history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第15章

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the　electric　intuitions　and　impetuous　will　of　the　former；　nor　the　culture　and　genius　of　the　latter。　He　adhered　more　religiously　to　the　letter　of　the　Constitution　than　either。　To　him　it　was　the　one　law　of　supreme　obligation；　that　never　ceased　its　guarantees。　As　fittingly　expressed　by　one　of　his　Counsel；　Mr。　Groesbeck；　in　the　trial：　〃He　was　not　learned　and　scholarlynot　a　man　of　many　ideas　or　of　much　speculationbut　the　Constitution　had　been　the　study　of　his　life；　and　by　a　law　of　the　mind　he　was　only　the　truer　to　that　which　he　did　know。〃

As　had　Mr。　Lincoln；　Mr。　Johnson　keenly　appreciated　the　importance　of　the　people　of　the　South　returning　at　once　to　the　Union；　free　and　independent　American　citizens；　clothed　with　all　the　rights；　privileges　and　obligations　common　to　such。　In　his　Cabinet　Councils；　and　to　a　degree　supreme　in　that　board　sat　William　H。　Seward；　as　he　had　throughout　Mr。　Lincoln's　administration；　than　whom　the　Republic　has　produced　no　wiser；　more　sagacious；　or　patriotic　statesman。　He　gave　the　subject　his　intense　devotion　in　the　maturity　of　his　great　powers。

There　too；　sat　Secretary　Welles；　another　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　advisers；　and　a　devoted　friend　of　the　Constitution　and　the　sanctity　of　the　Union。　Each　of　these　men；　thoroughly　patriotic；　and　efficient；　and　untiring　in　the　administration　of　their　respective　Departments；　had　commenced　with　the　deluge　of　blood；　and　they　now　hoped　to　crown　their　official　careers　by　a　triumphant　peace　that　would　Honor　their　lives　and　glorify　the　Nation。　These　men　had　a　salutary　influence　over　Mr。　Johnson；　and　greatly　modified　the　asperities　of　his　disposition。

Mr。　Johnson　believed；　as　did　Mr。　Lincoln；　that　the　revolted　States　were　still　States　of　the　Unionthat　all　the　pretended　acts　of　secession　were　null　and　void；　and　that　the　loyal　people　therein　had　the　right　to　reconstruct　their　State　Governments　on　the　basis　proposed　to　them　first　by　Mr。　Lincoln；　and　after　him　by　Mr。　Johnson；　and　thus　the　right　to　representation　in　the　General　Government。

It　was　upon　this　question　that　parties　divided　during　the　reconstruction　period。　Mr。　Lincoln；　foreseeing　danger　in　such　a　division；　was　anxious　to　bring　those　States　into　such　relation　that　the　people　generally　would　consider　them　as　virtually　in　the　Union；　without　reference　to　the　abstract　question。　It　was　with　this　view；　undoubtedly；　that　he　advocated　the　admission　of　Members　and　Senators　whenever　one…tenth　of　the　voting　population　of　1860　should　organize　State　Governments　and　ask　for　readmission。　He　would　not　only　not　countenance；　but　repelled　the　doctrine　of　〃State　Suicide；〃　as　it　was　called；　and　which　came　to　characterize　the　methods　of　reconstruction　subsequently　adopted。

It　is　true；　that　on　many　occasions　Mr。　Johnson　charged　that　the　Congress　was　only　a　Congress　of　part　of　the　States；　and　that　its　acts　were　therefore　without　validity。　Yet　he　continued　to　execute　those　laws；　and　what　to　him　was　a　very　unpleasant　duty；　the　law　which　set　aside　the　State　Governments　organized　under　his　own　direction；　so　that　notwithstanding　his　violent　denunciations　of　the　acts　of　Congress；　and　his　personal　opinions；　he　did　not　presume　to　act　upon　them。　Angry　and　undignified　language　was　uttered　on　both　sides。　Many　of　his　speeches　were　violent　and　in　bad　taste　and　temper。　So　were　a　great　many　speeches　uttered　by　senators　and　members　of　the　House；　and　those　bodies　too　often　acted　upon　them。

It　is　therefore　but　repeating　recorded　history　to　say　that　Mr。　Johnson　was　earnestly　seeking　to　carry　out　Mr。　Lincoln's　plan　of　reconstruction；　which　was　upon　consultation　with　his　entire　Cabinet；　more　especially　with　Mr。　Stanton；　adopted　by　him　as　the　basis　for　the　restoration　of　the　revolted　States。

Yet；　with　these　facts　of　record；　that　action　was　afterwards　assailed　by　the　Republican　leaders　in　and　out　of　Congress；　who　assumed　to　have　become　Mr。　Lincoln's　executors　in　the　work　of　reconstruction；　as　not　only　an　abandonment　of　the　plan　instituted　by　him；　but　a　surrender　of　the　issues　fought　out　and　the　results　accomplished　by　the　war　just　closed　notwithstanding　very　many　of　these　critics　of　Mr。　Johnson　had　but　a　few　months　before　criticised　Mr。　Lincoln　with　quite　equal　severity　for　his　suggestion　of　this　same　method　of　restoration。

