Edward Johnstone

As printed in 1905

HON. EDWARD JOHNSTONE.

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two eldest sons were educated in the United In 1839 Mr. Johnstone was elected to

States Military Academy, West Point, New the legislature, and for two successive terms

York, and served in the regular army, was speaker of the house. In 1840 he was

.Another son. William V. Johnstone, was the elected to the council, and during President third governor of Pennsylvania, Another. Polk's administration was I'nited States dis-

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Another lirother, John W., served in the stone was elected judge of Lee county, and

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Our subject was educated in his native sisted in making the present constitution of town, and also read law and practiced at the state. He distinguished himself in that

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After the expiration of his term upon the bench Judge Johnstone engaged in the banking business, the title of the firm l)eing McMurpliy, Jolmstone & Bacon, which was subsequently changed to Johnstone & Bacon. In 1868 he removed to KeokuI< and to the management of the Keokuk Savings Bank, of which he continued the executive head until his death, which occurred May 17. 1891. and it is to Judge Johnstone's great business and financial ability that the success attained by this most prosperous institution is due.

Through his influence the first state insane asylum at Mount Pleasant was established, he being one of three commissioners. When Iowa's commission was appointed for the World's Columbian Exposition he was made a memlier and chosen president. In fact, he never entered a meeting of men assembled for deliberation that he was not called to preside.

When-Mr. Cleveland was elected to the presidency for the first time there was a large and spontaneous movement to have Judge Johnstone called to the cabinet from the West, but he himself refused to consent. From public office he ever shrank. During the last years of his life he was president of the Pioneer Lawmakers' Association of Iowa.

In January. 1840, the first attempt formally to organize the Democratic party in Iowa was made, and with that end in view a document, which is still in existence, was prepared by Mr. Johnstone personally and signed by himself and sixteen others setting forth the necessity of at once taking steps toward bringing the party's members into line and electing Democrats to congress.

When Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism. met with those difficulties at Xauvoo which have become matters of history he at once wrote to Mr. Johnstone to defend him, and had not that gentleman been starting for his old home in Pennsylvania, he would have been counsel in that celebrated case. The letter from Mr. Smith is still in the possession of Judge Johnstone's family.

Judge Johnstone was greatly interested in the success of the Columbian exposition, and was especially anxious that Iowa's geological display should be full and complete. Had he been spared, there is no doubt that he would have been of great assistance to Iowa's exhibitors. To Judge Johnstone as much if not more than any other man is the city of Keokuk indebted for its fine government building, as well as for the dry docks, for his influence was exerted most effectively in behalf of these important improvements.

He was a close student as well as a great reader, and it was rare indeed that the moments between business hours did not find him engaged in reading. To his many other accomplishments was added the ability to compose poetry of superior merit. As early as 1857 he was awarded the prize offered by the management of a prominent St. Louis opera house for the best poem to be used on the occasion of their opening performance.

Judge Johnstone married Miss Elizabeth

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Judge Johnstone was affable and friendly in conversation, and had the faculty of making friends. He numbered his friends among both political parties. He was a man of high culture and education, with all the instincts and fine sensibilities of a gentleman. No man in Iowa had more to do with the making and shaping of the commonwealth than he. During all the time of his residence here he was identified with all the great public movements. He had a wide acquaintance throughout the state, and many went to him for counsel and advice. It seems appropriate in this place tc) quote from an estimate of Judge Johnstone's character as made by a fellow citizen of Keokuk:

"A mail of strong convictions, he was ready on all occasions to express them and conscientiously stand by them. Charitable in his judgment of others, fair to those who opposed him, considerate of the opinions of others, however widely they might difYer from those entertained by himself, with a warm and sympathizing heart towards all who were in need and sorrow, with a loyalty to friends that was ])roverbial, the sum of such a life may find expression in the words, a good citizen, faithful public servant, true friend, kind husband and indulgent father.

lie was at all times an honest, honorable, kindly man. lie flattered nobody, he persecuted nobody, he maligned nobody, but was always frank and open. He gave everybody his due. He was plain in his manner, plain in attire, plain in language. He was a man of the people."

As printed in Biographical review of Lee County, Iowa; (1905). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.