history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第42章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


he　did　not　propose　to　hold　them　strictly　to　the　letter　of　the　instructions；　but　when　they　wanted　to　go　out　they　could　go　out；　and　when　they　wanted　to　come　in　they　could　come　in；　that　he　regarded　them　all　as　gentlemen。　and　supposed　they…　would　do　their　duty；　and　he　should　require　them　to　do　their　duty；　but　so　far　as　their　little　indulgences　were　concernedI　suppose　such　as　going　out　across　the　street　or　something　of　that　kindhe　did　not　intend　to　interfere　with　them；　all　he　expected　was　that　they　would　do　their　duty。　I　waited　until　he　concluded；　and　we　took　a　walk；　and　I　came　away。

Mr。　Samuel　Wilkinson　testified　in　response　to　an　interrogatory　by　Mr。　Butler：

I　asked　him　（Thomas）　to　tell　me　what　had　occurred　that　morning　between　him　and　the　Secretary　of　War　in　his　endeavor　to　take　possession　of　the　War　Department。　He　hesitated　to　do　so　till　I　told　him　that　the　town　was　filled　with　rumors　of　the　change　that　had　been　made；　of　the　removal　of　Mr。　Stanton　and　the　appointment　of　himself。　He　then　said　that　since　the　affair　had　become　public　he　felt　relieved　to　speak　to　me　with　freedom　about　it。　He　drew　from　his　pocket　a　copy；　or　rather　the　original；　of　the　order　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　directing　him　to　take　possession　of　the　War　Department　immediately。　He　told　me　that　he　had　taken　as　a　witness　of　his　action　General　Williams；　and　had　gone　up　into　the　War　Department　and　had　shown　to　Edwin　M。　Stanton　the　order　of　the　President；　and　had　demanded　by　virtue　of　that　order　the　possession　of　the　War　Department　and　its　books　and　papers。　He　told　me　that　Edwin　M。　Stanton；　after　reading　the　order；　had　asked　him　if　he　would　allow　him　sufficient　time　for　him　to　get　together　his　books；　papers；　and　other　personal　property　and　take　away　with　him；　that　he　told　him　that　he　would　allow　to　him　all　necessary　time　to　do　so；　and　had　then　withdrawn　from　Mr。　Stanton's　room。　He　further　told　me；　that　day　being　Friday；　that　the　next　day　would　be　what　he　called　a　dies　non；　being　the　holiday　of　the　anniversary　of　Washington's　birthday；　when　he　had　directed　that　the　War　Department　should　be　closed；　that　the　day　thereafter　would　be　Sunday；　and　that　on　Monday　morning　he　should　demand　possession　of　the　War　Department　and　of　its　property；　and　if　that　demand　was　refused　or　resisted　he　should　apply　to　the　General…in…Chief　of　the　Army　for　a　force　sufficient　to　enable　him　to　take　possession　of　the　War　Department；　and　he　added　that　he　dd　not　see　how　the　General　of　the　Army　could　refuse　to　obey　his　demand　for　that　force。　He　then　added　that　under　the　order　that　the　President　had　given　to　him　he　had　no　election　to　pursue　any　other　course　than　the　one　that　he　indicated；　that　he　was　a　subordinate　officer　directed　by　an　order　from　a　superior　officer；　and　that　he　must　pursue　that　course。

Hon。　T。　W。　Ferry；　called　by　the　Prosecution；　testified　from　memoranda　taken　down　at　the　time　of　the　demand　of　General　Thomas　for　possession　of　the　War　Office　（Mr。　Ferry　being　present）；　as　follows：

War　Department　Washington；　Feb。　22；　1867。

In　the　presence　of　Secretary　Stanton；　Judge　Kelley；　Morehead；　Dodge；　Van　Wyck；　Van　Horn；　Delano；　and　Freeman　Clarke；　at　25　minutes　past　12　m。；　General　Thomas；　Adjutant…General；　came　into　the　Secretary　of　War　Office；　saying〃Good　morning；〃　the　Secretary　replying　〃Good　morning；　sir。〃　Thomas　looked　around　and　said；　〃I　do　not　wish　to　disturb　you　gentlemen；　and　will　wait。〃　　Stanton　said；　〃Nothing　private　here；　what　do　you　want？〃　Thomas　demanded　of　Secretary　Stanton　the　surrender　of　the　Secretary　of　War　Office。　Stanton　denied　it　to　hint；　and　ordered　him　back　to　his　own　office　as　Adjutant…General。　Thomas　refused　to　go。　〃I　claim　the　office　of　Secretary　of　War；　and　demand　it　by　order　of　the　President。〃

Stanton：　　〃I　deny　your　authority　to　act；　and　order　you　back　to　your　own　office。〃

Thomas：　〃I　will　stand　here。　I　want　no　unpleasantness　in　the　presence　of　these　gentlemen。〃

Stanton：　〃You　can　stand　there　if　you　please；　but　you　can　not　act　as　Secretary　of　War。　I　am　Secretary　of　War。　I　order　you　out　of　this　office　and　to　your　own。〃　Thomas：　〃I　refuse　to　go；　and　will　stand　here。〃

