history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第20节

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rs。　No　complaints　against　that　power　or　doubts　of　its　wisdom；　were　entertained　in　any　quarter。

Having　at　an　early　period　accepted　the　Constitution　in　regard　to　the　executive　office　in　the　sense　in　which　it　was　interpreted　with　the　concurrence　of　its　founders；　I　have　found　no　sufficient　grounds　in　the　arguments　now　opposed　to　that　construction　or　in　any　assumed　necessity　of　the　times　for　changing　those　opinions。　For　these　reasons　I　return　the　bill　to　the　Senate；　in　which　House　it　originated；　for　the　further　consideration　of　Congress；　which　the　Constitution　prescribes。　Insomuch　as　the　several　parts　of　the　bill　which　I　have　not　considered　are　matters　chiefly　of　detail；　and　are　based　altogether　upon　the　theory　of　the　Constitution　from　which　I　am　obliged　to　dissent；　I　have　not　thought　it　necessary　to　examine　them　with　a　view　to　make　them　an　occasion　of　distinct　and　special　objections。　Experience；　I　think；　has　shown　that　it　is　the　easiest；　as　it　is　also　the　most　attractive；　of　studies　to　frame　constitutions　for　the　self…government　of　free　States　and　nations。

But　I　think　experience　has　equally　shown　that　it　is　the　most　difficult　of　all　political　labors　to　preserve　and　maintain　such　free　constitutions　of　self　government　when　once　happily　established。　I　know　no　other　way　in　which　they　can　be　preserved　and　maintained　except　by　a　constant　adherence　to　them　through　the　various　vicissitudes　of　national　existence；　with　such　adaptations　as　may　become　necessary；　always　to　be　effected；　however；　through　the　agencies　and　in　the　forms　prescribed　in　the　original　constitutions　themselves。　Whenever　administration　fails　or　seems　to　fail　in　securing　any　of　the　great　ends　for　which　Republican　Government　is　established；　the　proper　course　seems　to　be　to　renew　the　original　spirit　and　forms　of　the　Constitution　itself。

Andrew　Johnson

The　bill　was　promptly　passed　in　both　Houses　over　the　President's　veto　and　became　a　law。

As　pertinent　and　incident　to　the　history　of　this　controversy；　is　the　communication　of　the　President　notifying　the　Senate　of　the　suspension　of　Mr。　Stanton；　Aug。　12；　1867。　The　President　said：

The　Tenure…of…Office　Act　did　not　pass　without　notice。　Like　other　acts；　it　was　sent　to　the　President　for　approval。　As　is　my　custom　I　submitted　it　to　the　consideration　of　my　Cabinet　for　their　advice　whether　I　should　approve　it　or　not。　I　was　a　grave　question　of　constitutional　law；　in　which　I　would　of　course　rely　mostly　upon　the　opinion　of　the　Attorney　General；　and　of　Mr。　Stanton；　who　had　once　been　Attorney　General。　EVERY　MEMBER　OF　MY　CABINET　ADVISED　ME　THAT　THE　PROPOSED　LAW　WAS　UNCONSTITUTIONAL。　All　spoke　without　doubt　or　reservation；　but　MR。　STANTON'S　CONDEMNATION　OF　THE　LAW　WAS　THE　MOST　ELABORATE　AND　EMPHATIC。　He　referred　to　the　Constitutional　provisions；　the　debates　in　Congress；　especially　to　the　speech　of　Mr。　Buchanan　when　a　Senator；　to　the　decisions　of　the　Supreme　Court；　and　to　the　usage　from　the　beginning　of　the　Government　through　every　successive　administration；　all　concurring　to　establish　the　right　of　removal　as　vested　in　the　President。　To　all　these　he　added　the　weight　of　his　own　deliberate　judgment；　and　advised　me　that　it　was　my　duty　to　defend　the　power　of　the　President　from　usurpation　and　veto　the　law。

