history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第19章

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ood　deal　in　conference　between　myself　and　the　Quartermaster　General。　My　own　views；　that　the　great　object　on　the　part　of　the　Government；　was　to　get　these　roads　operated；　and　that　to　go　into　an　inquiry　as　to　the　cost　of　construction；　would　be　impracticable；　either　as　to　the　cost　of　construction　or　as　to　any　certain　rule　of　compensation；　because　many　of　them　were　constructed　under　the　pressure　of　war；　and　for　temporary　Purposes。　The　object　of　arriving　at　the　cash　value　or　equivalent　for　the　roads　was　not　only　impracticable；　but　really　of　very　little　practical　interest　in　comparison　with　the　great　end　of　having　the　channels　of　commerce　in　the　rebel　states　opened　and　carried　on；　with　a　view　of　getting　out　their　produce；　furnishing　supplies；　and　getting　commerce　in　its　regular　channels。　In　my　own　view；　that　appeared　to　be　the　most；　certain　and　most　speedy　system　of　reconstruction　we　could　adopt；　and　that　it　would　tend　more　to　establish　harmony　than　any　other　thing　that　could　be　done　by　the　Government。　In　view　of　all　this；　and　after　the　most　deliberate　consideration　we　could　give　it；　it　was　the　opinion　of　the　Quartermaster　General　and　myselfcertainly　my　ownthat　it　would　be　impracticable　to　make　any　distinction：　and　so　far　as　I　know；　no　distinction　was　made　in　any　part　of　the　country　in　reference　to　roads　built　by　the　Government　and　roads　that　had　been　constructed　by　Companies　before　the　war　commenced。

Mr。　Stanton　was　asked　this　question：

Suppose　the　Government；　at　his　own　expense；　had　constructed　seventy　miles　of　railroad　in　one　of　the　rebel　States；　and　that；　at　the　close　of　the　war；　a　company　should　apply　to　the　Executive　Department　of　the　Government　for　a　transfer　of　the　road　so　constructed　to　it；　by　what　authority　or　provision　of　law　would　Executive　Department　be　authorized　to　transfer　the　road　so　constructed　to　the　company　making　the　application？

Mr。　Stanton　answered：

I　do　not　know　of　any　act　of　Congress　that　directly；　in　terms；　would　authorize　any　such　transfer；　but　regarding　the　construction　of　the　road；　in　time　of　war；　simply　as　a　means；　or　instrument；　of　carrying　on　war；　when　the　war　was　over　I　would　consider　it　strictly　proven　and　within　the　scope　of　the　power　of　the　General　Commanding；　or　especially　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　as　the　Commander…in…Chief　of　the　Army；　to　render　that　instrument　as　available　for　peace　purposes　as　possible。　And　inasmuch　as　the　road　would　be　entirely　useless　unless　it　was　operated；　and　it　would　be　for　the　benefit　and　interest　of　the　public；　to　have　it　operated　as　speedily　as　possible；　I　think　it　would　be　in　the　interest　of　a　wise　discretion；　and　exercising　proper　authority；　to　turn　over　that　road　to　any　company　or　individual　who　would　operate　it；　for；　in　that　way；　he　would　be　applying　the　war　material　to　the　only　available　use　to　which　it　could　be　applied。　*　*　*　I　would　regard　the　rolling　stock　as　coming；　to　a　certain　extent；　within　the　same　principle。　*　*　*　No　transfer　of　title　was　at　any　time　made；　so　far　as　I　know；　or　could　be　made；　but　only　possession　turned　over。　When　the　military　use　was　no　longer　required；　the　railroads　were　turned　over　to　their　original　owners；　or　their　representatives；　with　permission　to　use　them。　These　railroads；　their　plant　and　track　fixtures；　real　property；　of　which　the　military　authorities　had　only　the　possessory　right　and　use；　but　the　rolling　stock　and　equipments；　and　iron　not　laid　down；　were　personal　property；　which；　by　capture；　or　purchase；　or　construction；　belonged　to　the　United　States。　Sale　could　be　made；　and　was　made；　of　the　personal　property　at　values　estimated　by　the　proper　officers。　That　which　constituted　real　estate；　to…wit；　the　railroad　track；　fixtures；　etc。；　the　military　authorities　might　abandon　altogether；　or　relinquish　control　and　turn　over　possession　to　those　who　would　make　a　beneficial　use　of　it　by　working　the　road。　Being　in　the　nature　of　real　estate；　no　title　of　the　Government　or　of　other　persons　could　be　divested　and　conveyed　by　military　authority；　but　only　the　control　relinquished　and　the　use　permitted　during　the　existence　of　military　authority　in　the　department　where　the　roads　were　situated。

