history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第14节

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fter　the　close　of　the　war。

But　when　the　fight　was　on；　an　overwhelmingly　partisan　House；　as　a　last　resort；　in　the　hope　of　at　once　ending；　by　removal；　all　opposition　on　the　part　of　the　President　to　the　views　and　aims　of　the　dominant　party　in　Congress；　resorted　to　the　first　project　of　impeachment　set　out　in　the　succeeding　chapter。



CHAPTER　IV。　FIRST　ATTEMPT　TO　IMPEACH　THE　PRESIDENT。

THE　ASHLEY　INDICTMENT。

The　initiation　of　formal　proceedings　for　the　impeachment　and　removal　of　President　Johnson　occurred　in　the　House　of　Representatives　on　January　7th；　1867；　in　the　introduction　of　three　separate　resolutions　for　his　impeachment；　by　Messrs。　Loan　and　Kelso；　of　Missouri；　and　Mr。　Ashley　of　Ohio。　As　Mr。　Ashley's　Resolution　was　the　only　one　acted　on　by　the　House；　only　the　proceedings　had　thereon　are　here　given；　as　follows：

Mr。　Speaker：I　rise　to　perform　a　painful　but；　nevertheless；　to　me；　an　imperative　duty；　a　duty　which　I　think　ought　not　longer　to　be　postponed；　and　which　cannot；　without　criminality　on　our　part；　be　neglected。　I　had　hoped；　sir；　that　this　duty　would　have　devolved　upon　an　older　and　more　experienced　member　of　this　House　than　myself。　Prior　to　our　adjournment　I　asked　a　number　of　gentlemen　to　offer　the　resolution　which　I　introduced；　but　upon　which　I　failed　to　obtain　a　suspension　of　the　rules。

Confident；　sir；　that　the　loyal　people　of　this　country　demand　the　adoption　of　some　such　proposition　as　I　am　about　to　submit；　I　am　determined　that　no　effort　on　my　part　shall　be　wanting　to　see　that　their　expectations　are　not　disappointed。　*　*　*　On　my　responsibility　as　a　Representative；　and　in　the　presence　of　this　House；　and　before　the　American　people；　I　charge　Andrew　Johnson；　Vice　President　and　acting　President　of　the　United　States；　with　the　commission　of　acts　which　in　contemplation　of　the　Constitution；　are　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors；　for　which；　in　my　judgment；　he　ought　to　be　impeached。　I　therefore　submit　the　following：

I　do　impeach　Andrew　Johnson；　Vice　President　and　acting　President　of　the　United　States；　of　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors：

I　charge　him　with　a　usurpation　of　power　and　violation　of　law：

In　that　he　has　corruptly　used　the　appointing　power；

In　that　he　has　corruptly　used　the　pardoning　power；

In　that　he　has　corruptly　used　the　veto　power；

In　that　he　has　corruptly　disposed　of　public　property　of　the　United　States；

In　that　he　has　corruptly　interfered　in　elections；　and　committed　acts　which；　in　contemplation　of　the　Constitution；　are　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors：　Therefore；

BE　IT　RESOLVED；　That　the　Committee　on　the　Judiciary　be；　and　they　are　hereby；　authorized　to　inquire　into　the　official　conduct　of　Andrew　Johnson；　Vice　President　of　the　United　States；　discharging　the　powers　and　duties　of　the　office　of　President　of　the　United　States；　and　to　report　to　this　House；　whether；　in　their　opinion；　the　said　Andrew　Johnson；　while　in　said　office；　has　been　guilty　of　acts　which　are　designed　or　calculated　to　overthrow；　subvert；　or　corrupt　the　Government　of　the　United　States；　or　any　department　or　office　thereof；　and　whether　the　said　Andrew　Johnson　has　been　guilty　of　any　act；　or　has　conspired　with　others　to　do　acts；　which；　in　contemplation　of　the　Constitution；　are　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors；　requiring　the　interposition　of　the　constitutional　power　of　this　House；　and　that　said　committee　have　power　to　send　for　persons　and　papers；　and　to　administer　the　customary　oath　to　witnesses。

The　question　was　taken　on　agreeing　to　the　Resolution；　and　it　was　decided　in　the　affirmativeyeas　107；　nays　39；　not　voting　45。

On　the　2nd　of　March；　1867；　the　subject　of　impeachment　again　came　up　in　the　House；　and　the　following　proceedings　were　had：

Mr。　Wilson；　of　Iowa；　（Rep。）I　am　directed　by　the　Committee　on　the　Judiciary　to　present　a　report　relative　to　the　official　conduct　of　the　President　of　the　United　States。

Mr。　Eldridge；　（Dem。）Mr。　Speaker；　I　wish　to　raise　a　question　of　order：　I　see　by　the　clock　that　it　is　almost　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　I　believe　this　is　the　Sabbath　day。　I　think　we　should　not　do　any　more　business　tonight；　except　it　be　business　of　necessity　or　charity。

The　Speaker。This；　in　parliamentary　view；　is　Saturday。　The　clerk　will　read　the　report　submitted　by　the　gentleman　from　Iowa。

The　clerk　read　as　follows：

The　Committee　on　the　Judiciary；　charged　by　the　House　with　examination　of　certain　allegations；　of　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors　against　the　President　of　the　United　States；　submit　the　following　report：

