history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第17章

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rvice　of　the　country　he　ought　to　resignthis　on　Sunday。　On　Monday；　I　will　call　on　you；　and　if　you　think　it　necessary；　I　will　do　the　samecall　on　Mr。　Stanton　and　tell　him　he　should　resign。　If　he　will　not；　then　it　will　be　time　to　consider　ulterior　measures。　In　the　meantime；　it　also　happens　that　no　necessity　exists　for　precipitating　measures。

Yours　truly；　W。　T。　Sherman。

On　Saturday；　February　23；　1868；　the　day　following　the　removal　of　Mr。　Stanton；　Mr。　Johnson　sent　to　the　Senate　the　name　of　Mr。　Thomas　Ewing；　senior；　of　Ohio；　as　his　successor。　The　Senate　had　adjourned　for　the　day　when　the　President's　Secretary　reached　the　Capitol；　between　12　and　1　o'clock；　but　the　nomination　was　formally　communicated　on　the　following　Monday。　Of　this　nomination；　Mr。　Blaine　has　written；　that　〃no　name　could　have　given　better　assurance　of　good　intentions　and　upright　conduct　than　that　of　Mr。　Ewing。　He　was　a　man　of　lofty　character；　of　great　eminence　in　his　profession　of　the　law；　and　with　wide　and　varied　experience　in　public　life。　He　had　held　high　rank　as　a　Senator　in　the　Augustan　period　of　the　Senate's　learning　and　eloquence；　and　he　had　been　one　of　the　ablest　members　of　the　distinguished　Cabinets　organized　by　the　only　two　Presidents　elected　by　the　Whig　Party。　He　had　reached　the　ripe　age　of　seventy…eight　years；　but　still　in　complete　possession　of　all　his　splendid　faculties。　He　had　voted　for　Mr。　Lincoln　at　both　elections；　had　been　a　warm　supporter　of　the　contest　for　the　Union；　and　was　represented　by　his　own　blood　on　many　of　the　great　battlefields　of　the　war。〃

No　notice　was　taken　by　the　Senate　of　this　nomination。

Here　was　offered　an　opportunity　for　the　settlement　of　the　dispute　over　the　War　Office　on　fair　and　honorable　terms　to　all　parties　concerned。　But　that　was　not　what　the　impeachers　wanted。　They　wanted　to　get　Mr。　Johnson　out。　They　thought　they　had　a　pretext　that　they　could　sustain　by　making　it　a　party　question；　and　did　not　want　a　settlement　on　any　other　termsso　no　attention　was　given　to　Mr。　Ewing's　nomination。　It　was　ignored　and　the　impeachment　movement　went　on。



CHAPTER　VI。　IMPEACHMENT　AGREED　TO　BY　THE　HOUSE。

Mr。　Johnson's　veto　of　the　Tenure…of…Office　Bill；　and　the　passage　of　that　bill　over　his　veto；　of　course　intensified　the　antagonism　between　himself　and　Congress。　He　not　unnaturally　regarded　that　Act　as　an　infringement　of　the　Executive　function　which　it　was　his　duty　to　his　office　and　to　himself　to　resent。　The　culmination　came　upon　his　official　notification　to　the　Senate　on　February　21st；　1868；　of　his　removal　of　Mr。　Stanton　from　the　office　of　Secretary　of　War；　and　his　appointment　of　Gen。　Lorenzo　Thomas　as　Secretary　ad　interim；　nothwithstanding　the　assumed　interdiction　of　the　Tenure…of…Office　Act。

Immediately　on　receipt　of　this　notification；　the　Senate　went　into　executive　session；　and　the　following　proceeding　was　had：

IN　EXECUTIVE　SESSION　　Senate　of　the　United　States　February　21st；　1868

Whereas；　The　Senate　have　read　and　considered　the　communication　of　the　President；　stating　that　he　had　removed　Edwin　M。　Stanton；　Secretary　of　War；　and　had　designated　the　Adjutant　General　of　the　Army　to　act　as　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim。　interim。。　Therefore；

Resolved；　by　the　Senate　of　the　United　States；　That　under　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　the　President　has　no　power　to　remove　the　Secretary　of　War　and　designate　any　other　officer　to　perform　the　duties　of　that　office　ad　interim。

The　journal　of　the　Senate　shows　that　this　Resolution　was　adopted　by　the　following　vote：

