|
Sale 107
Lot 15
Johnson, Andrew -- Rare, Long ALS: "…The whole so far is a great farce, at this time no one can tell who will be the Speaker of the House…". (1808 - 1875) 17th President of the United States (1865-69). Autograph letter signed "A. Johnson" as a Member of Congress from Tennessee, 3 pages, 10 x 7¾", Washington City, December 6, 1849. Marked "Private," to William M. Lawry, who was in danger of being dismissed by President Fillmore as postmaster of Greenville, Tennessee, and discussing the inability of the U.S. House of Representatives to decide on a Speaker. Expert fold repair. Fine condition. In part:
"Friend Lawry, I have just had an interview with the P[ost] M[aster] Genl in relation to your removal from office, and I am inclined to think that your removal is determined upon.Wadkins the M[ember of] C[ongress] from the 2nd district came to me this morning and told me that he had received a letter from D.G. Nance and he had laid the letter before the P.M.G. without one word of comment and I thought talked very fair about it, stating that he had intended to take no part in the affair. The P.M. told me that the thing had been recently passed very hard, but that he would suspend all further proceedings for the present and that I should have the privilege of examining all the papers on file. Today I made the last statement of the case I could. My own opinion is you had better prepare your neck for the axe. I will do all that mortal man can to suspend the blow….
I talked to the P.M. to day about Wm. R. Brown being an applicant in the event that you were removed from office and he made the impression on my mind that Wm Brown had withdrawn his application for appointment- Tomorrow when I have a full opportunity to examine all the papers on file I will ascertain- Will you mentiond [sic] this to him and see what he says about it. If the fact is so I certainly misunderstood him a short time before I left home. It would be much better for Wm Brown to be P.M. than Vance, and if they are determined to turn you out I shall do what I can to defeat the Williams nominee as a matter of course. If I name you, I shall hold the office to the last moment; but at the same time give it out that you are to be turned out of office and let them commence the contest for it. I intend/ God being willing to defeat them if I can, and if you are retained it can do no harm- I will write again tomorrow evening how the matter stands.
Put the Whigs all to work for the place. We have been voting five days for Speaker and nothing has been done yet. You see that the election for Speaker is working very much like what I told you several times before leaving home. The whole so far is a great farce, at this time no one can tell who will be the Speaker of the House- Tonight there is to be a census held by the Democrats for the purpose of making some new move, what that now will be no one knows now. As usual, A. Johnson."
Lawry did lose his job. As for the Speaker of the House, no party was able to win a majority. The Whigs' candidate was Robert Charles Winthrop of Massachusetts, but the southern Whigs supported Meredith Poindexter Gentry of Tennessee. The Free Soilers supported David Wilmot of Pennsylvania and Howell Cobb was the Democrats' candidate. Cobb was finally chosen on the 63rd ballot. Estimate Value $5,000 - UP
|
| |
| Realized $3,600 |
|
