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History　of　the　Impeachment　of　Andrew　Johnson；　President　of　the
United　States

by　Edmund　G。　Ross



PREFACE。

Little　is　now　known　to　the　general　public　of　the　history　of　the　attempt　to　remove　President　Andrew　Johnson　in　1868；　on　his　impeachment　by　the　House　of　Representatives　and　trial　by　the　Senate　for　alleged　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors　in　office；　or　of　the　causes　that　led　to　it。　Yet　it　was　one　of　the　most　important　and　critical　events；　involving　possibly　the　gravest　consequences；　in　the　entire　history　of　the　country。

The　constitutional　power　to　impeach　and　remove　the　President　had　lain　dormant　since　the　organization　of　the　Government；　and　apparently　had　never　been　thought　of　as　a　means　for　the　satisfaction　of　political　enmities　or　for　the　punishment　of　alleged　executive　misdemeanors；　even　in　the　many　heated　controversies　between　the　President　and　Congress　that　had　theretofore　arisen。　Nor　would　any　attempt　at　impeachment　have　been　made　at　that　time　but　for　the　great　numerical　disparity　then　existing　between　the　respective　representatives　in　Congress　of　the　two　political　parties　of　the　country。

One…half　the　members　of　that　Congress；　both　House　and　Senate；　are　now　dead；　and　with　them　have　also　gone　substantially　the　same　proportion　of　the　people　at　large；　but　many　of　the　actors　therein　who　have　passed　away；　lived　long　enough　to　see；　and　were　candid　enough　to　admit；　that　the　failure　of　the　impeachment　had　brought　no　harm　to　the　country；　while　the　general　judgment　practically　of　all　has　come　to　be　that　a　grave　and　threatening　danger　was　thereby　averted。

A　new　generation　is　now　in　control　of　public　affairs　and　the　destinies　of　the　Nation　have　fallen　to　new　hands。　New　issues　have　developed　and　will　continue　to　develop　from　time　to　time；　and　new　dangers　will　arise；　with　increasing　numbers　and　changing　conditions；　demanding　in　their　turn　the　same　careful　scrutiny；　wisdom　and　patriotism　in　adjustment。　But　the　principles　that　underlie　and　constitute　the　basis　of　our　political　organism；　are　and　will　remain　the　same；　and　will　never　cease　to　demand　constant　vigilance　for　their　perpetuation　as　the　rock　of　safety　upon　which　our　federative　system　is　founded。

To　those　who　in　the　study　of　the　country's　past　seek　a　broader　and　higher　conception　of　the　duties　of　American　citizenship；　the　facts　pertaining　to　the　controversy　between　the　Executive　and　Congress　as　to　the　restoration　and　preservation　of　the　Union；　set　out　in　the　following　pages；　will　be　interesting　and　instructive。　No　one　is　better　fitted　than　the　author　of　this　volume　to　discuss　the　period　of　reconstruction　in　which；　as　a　member　of　the　Federal　senate；　he　played　so　potent　and　patriotic　a　part；　and　it　is　a　pleasure　to　find　that　he　has　discharged　his　task　with　so　much　ability　and　care。　But　it　is　profoundly　hoped　that　no　coming　generation　will　be　called　upon　to　utilize　the　experiences　of　the　past　in　facing　in　their　day；　in　field　or　forum；　the　dangers　of　disruption　and　anarchy；　mortal　strife　and　desolation；　between　those　of　one　race；　and　blood；　and　nationality；　that　marked　the　history　of　America　thirty　years　ago。

DAVID　B。　HILL。



CHAPTER　1。　THE　PROBLEM　OF　RECONSTRUCTION。

MR。　LINCOLN'S　PLAN

The　close　of　the　War　of　the　Rebellion；　in　1865；　found　the　country　confronted　by　a　civil　problem　quite　as　grave　as　the　contest　of　arms　that　had　been　composed。　It　was　that　of　reconstruction；　or　the　restoration　of　the　States　lately　in　revolt；　to　their　constitutional　relations　to　the　Union。

The　country　had　just　emerged　from　a　gigantic　struggle　of　physical　force　of　four　years　duration　between　the　two　great　Northern　and　Southern　sections。　That　struggle　had　been　from　its　inception　to　its　close；　a　continuing　exhibition；　on　both　sides；　of　stubborn　devotion　to　a　cause；　and　its　annals　had　been　crowned　with　illustrations　of　the　grandest　race　and　personal　courage　the　history　of　the　world　records。　Out　of　a　population　of　thirty　million　people；　four　million　men　were　under　arms；　from　first　to　last；　and　sums　of　money　quite　beyond　the　limit　of　ordinary　comprehension；　were　expended　in　its　prosecution。　There　was　bloodshed　without　stint。　Both　sides　to　the　conflict　fought　for　an　ideaon　the　one　side　for　so…called　State　Rights　and　local　self…governmenton　the　other　for　national　autonomy　as　the　surest　guaranty　of　all　rightspersonal；　local；　and　general。

The　institution　of　negro　slavery；　the　basis　of　the　productive　industries　of　the　States　of　the　South；　which　had　from　the　organization　of　the　Government　been　a　source　of　friction　between　the　slave…holding　and　nonslave…holding　sections；　and　was　in　fact　the　underlying　and　potent　cause　of　the　war；　went　under　in　the　strife　and　was　by　national　edict　forever　prohibited。

