Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/113

 JOHNSON

JOHNSON

ANDbew JOM^SO/^S

lie ran away and settled at Laurens Court House, ^.C, where he worked at his trade until 18'25, He returned to Raleigli and offered to pay Selby for the unexpired term of his indenture, but as no amicable settlement could be arrived at he re- moved with his motlier to Tennessee, and settled in Greene ville in September, 1825. He erected a h W\t' '/*■ little shop and =-l\ \J: hOjM engaged in the [■'i lii^'lmi tailoring busi- .■.,..e:r^iief. ness. He was

^^^^=3r'fVig& married. May

"-wir- Eliza McCar- dle, the daugh- ter of a shoe- PtL^ '1 maker in Lees- burg. She had obtained a good education and to her he was indebted for his education, as at the "time of his marriage he could scarcely read or write. He progressed rapidly with his stud- ies, his business flourished, and in a short while iie was enabled to build liimself a one-story brick house in which he lived during the first Tears of his political successes. In 1828 he was elected one of the aldermen of the town, was re-elected in 1829, and was mayor of the city, 1830-33. He was appointed a trustee of Rhea academy by the county court in 1831, and participated at the meetings of a debating society at Greeneville college. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1834-37, and was again elected in 1839. He supported Hugh L. "Wliite, of Tennessee, for President in 1836, opposing Martin Van Buren; but in 1840 he was a Tan Buren elector. He was a state senator from Greene and Hawkins counties in 1841, and was one of the *' immortal thirteen " Democrats who refused to meet the house in joint convention, thus preventing the Whigs from electing a U.S. sena- tor. He was a Democratic representative from Tennessee in the 28th-32d congresses, 1843-53, his first speech to that body being in support of the resolution to restore to General Jackson the fine imposed upon him at New Orleans. He also sup- ported the annexation of Texas, and defeated the ten per cent, tax on tea and coffee. Although opposed to the Clay compromise, he supported the oompromise measures of 1850, as a matter of ex- pediency. He was elected governor of Tennes- see, Oct. 17, 1853, over Gustavus A. Henry, the Wiiig candidate, and was re-elected in 1855 over Meredith P. Gentry. He was a member of the U.S. senate, 1857-62, and urged the passage uf the homestead bill, and opposed the grant of land for the construction of a Pacific railroad, lie was opposed to secession, and on Dec. 13, 18G0. lie introduced a resolution to amend the constitution &o as to provide for the election of a President and

Vice-President by district votes, senators by a popular vote, and to limit the term of the Federal judges to twelve years. His anti-slavery views made him many enemies in the south, but this loss was more than offset by his increased pop- ularity in the nortli. He was appointed by Pres- ident Lincoln military governor of Tennessee, March 4, 18G2. He urged the holding of Union meetings throughout the state, and it was chiefly due to his efforts that Nasliville was prevented from falling into the Confederate posse.ssion. He raised twenty-five regiments for service in the .state, levied a tax on the wealthy southern sj'uipathizers, to be used in behalf of the families of the poorer Confederate soldiers, and ilid much to strengtiien the Union cause in Tennessee. L'pon the renomination of!Mr. Lincoln Un- Pres- ident, June 6, 1864, Mr. Johnson was nominated for Vice-President, and was inaugurated, March 4, 186.5. On April 14, 1865, President Lincoln was assassinated, and Johnson was immediately sworn in as President by Cliief-Justice Chase, at his quarters in the Kirkwood house, Washington. President Johnson Iield liis first cabinet meeting in the Treasnry building, April 15. 1865, and invited all the members of Mr. Lincoln's cabinet to re- main with him, it being understood that Senator James Harlan would supplant John P. Usher as head of the interior department, and when Secretary Harlan was again elected U.S. senator in 1866, President Johnson appointed Orville H. Browning as his successor in the interior depart- ment. Soon after the close of the civil war. the President declared a special amnesty " to all ex-

THt WHITE HOUSE ,— 184-9-1866.

cept fourteen specified classes of citizens.*' After this proclamation the difference between the President ami the party that had elected him, on the question of the reserved rights of the states, became apparent. He held that the southern states had never been out of the Union; that the state leaders were wholly responsible, and that the Federal government liad no power to refuse the states re-admission. This policj- was directly contrary to the opinion held by the Republican leaders. He also held that the riglit of suffrage to the negroes was a matter of internal regnlation of the individual states and beyond the control of congress. He appointed provisional governors for the seven seceded states, instructing them to