Stanton：　〃How　are　you　to　get　possession？　Do　you　intend　to　use　force？〃

Thomas：　〃I　do　not　care　to　use　force；　but　my　mind　is　made　up　as　to　what　I　shall　do。　I　want　no　unpleasantness；　though。　I　shall　stay　here　and　act　as　Secretary　of　War。〃

Stanton：　〃You　shall　not；　and　I　order　you；　as　your　superior；　back　to　your　own　office。〃

Thomas：　〃I　will　not　obey　you。　but　will　stand　here　and　remain　here。〃

Stanton：　〃You　call　stand　there　if　you　please。　I　order　you　out　of　this　office　to　your　own。　I　am　Secretary　of　War；　and　your　superior。〃

Thomas　then　went　into　opposite　room　across　hall　（General　Schriver's）　and　commenced　ordering　General　Schriver　and　General　Townsend。　Stanton　entered；　followed　by　Moorhead　and　Ferry；　and　ordered　those　generals　not　to　obey　or　pay　any　attention　to　General　Thomas'　orders；　that　he　denied　his　assumed　authority　as　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim；　and　forbade　their　obedience　of　his　directions。　〃I　am　Secretary　of　War；　and　I　now　order　you；　General　Thomas　out　of　this　place　to　your　own　quarters。〃

Thomas：　〃I　will　not　go；　I　shall　discharge　the　functions　of　Secretary　of　War。〃

Stanton：　〃You　will　not。〃

Thomas：　〃I　shall　require　the　mails　of　the　War　Department　to　be　delivered　to　me　and　shall　transact　the　business　of　the　office。〃

Stanton：　〃You　shall　not　have　them；　and　I　order　you　to　your　room。〃

No。　3。

On　Tuesday；　April　2nd；　the　prosecution　pmt　in　evidence　a　letter　front　the　President　to　Gen。　Grant；　dated　Feb。　10；　1868；　in　answer　to　a　prior　letter　front　the　General。　The　President's　letter；　as　introduced　in　evidence；　purported　to　contain　certain　enclosures　relating　to　the　subject　matter　of　the　President's　letter。　The　following　is　that　portion　of　the　President's　letter　which　speaks　of　the　enclosures　accompanying　and　included　therein：

GENERAL：　The　extraordinary　character　of　your　letter　of　the　3rd　instant　would　seem　to　preclude　any　reply　on　my　part；　but　the　manner　in　which　publicity　has　been　given　to　the　correspondence　of　which　that　letter　forms　a　part；　and　the　grave　questions　which　are　involved；　induce　me　to　take　this　mode　of　giving；　as　a　proper　sequel　to　the　communications　which　have　passed　between　its；　the　statements　of　the　five　members　of　the　cabinet　who　were　present　on　the　occasion　of　our　conversation　on　the　14th　ultimo。　Copies　of　the　letters　which　they　have　addressed　to　me　upon　the　subject　are　accordingly　herewith　enclosed。

Counsel　for　the　President　objected　that　the　letter　introduced　by　the　prosecution　was　not　evidence　in　the　case　unless　the　managers　should　also　produce　the　enclosures　therein　referred　to　and　made　a　part　of　the　same。　The　following　was　the　vote　on　sustaining　the　objection：

YeasBayard；　Conkling；　Davis；　Dixon；　Doolittle；　Fowler；　Grimes；　Henderson；　Hendricks；　Johnson；　McCreery；　Morrill　of　Vermont　Norton；　Patterson　of　Tennessee；　Ross；　Sprague；　Trumbull；　Van　Winkle；　Vickers　and　Willey2010　Republicans　and　10　Democrats。

NaysAnthony；　Buckalew；　Cameron；　Cattell；　Chandler；　Cole；　Conness；　Corbett；　Cragin；　Drake；　Edmunds；　Ferry；　Fessenden；　Frelinghuysen；　Howard；　Howe；　Morgan；　Morrill　of　Maine；　Nye；　Patterson　of　New　Hampshire；　Pomeroy；　Ramsay；　Sherman；　Stewart；　Sumner；　Thayer；　Tipton；　Williams；　and　Wilson2928　Republicans　and　1　Democrat。

So　the　evidence　offered　by　the　prosecution　was　admitted　as　offered；　without　the　enclosures　referred　to；　the　objection　by　the　defense　not　being　sustained。　（For　these　rejected　enclosures　see　appendix。）

No。　4。

The　prosecution　offered　to　prove　（Mr。　Geo。　A。　Wallace；　of　the　Treasury　Department；　on　the　stand）：

That　after　the　President　had　determined　on　the　removal　of　Mr。　Stanton；　Secretary　of　War；　in　spite　of　the　action　of　the　Senate；　there　being　no　vacancy　in　the　office　of　Assistant　Secretary　of　the　Treasury；　the　President　unlawfully　appointed　his　friend　and　theretofore　private　secretary；　Edmund　Cooper；　to　that　position；　as　one　of　the　means　by　which　he　intended　to　defeat　the　tenure　of　civil　office　act　and　other　laws　of　Congress。

After　debate　and　Mr。　Wallace's　answer　in　explanation　of　the　usages　of　the　department　in　the　disbursement　of　moneys；　during　which　it　was　shown　that　no　moneys　could　be　drawn　out