history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第17章

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ation　authorized　in　said　Resolution　of　Jan。　7th；　1867；　and　that　they　have　power　to　send　for　persons　and　papers；　and　to　administer　the　customary　oath　to　witnesses；　and　that　the　committee　have　authority　to　sit　during　the　sessions　of　the　House　and　during　any　recess　which　Congress　or　this　House　may　take。

Resolved；　That　the　Speaker　be　requested　to　appoint　the　Committee　on　the　Judiciary　forthwith；　and　that　the　Committee　so　appointed　be　directed　to　take　charge　of　the　testimony　taken　by　the　Committee　of　the　last　Congress；　and　that　said　Committee　have　power　to　appoint　a　clerk　at　a　compensation　not　to　exceed　six　dollars　per　day；　and　employ　the　necessary　stenographers。

At　the　close　of　the　debate　on　Mr。　Ashley's　Resolution；　it　was　adopted　without　a　division；　its　form　being　changed　to　the　following：

Resolved；　That　the　Committee　on　Judiciary　be　requested　to　report　on　the　charges　against　the　President　as　aforesaid；　on　the　first　day　of　the　meeting　of　the　House　after　the　recess　hereafter　to　be　determined。

Congress　adjourned　a　few　days　later。　It　re…assembled　on　the　3rd　of　July；　and　on　the　11th　the　following　resolutions　was　offered　by　Mr。　Stevens；　（Rep。）　of　Pennsylvania：

Resolved；　That　the　Committee　on　the　Judiciary；　to　whom　was　referred　the　Resolution　and　Documents　relative　to　the　Impeachment　of　the　President；　be　directed　to　report　the　evidence　at　this　session；　with　leave　to　make　further　report　if　they　shall　deem　proper。

That　the　impeachment　enterprise　was　waning；　and　that　its　forces　had　received　little　encouragement　during　the　recess　of　the　Congress　that　had　just　closed；　was　evidenced　by　the　fact　that　there　could　not　be　mustered　ayes　enough　to　put　the　resolution　to　a　vote；　and　Mr。　Wilson；　of　Iowa；　moved　the　following　substitute：

Resolved；　That　the　Committee　on　Judiciary　be；　and　they　are　hereby；　authorized　and　directed　to　have　the　usual　number　of　copies　of　the　evidence　taken　by　said　committee　relative　to　the　Impeachment　of　the　President；　printed　and　laid　on　the　desks　of　Members　of　the　House　on　the　first　day　of　the　next　Congress；　whether　adjourned　or　regular。

The　Resolution　was　adopted　by　a　vote　of　85　to　48；　whereupon　Mr。　Stevens　dejectedly　remarked　that；　〃after　the　vote　which　had　been　taken　on　this　resolution；　indicating　the　views　of　a　majority　of　the　House　in　regard　to　it；　I　am　willing　to　abandon　it。　I　therefore　move　that　the　Resolution　as　amended　be　laid　on　the　table；〃　which　motion　was　agreed　to。

On　the　15th　of　July；　1867；　Mr。　Farnsworth；　（Rep。）　of　Illinois；　offered　the　following　resolution　and　demanded　the　previous　question　thereon：

Resolved；　That　the　Committee　on　the　Judiciary　be　discharged　from　the　further　consideration　of　the　question　of　the　Impeachment　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　and　that　the　testimony　already　taken　by　said　committee　be　printed　for　the　use　of　the　House。

The　resolution　was　not　seconded；　and　went　over　under　the　rules。

On　the　25th　of　Nov。　1867；　Mr。　Boutwell　（Rep。）；　on　behalf　of　the　Judiciary　Committee；　submitted　the　report　of　the　majority　of　that　committee；　of　the　testimony　taken　in　behalf　of　the　proposed　impeachment　of　the　President。　The　report　recommended　his　impeachment。

Mr。　Wilson；　submitted　the　report　of　the　minority　of　the　Committee　（himself　and　Mr。　Woodbridge）；　and　moved　the　adoption　of　the　following　resolution：

Resolved；　That　the　Committee　on　the　Judiciary　be　discharged　from　the　further　consideration　of　the　proposed　impeachment　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　and　that　the　subject　be　laid　upon　the　table。

Mr。　Marshall；　on　behalf　of　himself　and　Mr。　Eldridge；　the　two　Democratic　members　of　the　committee；　stated　that　though　they　had　not　signed　the　minority　report　submitted　by　Mr。　Wilson；　they　joined　in　support　of　the　resolution　submitted　by　him；　and　asked　leave　to　introduce　and　have　printed　separate　views。

This；　the　first　session　of　the　Fortieth　Congress；　then　adjourned；　Dec。　2nd；　1867。

The　second　session　of　the　Fortieth　Congress　was　begun　on　the　same　day；　and　on　the　5th；　the　impeachment　question　came　up　in　its　order　in　the　House；　on　the　resolution　reported　from　the　Judiciary　Committee：

