history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第14章

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son；　but　during　the　summer　of　1865；　frictions　developed　between　Mr。　Johnson　and　those　who　on　Mr。　Lincoln's　death　had　assumed　the　leadership　in　the　work　of　reconstruction　and　other　matters　of　administration；　came　to　take　the　opposite　ground；　from　the　first　occupied　by　Sumner　and　other　extremists　in　Congressthat　the　States　lately　in　rebellion　had　destroyed　themselves　by　their　own　act　of　war；　and　had　thereby　forfeited　all　the　rights　of　Statehood　and　were　but　conquered　provinces；　subject　solely　to　the　will　of　the　conqueror。

From　that　point　their　ways　parted　and　widened　from　month　to　month；　till　bitter　hostility；　political　and　personal；　came　to　mark　even　their　official　intercourse。

Mr。　Johnson　was　practically　unknown　to　the　great　mass　of　the　people　of　the　North　till　he　succeeded　to　the　Presidency。　He　was　in　no　sense　regarded　as　or　assumed　to　be　the　leader　of　the　dominant　party；　while　those　who　on　Mr。　Lincoln's　death　became　leaders　of　the　dominant　party　in　opposition　to　Mr。　Johnson's　administration　and　policies；　were　widely　known　and　of　long　public　experience；　and　had　correspondingly　the　confidence　of　their　party。

So；　in　the　strife　that　ensued；　as　it　became　embittered　with　the　lapse　of　time；　Mr。　Johnson　was　at　great　disadvantage；　and　made　little　or　no　headway；　but　rather　lost　ground　as　the　controversy　progressed。　His　moderate；　conservative　views；　radically　expressed；　in　regard　to　what　should　be　the　methods　of　reconstruction　and　the　restoration　of　the　Union；　found　little　favor　with　the　mass　of　the　veterans　of　the　Union　armies　who　had　but　lately　returned　from　the　victorious　fields　of　the　South；　their　blood　not　yet　cooled　after　the　fury　and　heat　of　the　strife　while　to　many；　who　had　witnessed　the　horrors　of　war　at　a　safe　distance；　with　the　cessation　of　hostilities　in　the　field；　to　which　they　had　been　only　anxious　spectators；　became　suddenly　enthused　over　issues　that　others　had　fought　out　in　battle；　and　vigorously　vicious　towards　Mr。　Johnson　for　presuming　to　treat　the　conquered　people　of　the　South　as　American　citizens　and　entitled　to　the　rights　of　such；　after　having　laid　down　their　arms　and　peacefully　returned　to　their　homes　and　their　respective　callings。

This　temper；　permeating；　as　it　did；　the　dominant　party　of　practically　every　Northern　State；　was　not　unstintingly　reflected　upon　the　National　Capitol　in　the　return　to　Congress　of　a　large　majority　in　both　Houses；　of　men　who　sympathized　with　and　reflected　back　again　upon　their　constituents　the　most　extreme　views　as　to　what　should　be　the　policy　of　the　Government　towards　the　South。

These　views　characterized　the　legislation　of　the　time。　Partisan　rancor　was　unbridled；　and　found　expression　not　only　in　coercive　legislation　of　various　grades　of　severity；　but　in　placing　the　Southern　States　generally　under　almost　absolute　military　control；　and　in　the　practical　abrogation　of　the　common　rights　of　American　citizenship　in　most　of　them。

Quite　every　act　of　this　sort　of　legislation　was　passed　over　the　official　protest　of　the　President；　and　each　of　these　protests　seemed　but　to　add　emphasis　to　each　succeeding　act　of　Congress　in　that　line；　till　it　seemed　that　there　could　be　no　end　to　the　strife；　so　long　as　Mr。　Johnson　remained　in　the　Presidential　office。

The　ostensible　basis　of　the　disagreement　which　in　a　few　months　after　the　accession　of　Mr。　Johnson　to　the　Presidency　began　to　develop　between　himself　and　the　Republican　leaders　in　Congress；　was　the　plan　of　reconstruction　put　in　operation　by　him　during　the　recess　of　Congress　that　year；　1865；　and　outlined　in　his　North　Carolina　Proclamation。　It　availed　not；　that　that　plan　had　been　adopted　originally　by　Mr。　Lincoln　a　few　days　before　his　deaththat　it　had　been　concurred　in　by　his　entire　Cabinet　and　would　undoubtedly　have　been　carried　out　successfully　by　him　had　he　lived　that　plan　was　made　the　ground　of　criticism　of　Mr。　Johnson　by　the　extreme　party　element　in　control　of　Congress；　which　persistently　accused　him　of　having　abandoned　the　plan　initiated　by　Mr。　Lincoln；　and　of　setting　up　another　of　his　own；　for　purely　personal　and　ambitious　purposes；　and　to　the　detriment　of　the　peace　of　the　country。