On　the　7th　day　of　January；　1867；　the　House；　on　the　motion　of　the　Hon。　James　M。　Ashley；　a　Representative　from　the　State　of　Ohio；　adopted　the　following　preamble　and　resolutions；　to…wit：

The　duty　imposed　upon　this　committee　by　this　action　of　the　House；　was　of　the　highest　and　gravest　character。　No　committee　during　the　entire　history　of　the　Government；　has　ever　been　charged　with　a　more　important　trust。　The　responsibility　which　it　imposed　was　of　oppressive　weight；　and　of　a　most　unpleasant　nature。　Gladly　would　the　committee　have　escaped　from　the　arduous　labor　imposed　upon　it　by　the　Resolution　of　the　House；　but　once　imposed；　prompt；　deliberate；　and　faithful　action；　with　a　view　to　correct　results；　became　its　duty；　and　to　this　end　it　has　directed　its　efforts。

Soon　after　the　adoption　of　the　Resolution　by　the　House；　Hon。　James　M。　Ashley　communicated　to　the　committee；　in　support　of　his　charges　against　the　President　of　the　United　States；　such　facts　as　were　in　his　possession；　and　the　investigation　was　proceeded　with；　and　has　been　continued　almost　without；　a　day's　interruption。　A　large　number　of　witnesses　have　been　examined；　many　documents　collected；　and　everything　done　which　could　be　done　to　reach　a　conclusion　of　the　case。　But　the　investigation　covers　a　broad　field；　embraces　many　novel；　interesting；　and　important　questions；　and　involves　a　multitude　of　facts；　while　most　of　the　witnesses　are　distant　from　the　Capital；　owing　to　which　the　committee；　in　view　of　the　magnitude　of　the　interests　involved　in　its　action；　have　not　been　able　to　conclude　its　labors；　and　is　not　therefore　prepared　to　submit　a　definite　and　final　report。　If　the　investigation　had　even　approached　completeness；　the　committee　would　not　feel　authorized　to　present　the　result　of　the　House　at　this　late　period　of　the　session；　unless　the　charges　had　been　so　entirely　negative　as　to　admit　of　no　discussion；　which；　in　the　opinion　of　the　committee；　is　not　the　case。

Certainly　no　affirmative　report　could　be　properly　considered　in　the　expiring　hours　of　this　Congress。

The　committee　not　having　fully　investigated　all　the　charges　prepared　against　the　President　of　the　United　States；　it　is　deemed　inexpedient　to　submit　any　conclusion　beyond　the　statement　that　sufficient　testimony　has　been　brought　to　its　notice　to　justify　and　demand　a　further　prosecution　of　the　investigation。

The　testimony　which　the　committee　has　taken　will　pass　into　the　custody　of　the　Clerk　of　the　House；　and　can　go　into　the　hands　of　such　committee　as　may　be　charged　with　the　duty　of　bringing　this　investigation　to　a　close；　so　that　the　labor　expended　upon　it　may　not　have　been　in　vain。

The　committee　regrets　its　inability　definitely　to　dispose　of　the　important　subject　committed　to　its　charge；　and　presents　this　report　for　its　own　justification；　and　for　the　additional　purpose　of　notifying　the　succeeding　Congress　of　the　incompleteness　of　its　labors；　and　that　they　should　be　completed。

James　F。　Wilson；　Chairman。　Francis　Thomas；　D。　Morris；　F。　E。　Woodbridge；　George　S。　Boutwell；　Thomas　Williams；　Burton　C。　Cook；　William　Lawrence；

Mr。　Ancona；　the　only　Democrat　on　the　committee；　presented　a　minority　report；　as　follows：

The　subscriber；　one　of　the　Judiciary　Committee；　to　which　was　referred　by　the　House　the　inquiry　into　the　official　conduct　of　His　Excellency；　the　President　of　the　United　States；　with　a　view　to　his　impeachment　upon　certain　charges　made　by　Hon。　James　M。　Ashley；　begs　leave　to　submit　the　following　report：

The　Committee　refuses　to　allow　a　Report　to　be　made　giving　to　the　House　at　this　time　upon　grounds　which　are　no　doubt　satisfactory　to　themselves；　therefore；　I　cannot　report　the　evidence　upon　which　my　conclusion　is　based；　which　I　would　gladly　do　did　the　Committee　deem　it　expedient。　The　examination　of　witnesses　and　the　records　was　commenced；　as　appears　by　the　majority　report；　about　the　time　of　the　reference；　to…wit：　on　the　7th　day　of　January；　1867；　and　continued　daily。　A　large　number　of　witnesses　has　been　examined；　and　everything　done　that　could　be；　to　bring　the　case　to　a　close；　as　appears　by　the　majority　report：　and　the　majority　have　come　to　the　conclusion　〃that　sufficient　testimony　had　been　brought　to　its　notice　to　justify　and　demand　a　further　prosecution　of　the　investigation。〃　I　have　carefully　examined　all　the　evidence　in　the　case；　and　do　report　that　there　is　not　one　particle　of　evidence　to　sustain　any　of　the　charges　which　the　House　charged　the　Committee　to　investigate；　and　that　the　case　is　wholly　without　a　particle　of　evidence　upon　which　impeachment　could　be　founded；　and　that　with　all　the　effort　that　has　been　made；　and　the　mass　of　evidence　that　has　been　taken；　the　case　is　entirely　void　of　proof。　I　furthermore　report　that　the　most　of　the　testimony　that　has　been　taken　is　of　a　secondary　character；　an