The　trend　of　a　large　portion　of　the　testimony　of　witnesses　called　by　this　committee　to　testify　as　to　the　charges　preferred　against　Mr。　Johnson　and　relating　to　other　allegations　of　the　indictment；　quite　clearly　indicated　that　the　charges　were　based　solely　upon　common　street　rumor；　invented　and　given　currency　in　partisan　antagonism　and　for　partisan　purposes；　and　that　the　witnesses　were　called　in　the　hope　and　expectation；　on　the　part　of　the　majority　of　the　House；　of　developing　proof　of　disloyalty　and　corruption　on　the　part　of　the　President；　and；　if　not　criminal　connivance；　at　least；　criminal　knowledge　of　a　conspiracy　for　the　assassination　of　Mr。　Lincoln。

But　these　expectations　and　hopes；　in　all　respects；　were　so　utterly　disappointed；　that　there　was　pathos；　at　least；　as　the　investigation　was　protracted　from　month　to　month；　with　no　indication　of　the　hoped　for　development；　in　the　despondent　inquiry　of　Mr。　Thaddeus　Stevens　to　one　of　his　colleagues　of　the　Impeachment　Committee；　as　the　inquest　approached　a　close　without　results〃Well；　HAVE　YOU　GOT　ANYTHING；　ANYHOW？〃　It　was　more　an　ejaculation　of　anger　and　disgust　at　failure；　than　a　query　of　one　seeking　hoped　for　information。



CHAPTER　V。　THE　TENURE…OF…OFFICE　ACT。

ITS　HISTORY　AND　PURPOSETHE　PRESIDENTS　VETO　MESSAGE。

Mr。　Johnson's　alleged　violation　of　the　act　of　Congress　known　as　the　Tenure…of…Office　Act；　constituted　the　ostensible　basis　of　his　impeachment　in　1868。　As　stated；　it　had　been　passed　for　the　purpose　of　restricting　the　power　of　the　President　over　Executive　appointments。　That　Act；　therefore；　becomes　a　very　important　and　conspicuous　incident　in　the　impeachment　affair；　as　its　alleged　violation　constituted　the　only　material　accusation；　set　out　in　various　forms；　in　the　entire　list　of　charges。

The　proceedings　had　on　the　passage　of　that　bill　are　inserted　at　some　length　here；　as　a　technical　knowledge　of　its　history；　character　and　purpose；　is　essential　to　a　correct　apprehension　of　the　controversy　that　had　arisen　between　the　President　and　Congress。

The　Tenure…of…Office　bill　was　introduced　in　the　Senate　by　Mr。　Williams；　of　Oregon；　Dec。　3rd；　1866；　and　on　the　5th　was　referred　to　the　Committee　on　Retrenchment。　On　the　10th　Mr。　Edmunds；　in　the　name　of　the　committee；　reported　it　back　to　the　Senate　with　the　following　remarks：

The　joint　select　Committee　on　Retrenchment；　to　whom　was　referred　the　bill　to　regulate　the　tenure　of　offices；　have　had　the　same　under　consideration；　and　have　instructed　me　to　report　the　bill　back；　with　a　recommendation　of　certain　amendments；　which　being　adopted；　the　committee　are　of　the　opinion　that　the　bill　ought　to　pass。　I　beg　leave　to　say　in　connection　with　this　report　that　we　have　reported　this　bill　and　these　amendments　regulating　removals　from　office　and　appointments　to　office　so　far　as　concerns　officers　whose　nominations　require　the　confirmation　of　the　Senate；　and　have　adopted　what　appears　to　us　to　be　a　feasible　scheme　in　that　respect；　in　no　spirit　of　hostility　to　any　party　or　administration　whatever；　but　in　what　we　conceive　to　be　the　true　Republican　interest　of　the　country；　under　all　administrations；　under　the　domination　of　all　parties　in　the　growth　which　is　before　us　in　the　future；　and　in　that　spirit　I　shall　ask　the　attention　of　the　Senate　to　the　bill　when　it　comes　to　be　considered。　I　move　that　the　amendment　be　printed；　and　that　the　bill　be　made　the　special　order　for　Thursday　next；　at　one　o'clock。

On　the　10th　of　January；　1867；　on　motion　of　Mr。　Edmunds；　the　bill　was　taken　up　for　consideration。　As　the　first　section　of　the　bill　was　the　only　portion　over　which　there　was　any　serious　controversy；　or　pertinent　to　this　recital；　only　that　section　is　produced　here。　It　is　as　follows：

That　every　person　（excepting　the　Secretaries　of　State；　of　the　Treasury；　of　War；　of　the　Navy；　and　of　the　Interior；　the　Postmaster　General；　and　the　Attorney　General）；　holding　any　civil　office　to　which　he　has　been　appointed　by　and　with　the　advice　and　consent　of　the　Senate；　and　every　person　who　shall　hereafter　be　appointed　to　any　such　office；　and　shall　become　duly　qualified　to　act　therein；　i