as you said father; I'll get
nearer to the Presidency than Gerrit
/ Smith ever will"
Some twenty years after the Johns
| ton boy, then recognized as an able
business man, whose name is still re-
membered in central New York-Al-
] fred b. Johnston having met Gerrit
Smith one day, said to him:
1T is going to be just as my father
predicted. | am going TO get nearer the
! Presidency than you ever will
u hope you will" Mr.. Johnston, "but
! should be glad to have you tell me
how"
well, the fact is, I am engaged
to be married to Sarah Adams. She
is a granddaughter of John Adams,
and she is niece Of another Presi-
dent, John Quincy Adams; and by this
marriage ! shall get into the family of
two presidents Of the United States.
And that is nearer the Presidency than
you will ever get
And it was as Mr. Johnston said: he
married the granddaughter of one
| President and the niece of another,
while the nearest Gerrit Smith ever
came to a President was the moment
when he, with Horace Greeley, signed
the bail bond by which Jefferson Davis
was released from Imprisonment at
| Fortress Monroe.
Copyright. 1911. by f. J. Edwards
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell OF
"An Afternoon With the Lord Chief
Justice OF England"
]