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

After　a　brief　discussion　of　the　order　of　business；　the　House　adjourned　for　that　day。

The　debate　was　closed　on　the　6th；　by　Messrs。　Boutwell　and　Wilson；　the　members　of　the　Committee　on　the　Judiciary　having　Charge　of　the　impeachment　measure。　The　closing　passages　of　Mr。　Boutwell's　speech　were　as　follows：

What　is　our　position　to…day？　Can　this　House　and　the　Senate；　with　the　knowledge　they　have　of　the　Presidents　purposes　and　of　the　character　of　the　men　who　surround　him；　give　him　the　necessary　power？　（to　remove　alleged　dishonest　officials。）　Do　they　not　feel　that　if　he　be　alloyed　such　power　these　places　will　be　given　to　worse　men？　Hence；　I　say　that　with　Mr。　Johnson　in　office　from　this　time　until　the　4th　of　March；　1869；　there　is　no　remedy　for　these　grievances。　These　are　considerations　why　we　should　not　hesitate　to　do　that　which　justice　authorizes　us　to　do　if　we　believe　that　the　President　has　been　guilty　of　impeachable　offenses。

Mr。　Speaker；　all　rests　here。　To　this　House　is　given　by　the　Constitution　the　sole　power　of　impeachment；　and　this　power　of　impeachment　furnishes　the　only　means　by　which　we　can　secure　the　execution　of　the　laws；　and　those　of　our　fellow　citizens　who　desire　the　administration　of　the　law　ought　to　sustain　this　House　while　it　executes　that　great　law　which　is　in　its　hands　and　which　is　nowhere　else；　while　it　performs　a　high　and　solemn　duty　resting　on　it　by　which　that　man　who　has　been　the　chief　violator　of　law　shall　be　removed；　and　without　which　there　can　be　no　execution　of　the　law　any　where。　Therefore　the　whole　responsibility；　whatever　it　may　be；　for　the　non…execution　of　the　laws　of　the　country；　is；　（in　the　presence　of　these　great　facts）　upon　this　House。　*　*　*　I　think　that　we　can　not　do　otherwise　than　believe；　that　he　has　disregarded　that　great　injunction　of　the　Constitution　to　take　care　that　the　laws　be　faithfully　executed；　that　there　is　but　one　remedy。　The　remedy　is　with　this　House；　and　it　is　nowhere　else。　If　we　neglect　or　refuse　to　use　our　powers　when　the　case　arises　demanding　decisive　action；　the　Government　ceases　to　be　a　Government　of　law　and　becomes　a　Government　of　men。

Mr。　Wilson；　Chairman　of　the　Committee；　closed　the　debate　in　the　following　remarks：

The　gentleman　from　Massachusetts　has　remarked　that　the　President　may　interfere　with　the　next　Presidential　election　in　the　Southern　States；　that　he　may　station　soldiers　at　the　voting　places　and　overawe　the　loyal　people　of　those　States；　especially　the　colored　vote：　and　we　must；　I　suppose；　guard　against　the　possibility　of　this　by　his　impeachment　and　removal　from　office。　This　position；　if　I　state　it　correctly；　is　startling。　Are　we　to　impeach　the　President　for　what　he　may　do　in　the　future？　Do　our　fears　constitute　in　the　President　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors？　Are　we　to　wander　beyond　the　record　of　this　case　and　found　our　judgment　on　the　possibilities　of　the　future？　This　would　lead　us　beyond　the　conscience　of　this　House。

Sir；　we　must　be　guided　by　some　rule　in　this　grave　proceedingsomething　more　certain　than　an　impossibility　to　arraign　the　President　for　a　specific　crimeand　when　the　gentleman　from　Massachusetts；　in　commenting　on　one　of　the　alleged　offenses　of　the　President；　that　we　could　not　arraign　him　for　the　specific　crime；　he　disclosed　the　weakness　of　the　case　we　are　now　considering。　If　we　cannot　arraign　the　President　for　a　specific　crime；　for　what　are　we　to　proceed　against　him？　For　a　bundle　of　generalities　such　as　we　have　in　the　volume　of　testimony　reported　by　the　committee　to　the　House　in　this　case？　If　we　cannot　state　upon　paper　a　specific　crime；　how　are　we　to　carry　this　case　to　the　Senate　for　trial？

At　the　close　of　his　speech；　Mr。　Wilson　moved　to　lay　the　subject　of　impeachment　on　the　table；　and　the　yeas　and　nays　were　ordered。

Several　motions　were　then　madeto　adjourn；　to　adjourn　to　a　day　certain；　etc。which　with　roll　calls　practically　consumed　the　day；　and　the　motion　of　Mr。　Wilson　went　over。

The　next　day；　Dec。　7th；　the　question　again　came　up　in　its　order；　and　after　several　unsuccessful　attempts　to