history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第51章

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nt　proofs；　the　President　MUST　step　down　and　out　of　his　place；　the　highest　and　most　honorable　and　honoring　in　dignity　and　sacredness　of　trust　in　the　constitution　of　human　government；　a　disgraced　man　and　a　political　pariah。　If　so　cast　upon　insufficient　proofs　or　from　partisan　considerations；　the　office　of　President　of　the　United　States　would　be　degradedcease　to　be　a　coordinate　branch　of　the　Government；　and　ever　after　subordinated　to　the　legislative　will。　It　would　have　practically　revolutionized　our　splendid　political　fabric　into　a　partisan　Congressional　autocracy。　Apolitical　tragedy　was　imminent。

On　the　other　hand；　that　vote　properly　given　for　acquittal；　would　at　once　free　the　Presidential　office　from　imputed　dishonor　and　strengthen　our　triple　organization　and　distribution　of　powers　and　responsibilities。　It　would　preserve　the　even　tenor　and　courses　of　administration；　and　effectively　impress　upon　the　world　a　conviction　of　the　strength　and　grandeur　of　Republican　institutions　in　the　hands　of　a　free　and　enlightened　people。

The　occasion　was　sublimely　and　intensely　dramatic。　The　President　of　the　United　States　was　on　trial。　The　Chief　Justice　of　the　Supreme　Court　was　presiding　over　the　deliberations　of　the　Senate　sitting　for　the　trial　of　the　great　cause。　The　board　of　management　conducting　the　prosecution　brought　by　the　House　of　Representatives　was　a　body　of　able　and　illustrious　politicians　and　statesmen。　The　President's　counsel；　comprising　jurists　among　the　most　eminent　of　the　country；　had　summed　up　for　the　defense　and　were　awaiting　final　judgment。　The　Senate；　transformed　for　the　occasion　into　an　extraordinary　judicial　tribunal；　the　highest　known　to　our　laws；　the　Senators　at　once　judges　and　jurors　with　power　to　enforce　testimony　and　sworn　to　hear　all　the　facts　bearing　upon　the　case；　was　about　to　pronounce　that　judgment。

The　organization　of　the　court　had　been　severely　Democratic。　There　were　none　of　the　usual　accompaniments　of　royalty　or　exclusivism　considered　essential　under　aristocratic　forms　to　impress　the　people　with　the　dignity　and　gravity　of　a　great　occasion。　None　of　these　were　necessary；　for　every　spectator　was　an　intensely　interested　witness　to　the　proceeding；　who　must　bear　each　for　himself；　the　public　consequences　of　the　verdict；　whatever　they　might　be；　equally　with　every　member　of　the　court。

The　venerable　Chief　Justice；　who　had　so　ably　and　impartially　presided　through　the　many　tedious　weeks　of　the　trial　now　about　to　close；　was　in　his　place　and　called　the　Senate　to　order。

The　impressive　dignity　of　the　occasion　was　such　that　there　was　little　need　of　the　admonition　of　the　Chief　Justice　to　abstention　from　conversation　on　the　part　of　the　audience　during　the　proceeding。　No　one　there　present；　whether　friend　or　opponent　of　the　President；　could　have　failed　to　be　impressed　with　the　tremendous　consequences　of　the　possible　result　of　the　prosecution　about　to　be　reached。　The　balances　were　apparently　at　a　poise。　It　was　plain　that　a　single　vote　would　be　sufficient　to　turn　the　scales　either　wayto　evict　the　President　from　his　great　office　to　go　the　balance　of　his　life's　journey　with　the　brand　of　infamy　upon　his　brow；　or　be　relieved　at　once　from　the　obloquy　the　inquisitors　had　sought　to　put　upon　himand　more　than　all　else；　to　keep　the　honorable　roll　of　American　Presidents　unsmirched　before　the　world；　despite　the　action　of　the　House。

The　first　vote　was　on　the　Eleventh　and　last　Article　of　the　Impeachment。　Senators　voted　in　alphabetical　order；　and　each　arose　and　stood　at　his　desk　as　his　name　was　called　by　the　Chief　Clerk。　To　each　the　Chief　Justice　propounded　the　solemn　interrogatory〃Mr。　Senator；　how　say　youis　the　respondent；　Andrew　Johnson；　President　of　the　United　States；　guilty　or　not　guilty　of　a　high　misdemeanor　as　charged　in　this　Article？〃

