that you had not forgotten me, to receive a letter from one that I Can Call an associate and friend for truth, at all times a source of peculiar pride.

If

"you seem to be very much elated at the result of the late presidential election. I have no cause to despare as yet. vanburen would have been my second Choice. he administers the Government as I trust he will & as he has promised, I have nothing to fear. I am more than gratified that the people has settled the question themselves & thereby prevented the election from going to the house of Representatives. I hope we have had the last president made by the house of Representatives. The president should at all times be made by the people and I would prefer an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to that effect so as the people would vote directly for president and vice president.

"In your letter you Count up something like six districts that gave majorities for Mr. V. B. (Van Buren) which would have, under the old district mode of choosing electors, have entitled him to six votes, but by the present mode of Choosing electors he Is possessed (?) of every vote in the state. the general ticket system, as called, I have always opposed to, four years ago when first adopted to secure the entire vote for Mr. V. B. I then believed It to be rong I still think so for I honestly think It violates one of the purest republican principles, and you know I opposed the passage of the Bill by the last legislature (Yet anxious secure every vote for White possible upon fare principles) I think every district should have It In their power to vote for who they pease If it split the State into fifteen thousand parts. I have nothing of importance to write. I may now Consider you as a Candidate for re election to the State Legislature.

"Allthoughh we differ In opinions as to men I think we harmonize In prinCaple And the Idea of your being sustained upon Republican prinCaples Is more than gratifying

to me, May you stand be firm & your Course onwards, for the honest and persevering will always be Crowned with success & I trust you will not faulter & tarry by the way until you reach that proud pinnacle of fame which is your ultimate destiny. I say this not by way of flatery to you, for I have nothing to gain by it—When we parted in Nashville I told you if I ConCluded to Run again for the legislature I would write and let you know. I have not determined as yet whether I will again enter the political arena or not. I am in Clined to think not. A political life is a difficult one, and my pecuniary matters does not permit of my negleCt of my buisiness All to gether My family is young Just Coming up & I must try and save something for a rainy day-and If I keep dabling in politics I shall lose my business & spend what little I have all Ready made. When I think about becoming a Candidate again I see the difficulties I have had & still have to Contend with. I feal as though I had fastened to each extremity a fifty six and to advance further is Impossible apparently at this time. If I should become a Candidate I shall have formadable opposition to Contend with. I am InClined to think theire will be two Candidates run, One In the upper & one in the lower County then by creating a division at home giving the Candidate In the upper County double Chances. How this may turn out I Cant tell as yet. these are the sirmises of my friends. My friends are sanguine of success If I Run again, I donte like to be tanted too much by my enemies. I would Rather die In the last ditch than to be scared off the track, but If let alone I will Retire for the present, the great obgect will be my defeat the next Canvass beleeving if I am defeated I will be out of the way here after. If I Run I shall have the Rail Road and Vanburen to carry. It Is true there are some of both these parties that will support me, but the Redd hot will not. A grat many of friends want me to Run for the Senate against Braly of

Hawkins which would be no trouble My feelings are if I Run to Run over the old traCt. You will write me when you be Come Candidate & the organnsation of parties In your County. I will Conclude this In Coherent sCrowl You must pardon the many blunders, you Know the difficulties that the subscribed has labored under. enough said You will plase give my best respects to Col. Robertson to H & B Douglass my old friends,

"Nothing at this time But If I know the undesembled fealings of my own heart I Remain your friend and well wisher, A. JOHNSON.

"Hon,, Go JONES."

The superscription on this letter reads: "The,, Hon,, Geo. Jones Esq Fayettville LinColn County West teennssee (single)."

“GREENVILLE February 13th 1843.
(Private.)

"FRIEND JONES,-I received your letter of the 31st of Janary after a passage of 12 days and by the same mail I received the Knoxville Argus and Nashville Union, containing an account of a public meeting recently held Marshall County, which meeting I see was addressed by Polk, Nicholson and yourself. Which afforded me great pleasure to find that you had again begun to make some moves upon the chequer board of politics. Lincoln owes you a seat in Congress or anywhere else if you desire it, and as to having it in my power to meet you in the Congress of the United States, would be a source of deep satisfaction. I am now a Candidate to represent this district in the United States Congress, subject however to a Convention honestly gotten up, purely Conducted, and truly reflecting the will of the democratic party-Col McCleland it is understood wants to run, who has a large connection in the district, my relations are sCarCe you know and have to

rely on main strength and nothing else, what the result will be I can not tell certainly, there is one thing that is certain, that is, the common people by a large majority are for me. Ever since the bill passed laying the State off into Congressional districts, I had but one opinion in relation to you, Senator, and that was, that you were the man that ought to Represent it. I do believe and say it without flattery that you are the honest democrat in the State without exception. There are too many in our ranks that Cant and prate a great deal about democracy that really does not understand one thing about it, and too many of those that do preach one thing to the people and then act out a very different set of principles, We have had too many wolves in sheeps clothing among us for our good-Sir will you permit me to say one thing to you, and that is, press your claims, tell your friends, that you are anxious to serve them, it will not do to be reserved in these days, from all the information that I can learn directly or inderectly you are the choice of a large majority of the people-and if you submit your Claims to a Convention, do it as the last resort, and if then, be sure that the Convention be organized on such principles as will certainly and truly reflect the will of the democratic party. If I was to give an opinion at all it would be (that is, if you intend to submit to a Convention) to declare yourself a candidate for Congress subject to the dicission of a Convention if necessary. You will then have the advantage of having the field first, and if Hop, or any body else is dissatisfied with you, they will have all the trouble and responsibility of getting up a Convention, which will appear to your friends as though the intention is to rule you off, which will make you still stronger-As to Hopkins L. Young you know my opinion, without saying one word in this letter, and Samuel Young his brother, Judas Iscariot, who betrayed his Savior with a kiss, is an angel Comparatively speaking,

both of them are sublimely selfish and perfectly mercenary, in my humble opinion. In fine you must so arrange it, that you will be in the next Congress. Please say to my friend Ross that I have been attending to my E. Tenn. friend Scraggs since the adjournment of the Legislature. Give my best respects to him all so. Please give my respects to Mr. Rogers, Please give my respects to my particular friend Robert Furgutuson tell him I should like to hear from him at any time, he would condesend to drop me a few lines-Your fast friend,

"A. JOHNSON.

"GEO. W. JONES Esq "N. B. Give my respects to B. and H. Douglas. "A. JOHNSON." This wonderfully improved letter is simply addressed: "Geo. W. Jones Esq Fayetteville LinColn County Tennessee."

Of Mr. Johnson's literary qualities little can be seen in most of his printed speeches and his official papers, as these passed through hands skillful in grammatical polish. Many of his off-hand speeches show him to advantage, while some of them fall beneath his real ability. A kind of disjointed swagger and repetition discoverable in them the printer could not remove, and about this defect earnest men in troublesome times did not care to concern themselves, or use against a man who was warm and powerful in a patriotic cause.

Mr. Johnson's reading, as has been said, was mainly confined to politics and history, and especially the former. No other man, who became President, excepting General Taylor, perhaps, was SO little acquainted with science, philosophy, and gen