YeasMessrs。　Cameron；　Cattell；　Cole；　Conkling；　Cragin；　Drake；　Ferry；　Harlan；　Morrill　of　Maine；　Morrill　of　Vermont；　Morton；　Patterson　of　New　Hampshire；　Pomeroy；　Ramsay；　Ross；　Sprague；　Stewart。　Sumner。　Thayer；　Tipton；　Trumbull。　Van　Winkle；　Wade；　Willey　Williams。　Wilson。　Yates23。

NaysMessrs。　Buckalew；　Davis；　Doolittle；　Edmunds；　Hendricks；　Patterson　of　Tennessee6。

Absent　or　not　voting20。　Note。　（NoteIt　is　due　to　myself　　to　say　here；　that　the　entry　of　my　name　in　the　above　vote；　was　incorrect。　My　distinct　recollection　is；　that　though　present；　I　declined　to　vote；　and　from　the　consideration　mentioned。　I　was　totally　unaware　of　my　name　being　recorded　as　voting　on　the　proposition　until　long　after　I　left　the　Senate；　when　of　course　there　was　no　opportunity　to　secure　　a　correction　of　the　journal。）

This　was　an　extraordinary　proceeding。　A　proposition　to　impeach　the　President　had　till　recently　been　pending　in　the　House　for　nearly　a　year；　and　the　ingenuity　of　the　majority　had　been　taxed　to　the　utmost　to　find　some　basis　for　an　indictment　upon　which　a　successful　impeachment　might　be　possible。　There　is　ground　for　the　suggestion　that　much　was　hoped　for　in　that　direction　from　the　Tenure…of…Office　Bill；　at　least　so　far　as　the　House　was　concerned。　That　hoped　for　opportunity　had　now　comenor　is　it　an　unreasonable　surmise；　that　this　very　extraordinary　action　of　the　Senate　was　forced　by　outside　as　well　as　inside　influences　for　the　purpose　of　testing　the　Senate；　and　committing　it　in　advance　and　in　anticipation　of　the　preferment　of　another　impeachment　by　the　House。

As　to　the　question　of　the　guilt　or　innocence　of　the　President　of　the　commission　of　an　impeachable　offense；　this　vote　of　the　Senate　was　in　the　nature　of　a　vote　of　〃guilty。〃　It　was　therefore　to　a　degree　an　impeachment　and　conviction　combined　by　the　Senate；　prior　to　the　bringing　of　an　accusation　by　the　House　of　Representatives；　the　constitutional　body　for　the　preferment　of　an　impeachment　of　the　Presidentand　was　an　improper；　and　not　far　removed　from　an　indecent　proceeding　on　the　part　of　the　Senate。　In　effect；　the　President　was　thereby　condemned　by　the　Senate　without　trial；　and　his　later　arraignment　was　simply　to　receive　sentence…it　being　solely　upon　the　removal　of　Mr。　Stanton　that　the　impeachment　was　brought　by　the　House。

It　is　noticeable；　and　possibly　indicative；　that　the　names　of　twenty　out　of　fifty…four　members　of　the　Senate　do　not　appear　in　this　lista　very　unusual　occurrence　in　divisions　of　that　body；　especially　in　the　exciting　conditions　that　then　prevailed。　The　absentees；　or　at　least　abstentions　from　voting；　were　fifteen　Republicans　and　five　Democrats；　more　than　one…third　of　the　body。　That　very　unusual　absence　or　abstention　from　voting　may　well　be　attributed　to　the　very　proper　hesitancy　of　Senators　to　commit　themselves　in　advance；　either　way；　on　a　proposition　that　was　reasonably　certain　to　lead　to　an　impeachment　of　the　President；　then　virtually　pending　and　imminent　in　the　House；　and　upon　which　the　Senate　was　equally　certain　to　be　called　upon　to　act。

The　action　of　the　President　was　also　communicated　to　the　House　of　Representatives　by　Mr。　Stanton；　at　the　same　hour　of　the　same　day；　February　21st；　1868；　in　the　following　communication；　enclosing　a　copy　of　the　President's　notification　of　his　dismissal。

War　Department；　Washington　City；　Feb。　21；　1868。

Sir：Gen。　Thomas　has　just　delivered　to　me　a　copy　of　the　enclosed　order；　which　you　will　please　communicate　to　the　House　of　Representatives。

（Signed）　E。　M。　Stanton；　Secretary　of　War。　Hon。　Schuyler　Colfax；　Speaker　House　of　Representatives。


