history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第24章

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〃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　the　accompanying　resolution。　Thaddeus　Stevens；　George　S。Boutwell；　John　A。　Bingham；　C。　T。　Hulburd；　John　F。　Farnsworth；　F。　C。　Beaman；　H。　E。　Paine。


Resolution　providing　for　the　impeachment　of　Andrew　Johnson；　President　of　the　United　States。

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

The　following　is　a　brief　synopsisof　the　debate　which　ensued：　Mr。　Stevens；　of　Pennsylvania。　Mr。　Speaker；　it　is　not　my　intention　in　the　first　instance　to　discuss　this　question；　and　if　there　be　no　desire　on　the　other　side　to　discuss　it　we　are　willing　that　the　question　should　be　taken　upon　the　knowledge　which　the　House　already　has。　Indeed；　the　fact　of　removing　a　man　from　office　while　the　Senate　was　in　session　without　the　consent　of　the　Senate；　if　there　were　nothing　else；　is　of　itself；　and　always　has　been　considered；　a　high　crime　and　misdemeanor；　and　was　never　before　p　racticed。　But　I　will　not　discuss　this　question　unless　gentlemen　on　the　other　side　desire　to　discuss　it。　It　they　do；　I　shall　for　the　present　give　way　to　them　and　say　what　I　have　to　say　in　conclusion。

Mr。　Brooke；　（Dem。　of　N。　Y。）　Mr。　Speaker；　I　had　hoped　to　have　an　opportunity；　at　least；　to　submit　a　minority　report　before　we　entered　upon　this　august　proceeding　of　impeaching　the　chief　executive　officer　of　this　Government。　Bat　after　a　session　of　the　Committee　on　Reconstruction；　hardly　an　hour　in　length；　violating　an　express　rule　of　this　House　by　sitting　during　the　session…for　Rule　72　provides　that　no　committee　shall　sit　during　the　session　of　the　House　without　special　leave…we　have　been　summoned　upon　a　very　partial　submission　of　facts；　without　any　comprehension；　in　reality；　of　the　charges　which　are　made　against　the　President　of　they　United　States；　upon　a　new　indictment；　in　a　new　form　once　more；　and　in　a　more　alarming　manner　than　ever；　in　this　but　a　partial　Congress；　representing　but　a　section　of　a　portion　of　the　people…in　my　judgment　not　representing　the　people　of　the　United　States　at　allto　act　as　a　grand　jury；　with　a　large　portion　of　that　grand　jury　excluded　from　the　juryroom　here；　and　suddenly；　impromptu　perhaps；　a　vote　is　to　be　forced　this　very　day…to　impeach　the　President　of　the　United　States！

I　am　utterly　inadequate　to　discharge　the　duty　which　has　devolved　upon　me　on　this　august　day；　the　anniversary　of　the　birthday　of　the　Father　of　his　country。　I　am　utterly　unable　upon　this　occasion　either　to　do　my　duty　to　the　people　or　to　express　myself　with　that　deep　solemnity　which　I　feel　in　rising　to　resist　this　untoward；　this　unholy；　this　unconstitutional　proceeding。　Indeed；　I　know　not　why　the　ghost　of　impeachment　hag　appeared　here　in　a　new　form。　We　have　attempted　to　lay　it　hitherto；　and　we　have　successfully　laid　it。　upon　the　floor　of　this　House。　But　a　minority　of　the　party　on　the　other　side；　forcing　its　influence　and　its　power　upon　a　majority　of　a　committee　of　this　House；　has　at　last　succeeded　in　compelling　its　party　to　approach　the　House　itself　in　a　united；　and　therefore　in　a　more　solemn　form；　and　to　demand　the　impeachment　of　the　President　of　the　United　States。

Sir；　we　have　long　been　in　the　midst　of　a　revolution。　Long；　long　has　our　country　been　agitated　by　the　throes　of　that　revolution。　But　we　are　now　approaching　the　last　and　the　final　stage　of　that　revolution　in　which；　like　many　revolutions　that　have　preceded　it。　a　legislative　power　not　representing　the　people　attempts　to　depose　the　executive　power；　and　thus　to　overthrow　that　constitutional　branch　of　the　Government。

There　is　nothing　new　in　all　this。　There　is　nothing　new　in　what　we　are　doing；　for　men　of　the　present　but　repeat　the　history　of　the　past。　We　are　traversing　over　and　over　again　the　days　of　Cromwell　and　Charles　I　and　Charles　II；　and　we　are　traversing　over　and　over　again　the　scenes　of　the　French　revolution；　baptized　in　blood　in　our　introductory　part；　but　I　trust　in　God　never　again　to　be　baptized　by　any　revolutionary　proceeding　on　the　part　of　this　House。

I　have　not　and　never　have　been　a　defender　of　all　the　opinions　of　General　Jackson；　but　those　on　the　other　side　who　pretend　to　hold　him　as　authority　and　those　on　this　side　who　have　ever　held　him　as　authority　will　find　that　in　uttering　the　opinions　which　I　have　I　but　reutter　the　opinions　which　he　advanced　in　his　veto　of　July　10；　1832；　when　he　said：

〃The　Congress；　the　Executive；　and　the　court　must　each　for　itself　be　guided　by　its　own　opinion　of　the　Constitution。　Each　public　officer　who　takes　the　oath　to　support　the　Constitution　swears　that　he　will　support　it　as　he　understands　it；　and　not　as　it　is　understood　by　others。〃

The　President　of　the　United　States　has　given　his　opinion　upon　the　official　tenure…of…office　act　and　upon　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　by　the　appointment　of　Adjutant　General　Thomas　as　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim。　and　because　of　the　exercise　of　that　Constitutional　right　we　are　called　upon　here　at　once　to　pronounce　him　guilty　of　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors　and　to　demand　his　deposition　and　degradation　therefor。　*　*　*　*　*

Mr。　Spalding；　（Rep。　of　Ohi