Mr。　Johnson　may　have　been　opinionated　and　headstrong；　a　characteristic　of　a　great　many　people　of　strong　convictions　of　duty　and　purpose；　while　the　overwhelming　numerical　strength　of　the　dominant　party　in　and　out　of　Congress　made　it　seemingly　indifferent；　reckless　and　inconsiderate　of　the　convictions；　as　of　the　rights　and　prerogatives　of　the　Chief　Executive　treating　him　more　as　a　clerk　whose　sole　duty　it　was　to　register　without　suggestion　the　decrees　of　Congress。

That　Mr。　Lincoln；　had　he　lived；　would　have　pursued　much　the　same　policy　of　reconstruction；　is　clearly　indicated　by　the　established　fact　that　he　had　determined　to　adopt　precisely　the　initial　measures　thereto　which　Mr。　Johnson　did　inaugurate　and　attempt　to　carry　out。　But　Mr。　Lincoln's　superior　ability　in　statecraft；　his　rare　tact　and　knowledge　of　men；　and　his　capacity　for　moulding　and　directing　public　opinion；　seeming　to　follow　where　he　actually　led；　would　doubtless　have　secured　a　more　favorable　result。　And　more　than　all　else；　it　can　scarcely　be　doubted；　that　the　unbounded　confidence　of　the　people　in　his　patriotism　and　capacity　to　direct　public　affairs；　would　have　enabled　him　to　dictate　terms　of　reconstruction　strictly　on　the　lines　he　had　marked　out；　and　would　have　commanded　the　general　support　of　the　country；　regardless　of　partisan　divisions；　notwithstanding　the　well　known　fact　that　at　the　time　of　his　death　there　were　unmistakable　indications　of　alienation　from　him　of　the　extreme　element　of　his　party　because　of　his　conservative　views　as　to　the　proper　methods　of　reconstruction。

Meantime；　in　the　effort　to　hamper　the　President；　as　far　as　it　was　possible　for　Congress　to　do；　the　Tenure…of…Office　Act　was　passed；　early　in　1867。　The　ostensible　purpose　of　that　Act　was　to　restrict　the　authority　of　the　President　in　the　selection　of　his　Cabinet　advisers；　and　his　power　over　appointments　generally。　Its　specific　purpose；　at　least　so　far　as　the　House　of　Representatives　was　concerned；　and　measurably　so　in　the　Senate；　was　to　prevent　his　removal　of　the　Secretary　of　War；　Mr。　Stanton；　with　the　manifest　if　not　avowed　intent；　as　the　sequel　shows；　to　make　that　Secretary　not　only　independent　of　his　chief；　but　also　to　make　him　the　immediate　instrument　of　Congress　in　whatever　disposition　of　the　Army；　or　of　military　affairs　generally　relating　to　the　government　of　the　Southern　States；　the　majority　of　Congress　might　dictate。　In　a　word；　the　Congress；　in　that　Act；　virtually　assumed；　or　attempted　to　assume；　that　control　of　the　Army　which　the　Constitution　vests　on　the　President。

The　first　effort　to　impeach　the　President；　in　1867；　was　based　upon　a　general　accusation　of　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors　without　literal　specification。　The　second；　in　1868；　was　based　upon　his　alleged　violation　of　the　Tenure…of…Office　Act；　in　the　removal　of　Mr。　Stanton。

While　it　is　undoubted；　as　already　shown；　that　Mr。　Lincoln　and　Mr。　Johnson　were　in　accord　as　to　the　methods　to　be　adopted　for　the　restoration　of　the　revolted　States；　it　was　Mr。　Johnson's　misfortune　that　he　had　not　Mr。　Lincoln's　capacity　for　so　great　and　so　peculiar　a　task；　though　a　gentleman　of　proven　patriotism；　ability；　of　a　kindly；　genial　nature；　and　with　record　of　valuable　public　service。　Hampered　by　his　lack　of　political　finesse　and　intricate　knowledge　of　state…craft；　and　in　view　of　the　conditions　of　that　time；　and　the　people　with　whom　he　had　to　deal；　it　was　obvious　from　the　outset　that　the　result　of　the　controversy　could　hardly　be　otherwise　than　disastrous　to　him。　Mr。　Lincoln　would　undoubtedly　have　been　met　by　the　same　character　of　opposition；　and　from　the　same　source。　But　there　would　have　been　the　appearance　at　least　of　mutual　concession；　and　while　the　APPEARANCE　of　concession　would　have　been　on　Mr。　Lincoln's　side；　the　actual　concession；　so　far　as　essentials　were　involved；　would　have　been　on　the　other。

Mr。　Johnson　was　a　Democrat　of　pronounced　type　and　profound　convictions；　and　in　no　sense　did　he　depart　from　his　faith。　He　belonged　to　the　school　of　Jackson　and　Jefferson。　He　had　not　the　electric　intuitions　and　impetuous　will　of　the　former；　nor　the　culture　and　genius　of　the　latter。