This　gave　new　life　to　the　impeachment　cause；　which　had　a　few　weeks　before　been　defeated　in　the　House　and　since　then　had；　for　lack　of　material；　been　laming；　to　the　discouragement　of　many　of　its　advocates：　and　the　gleeful　ejaculations；　on　the　floor　of　the　House；　in　the　lobbies；　and　on　the　streets；　on　receipt　of　this　news；　and　more　especially　after　the　action　of　the　Senate　became　known；　which　was　not　long　in　reaching　the　public；　with　a　common　greeting　slid　clasping　of　hands：　〃Well；　we've　got　him　now！〃

The　communication　of　Mr。　Stanton　to　the　House　of　Representatives　was　immediately；　after　reading；　referred　to　the　Committee　on　Reconstruction。

In　the　evening　of　the　same　day；　Mr。　Covode；　of　Pennsylvania；　offered　a　resolution　to　impeach　the　President；　which　was　also　referred　to　the　same　Committee。

On　the　next　day；　Feb。　22d；　1868；　Mr。　Stevens；　Chairman　of　that　Committee；　made　the　following　report：

The　Committee　on　Reconstruction；　to　whom　was　referred；　on　the　27th　day　of　January　last；　the　following　resolution：

〃Resolved；　That　the　Committee　on　Reconstruction　be　authorized　to　inquire　what　combinations　have　been　made　or　attempted　to　be　made　to　obstruct　the　due　execution　of　the　laws；　and　to　that　end　the　committee　have　power　to　send　for　persons　and　papers　and　to　examine　witnesses　oil　oath；　and　report　to　this　House　what　action。　if　any；　they　may　deem　necessary；　and　that　said　committee　bade　leave　to　report　at　any　time。〃

And　to　whom　was　also　referred；　on　the　21st　day　of　February；　instant；　a　communication　from　Hon。　Edwin　M。　Stanton；　Secretary　of　War；　dated　on　said　21st　day　of　February；　together　with　a　copy　of　a　letter　from　Andrew　Johnson；　President　of　the　United　States；　to　the　said　Edwin　M。　Stanton；　as　follows：

Executive　Mansion；　Washington。　D。　C。；　Feb。　21；　1868。

Sir：…By　virtue　of　the　power　and　authority　vested　in　me；　as　President；　by　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　you　are　hereby　removed　from　office　as　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War；　and　your　functions　as　such　will　terminate　upon　the　receipt　of　this　communication。

You　will　transfer　to　Brevet　Major　General　Lorenzo　Thomas；　Adjutant　General　of　the　Army；　who　has　this　day　been　authorized　and　empowered　to　act　as　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim；　all　records；　books；　papers；　and　other　public　property　now　in　your　custody　and　charge。

Respectfully　yours。　Andrew　Johnson。　Hon。　Edwin　M。　Stanton；　Washington；　D。　C。


And　to　whom　was　also　referred　by　the　House　of　Representatives　the　following　resolution；　namely：

〃Resolved；　That　Andrew　Johnson；　President　of　the　United　States；　be　impeached　of　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors。〃

Have　considered　the　several　subjects　referred　to　them；　and　submit　the　following　report：

That　in　addition　to　the　papers　referred　to　the　committee；　the　committee　find　that　the　President；　on　the　21st　day　of　February；　1868；　signed　and　issued　a　commission　or　letter　of　authority　to　one　Lorenzo　Thomas；　directing　and　authorizing　said　Thomas　to　act　as　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim；　and　to　take　possession　of　the　books；　records；　and　papers；　and　other　public　property　in　the　War　Department；　of　which　the　following　is　a　copy：

Executive　Mansion；　Washington；　Feb。　21；　1868。

Sir：Hon。　Edwin　M。　Stanton　having　been　this　day　removed　from　office　as　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War；　you　are　hereby　authorized　and　empowered　to　act　as　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim；　and　will　immediately　enter　upon　the　discharge　of　the　duties　pertaining　to　that　office。　Mr。　Stanton　has　been　instructed　to　transfer　to　you　all　the　records；　books；　papers；　and　other　public　property　now　in　his　custody　and　charge。

Respectfully　yours；　Andrew　Johnson。

To　Brevet　Major　General　Lorenzo　Thomas；　Adjutant　General　of　the　United　States　Army。　Washington；　District　of　Columbia。

Official　copy　respectfully　furnished　to　Hon。　Edwin　M。　Stanton。

L。　Thomas。　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim。


Upon　the　evidence　collected　by　the　committee；　which　is　herewith　presented；　and　in　virtue　of　the　powers　with　which　they　have　been　invested　by　the　House；　they　are　of　the　opinion　that　Andrew　Johnson；　President　of　the　United　States；　be　impeached　of　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors。　They　therefore　recommend　to　the　House　the　adoption　of