Nor　will　it　suffice　to　say　that；　though　professing　submission　and　loyalty；　the　people　of　the　South　were　still　hostile　to　the　Union；　and　that　there　was　no　safety　there　for　Union　men。　It　is　true　that　there　came　to　be　violence　and　disorder　there　upon　the　rejection　by　Congress　of　Mr。　Johnson's　plan　of　restoration。

These　were　the　inevitable　results　of　the　conditions。　There　would　also　have　been　disorder　and　violence　in　the　North　and　to　a　far　greater　degree；　had　the　results　of　the　war　been　reversedan　arbitrary　and　tyrannical　system　of　restoration　insisted　uponthe　established　order　of　things　destroyed　homes　broken　up　the　people　impoverished；　and　hordes　of　unscrupulous　adventurers　swarmed　up　from　the　South　and　overrun　the　country　in　pursuit　of　schemes　of　political　chicanery　and　personal　ambition；　peculation　and　plunder；　as　was　the　South　after　the　close　of　the　war。

But　when　the　fight　was　on；　an　overwhelmingly　partisan　House；　as　a　last　resort；　in　the　hope　of　at　once　ending；　by　removal；　all　opposition　on　the　part　of　the　President　to　the　views　and　aims　of　the　dominant　party　in　Congress；　resorted　to　the　first　project　of　impeachment　set　out　in　the　succeeding　chapter。



CHAPTER　IV。　FIRST　ATTEMPT　TO　IMPEACH　THE　PRESIDENT。

THE　ASHLEY　INDICTMENT。

The　initiation　of　formal　proceedings　for　the　impeachment　and　removal　of　President　Johnson　occurred　in　the　House　of　Representatives　on　January　7th；　1867；　in　the　introduction　of　three　separate　resolutions　for　his　impeachment；　by　Messrs。　Loan　and　Kelso；　of　Missouri；　and　Mr。　Ashley　of　Ohio。　As　Mr。　Ashley's　Resolution　was　the　only　one　acted　on　by　the　House；　only　the　proceedings　had　thereon　are　here　given；　as　follows：

Mr。　Speaker：I　rise　to　perform　a　painful　but；　nevertheless；　to　me；　an　imperative　duty；　a　duty　which　I　think　ought　not　longer　to　be　postponed；　and　which　cannot；　without　criminality　on　our　part；　be　neglected。　I　had　hoped；　sir；　that　this　duty　would　have　devolved　upon　an　older　and　more　experienced　member　of　this　House　than　myself。　Prior　to　our　adjournment　I　asked　a　number　of　gentlemen　to　offer　the　resolution　which　I　introduced；　but　upon　which　I　failed　to　obtain　a　suspension　of　the　rules。

Confident；　sir；　that　the　loyal　people　of　this　country　demand　the　adoption　of　some　such　proposition　as　I　am　about　to　submit；　I　am　determined　that　no　effort　on　my　part　shall　be　wanting　to　see　that　their　expectations　are　not　disappointed。　*　*　*　On　my　responsibility　as　a　Representative；　and　in　the　presence　of　this　House；　and　before　the　American　people；　I　charge　Andrew　Johnson；　Vice　President　and　acting　President　of　the　United　States；　with　the　commission　of　acts　which　in　contemplation　of　the　Constitution；　are　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors；　for　which；　in　my　judgment；　he　ought　to　be　impeached。　I　therefore　submit　the　following：

I　do　impeach　Andrew　Johnson；　Vice　President　and　acting　President　of　the　United　States；　of　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors：

I　charge　him　with　a　usurpation　of　power　and　violation　of　law：

In　that　he　has　corruptly　used　the　appointing　power；

In　that　he　has　corruptly　used　the　pardoning　power；

In　that　he　has　corruptly　used　the　veto　power；

In　that　he　has　corruptly　disposed　of　public　property　of　the　United　States；

In　that　he　has　corruptly　interfered　in　elections；　and　committed　acts　which；　in　contemplation　of　the　Constitution；　are　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors：　Therefore；

BE　IT　RESOLVED；　That　the　Committee　on　the　Judiciary　be；　and　they　are　hereby；　authorized　to　inquire　into　the　official　conduct　of　Andrew　Johnson；　Vice　President　of　the　United　States；　discharging　the　powers　and　duties　of　the　office　of　President　of　the　United　States；　and　to　report　to　this　House；　whether；　in　their　opinion；　the　said　Andrew　Johnson；　while　in　said　office；　has　been　guilty　of　acts　which　are　designed　or　calculated　to　overthrow；　subvert；　or　corrupt　the　Government　of　the　United　States；　or　any　department　or　office　thereof；　and　whether　the　said　Andrew　Johnson　has　been　guilty　of　any　act；　or　has　conspired　with　others