The　struggle　being　ended　by　the　exhaustion　of　the　insurgents；　two　conspicuous　problems　demanding　immediate　solution　were　developed：　The　status　of　the　now　ex…slaves；　or　freedmenand　the　methods　to　be　adopted　for　the　rehabilitation　of　the　revolted　States；　including　the　status　of　the　revolted　States　themselves。　The　sword　had　declared　that　they　had　no　constitutional　power　to　withdraw　from　the　Union；　and　the　result　demonstrated　that　they　had　not　the　physical　powerand　therefore　that　they　were　in　the　anomalous　condition　of　States　of　though　not　States　technically　in　the　Unionand　hence　properly　subject　to　the　jurisdiction　of　the　General　Government；　and　bound　by　its　judgment　in　any　measures　to　be　instituted　by　it　for　their　future　restoration　to　their　former　condition　of　co…equal　States。

The　now　ex…slaves　had　been　liberated；　not　with　the　consent　of　their　former　owners；　but　by　the　power　of　the　conqueror　as　a　war　measure；　who　not　unnaturally　insisted　upon　the　right　to　declare　absolutely　the　future　status　of　these　persons　without　consultation　with　or　in　any　way　by　the　intervention　of　their　late　owners。　The　majority　of　the　gentlemen　in　Congress　representing　the　Northern　States　demanded　the　instant　and　complete　enfranchisement　of　these　persons；　as　the　natural　and　logical　sequence　of　their　enfreedment。　The　people　of　the　late　slave　States；　as　was　to　have　been　foreseen；　and　not　without　reason；　objectedespecially　where；　as　was　the　case　in　many　localities；　the　late　slaves　largely　out…numbered　the　people　of　the　white　race：　and　it　is　apparent　from　subsequent　developments　that　they　had　the　sympathy　of　President　Lincoln；　at　least　so　far　as　to　refuse　his　sanction　to　the　earlier　action　of　Congress　relative　to　restoration。

To　add　to　the　gravity　of　the　situation　and　of　the　problem　of　reconstruction；　the　people　of　the　States　lately　in　rebellion　were　disfranchised　in　a　mass；　regardless　of　the　fact　that　many　of　them　refused　to　sanction　the　rebellion　only　so　far　as　was　necessary　to　their　personal　safety。

It　was　insisted　by　the　dominant　element　of　the　party　in　control　of　Congress；　that　these　States　were　dead　as　political　entities；　having　committed　political　suicide；　and　their　people　without　rights　or　the　protection　of　law；　as　malcontents。

It　is　of　record　that　Mr。　Lincoln　objected　to　this　doctrine；　and　to　all　propositions　that　contemplated　the　treatment　of　the　late　rebellious　States　simply　as　conquered　provinces　and　their　people　as　having　forfeited　all　rights　under　a　common　government；　and　under　the　laws　of　Nations　entitled　to　no　concessions；　or　even　to　consideration；　in　any　proposed　measures　of　restoration。　That　he　had　no　sympathy　with　that　theory　is　evidenced　by　the　plan　of　restoration　he　attempted　to　establish　in　Louisiana。

It　was　at　this　point　that　differences　arose　between　Mr。　Lincoln　and　his　party　in　Congress；　which　became　more　or　less　acute　prior　to　his　death　and　continued　between　Congress　and　Mr。　Johnson　on　his　attempt　to　carry　out　Mr。　Lincoln's　plans　for　restoration。

The　cessation　of　hostilities　in　the　field　thus　developed　a　politico…economic　problem　which　had　never　before　confronted　any　nation　in　such　magnitude　and　gravity。　The　situation　was　at　once　novel；　unprecedented；　and　in　more　senses　than　one；　alarming。　Without　its　due　and　timely　solution　there　was　danger　of　still　farther　disturbance　of　a　far　different　and　more　alarming　character　than　that　of　arms　but　lately　ceased；　and　of　a　vastly　more　insidious　and　dangerous　complexion。　The　war　had　been　fought　in　the　open。　The　record　of　the　more　than　two　thousand　field　and　naval　engagements　that　had　marked　its　progress　and　the　march　of　the　Union　armies　to　success；　were　heralded　day　by　day　to　every　household；　and　all　could　forecast　its　trend　and　its　results。　But　the　controversy　now　developed　was　insidiousits　influences；　its　weapons；　its　designs；　and　its　possible　end；　were　in　a　measure　hidden　from　the　publicpublic　opinion　was　divided；　and　its　results；　for　good　or　ill；　problematical。　The　wisest　political　sagacity　and　the　broadest　statesmanship　possible　were　needed；　and　in　their　application　no　time　was　to　be　lost。

In　his　annual　message　to　Congress；　December　8th；　1863；　Mr。　Lincoln　had　to　a　considerable　extent　outlined　his　plan　of　Reconstruction；　principally　by　a　recital　of　what　he　had　already　done　in　that　direction。　That　part　of　his　message　pertinent　to　this　connection　is　reproduced　here　to　illustrate　the　broad；　humane；　national　and　patriotic　purpose　that　actuated　him；　quite　as　well　as　his　lack　of　sympathy　with　the　extreme　partisan　aims　and　methods　that　c