Mr。　Fessenden；　of　Maine；　was　the　first　of　Republican　Senators　to　vote　〃Not　Guilty。〃　He　had　long　been　a　safe　and　trusted　leader　in　the　Senate；　and　had　the　unquestioning　confidence　of　his　partisan　colleagues；　while　his　long　experience　in　public　life；　and　his　great　ability　as　a　legislator；　and　more　especially　his　exalted　personal　character；　had　won　for　him　the　admiration　of　all　his　associates　regardless　of　political　affiliations。　Being　the　first　of　the　dissenting　Republicans　to　vote；　the　influence　of　his　action　was　feared　by　the　impeachers；　and　most　strenuous　efforts　had　been　made　to　induce　him　to　retract　the　position　he　had　taken　to　vote　against　conviction。　But　being　moved　on　this　occasion；　as　he　had　always　been　on　others；　to　act　upon　his　own　judgment　and　conviction；　though　foreseeing　that　this　vote　would　probably　end　a　long　career　of　conspicuous　public　usefulness；　there　was　no　sign　of　hesitancy　or　weakness　as　he　pronounced　his　verdict。

Mr。　Fowler；　of　Tennessee；　was　the　next　Republican　to　vote　〃Not　Guilty。〃　He　had　entered　the　Senate　but　two　years　before；　and　was　therefore　one　of　the　youngest　Senators；　with　the　promise　of　a　life　of　political　usefulness　before　him。　Though　from　the　same　State　as　the　President；　they　were　at　political　variance；　and　there　was　but　little　in　common　between　them　in　other　respects。　A　radical　partisan　in　all　measures　where　radical　action　seemed　to　be　called　for；　he　was　for　the　time　being　sitting　in　a　judicial　capacity　and　under　an　oath　to　do　justice　to　the　accused　according　to　the　law　and　the　evidence。　As　in　his　judgment　the　evidence　did　not　sustain　the　charge　against　the　President　such　was　his　verdict。

Mr。　Grimes；　of　Iowa；　was　the　third　anti…impeaching　Republican　to　vote。　He　had　for　many　years　been　a　conspicuous　and　deservedly　influential　member　of　the　Senate。　For　some　days　prior　to　the　taking　of　the　vote　he　had　been　stricken　with　what　afterwards　proved　a　fatal　illness。　The　scene　presented　as　he　rose　to　his　feet　supported　on　the　arms　of　his　colleagues；　was　grandly　heroic；　and　one　never　before　witnessed　in　a　legislative　chamber。　Though　realizing　the　danger　he　thus　incurred；　and　conscious　of　the　political　doom　that　would　follow　his　vote；　and　having　little　sympathy　with　the　policies　pursued　by　the　President；　he　had　permitted　himself　to　be　borne　to　the　Senate　chamber　that　he　might　contribute　to　save　his　country　from　what　he　deemed　the　stain　of　a　partisan　and　unsustained　impeachment　of　its　Chief　Magistrate。　Men　often　perform；　in　the　excitement　and　glamour　of　battle；　great　deeds　of　valor　and　self　sacrifice　that　live　after　them　and　link　their　names　with　the　honorable　history　of　great　events；　but　to　deliberately　face　at　once　inevitable　political　as　well　as　physical　death　in　the　council　hall；　and　in　the　absence　of　charging　squadrons；　and　shot　and　shell；　and　of　the　glamor　of　military　heroism；　is　to　illustrate　the　grandest　phase　of　human　courage　and　devotion　to　convictions。　That　was　the　part　performed　by　Mr。　Grimes　on　that　occasion。　His　vote　of　〃Not　Guilty〃　was　the　last；　the　bravest；　the　grandest；　and　the　most　patriotic　public　act　of　his　life。

Mr。　Henderson　of　Missouri；　was　the　fourth　Republican　Senator　to　vote　against　the　impeachment。　A　gentleman　of　rare　industry　and　ability；　and　a　careful；　conscientious　legislator；　he　had　been　identified　with　the　legislation　of　the　time　and　had　reached　a　position　of　deserved　prominence　and　influence。　But　he　was　learned　in　the　law；　and　regardful　of　his　position　as　a　just　and　discriminating　judge。　Though　then　a　young　man　with　a　brilliant　future　before　him；　he　had　sworn　to　do　justice　to　Andrew　Johnson　〃according　to　the　Constitution　and　law；〃　and　his　verdict　of　〃Not　Guilty〃　was　given　with　the　same　deliberate　emphasis　that　characterized　all　his　utterances　on　the　floor　of　the　Senate。

Mr。　Ross；　of　Kansas；　was　the　fifth　Republican　Senator　to　vote　〃Not　Guilty。〃　Representing　an　intensely　Radical　constituencyentering　the　Senate　but　a　few　months　after　the　close　of　a　three　years　enlistment　in　the　Union　Army　and　not　unnaturally　imbued　with　the　extreme　partisan　views　and　prejudices　against　Mr。　Johnson　then　prevailinghis　predilections　were　sharply　against　the　President；　and　his　vote　was　counted　upon　accordingly。　But　he　had　sworn　to　judge　the　defendant　not　by　his　political　or　personal　prejudices；　but　by　the　facts　elicited　in　the　investigation。　In　his　judgment　those　facts　did　not　sustain　the　charge。

Mr。　Trumbull；　of　Illinois；　was　the　sixth　Republican　Senato