During　the　recess　of　Congress　in　the　Summer　of　1867；　the　President　suspended　Mr。　Stanton　from　the　War　Office　and　appointed　Gen。　Grant　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim。　Gen。　Grant　was　then　understood　as　supporting　the　President　in　his　controversy　with　Mr。　Stanton；　and　promptly　accepted　the　appointment；　holding　it　until　the　following　December；　when　the　change　was　duly　reported　to　the　Senate。　The　Senate　refused　to　sanction　Mr。　Stanton's　suspension；　and　he　consequently　resumed　his　position　of　Secretary　of　War　and　retained　it　until　the　close　of　the　Impeachment　trialthe　Senate　then；　in　effect；　by　rejecting　the　Impeachment；　declaring　that　the　President　had　the　right　to　remove　him。

Very　naturally；　after　Mr。　Stanton's　restoration　to　the　War　Office　by　the　refusal　of　the　Senate　to　sanction　his　suspension；　the　relations　between　himself　and　the　President　were　embittered　and　many　efforts　were　made　by　mutual　friends　to　induce　Mr。　Stanton　to　resign。　Conspicuous　among　these　were　Gen。　Grant；　the　General　of　the　Army；　and　Gen。　Sherman；　the　next　in　rank；　as　shown　in　the　following　note　from　Gen。　Sherman　to　the　President；　but　a　few　weeks　before　the　crisis　came。　It　explains　itself；　as　showing　the　relations　then　subsisting　between　the　parties　mentioned：

332　K　St。；　Washington；　Jan；　18th。

I　regretted；　this　morning；　to　say　that　I　had　agreed　to　go　down　to　Annapolis；　to　spend　Monday　with　Admiral　Porter。　Gen。　Grant　has　to　leave　for　Richmond　on　Monday　morning　at　6　o'clock。　At　a　conversation　with　the　General；　after　an　interview　wherein　I　offered　to　go　with　him　on　Monday　morning　to　Mr。　Stanton　and　say　it　was　our　joint　opinion　that　he　should　resign；　it　was　found　impossible　by　reason　of　his　going　to　Richmond　and　my　going　to　Annapolis。　The　General　proposed　this　course。　He　will　tell　you　to…morrow　and　offer　to　go　to　Mr。　Stanton　to　say　that　for　the　good　of　the　service　of　the　country　he　ought　to　resignthis　on　Sunday。　On　Monday；　I　will　call　on　you；　and　if　you　think　it　necessary；　I　will　do　the　samecall　on　Mr。　Stanton　and　tell　him　he　should　resign。　If　he　will　not；　then　it　will　be　time　to　consider　ulterior　measures。　In　the　meantime；　it　also　happens　that　no　necessity　exists　for　precipitating　measures。

Yours　truly；　W。　T。　Sherman。

On　Saturday；　February　23；　1868；　the　day　following　the　removal　of　Mr。　Stanton；　Mr。　Johnson　sent　to　the　Senate　the　name　of　Mr。　Thomas　Ewing；　senior；　of　Ohio；　as　his　successor。　The　Senate　had　adjourned　for　the　day　when　the　President's　Secretary　reached　the　Capitol；　between　12　and　1　o'clock；　but　the　nomination　was　formally　communicated　on　the　following　Monday。　Of　this　nomination；　Mr。　Blaine　has　written；　that　〃no　name　could　have　given　better　assurance　of　good　intentions　and　upright　conduct　than　that　of　Mr。　Ewing。　He　was　a　man　of　lofty　character；　of　great　eminence　in　his　profession　of　the　law；　and　with　wide　and　varied　experience　in　public　life。　He　had　held　high　rank　as　a　Senator　in　the　Augustan　period　of　the　Senate's　learning　and　eloquence；　and　he　had　been　one　of　the　ablest　members　of　the　distinguished　Cabinets　organized　by　the　only　two　Presidents　elected　by　the　Whig　Party。　He　had　reached　the　ripe　age　of　seventy…eight　years；　but　still　in　complete　possession　of　all　his　splendid　faculties。　He　had　voted　for　Mr。　Lincoln　at　both　elections；　had　been　a　warm　supporter　of　the　contest　for　the　Union；　and　was　represented　by　his　own　blood　on　many　of　the　great　battlefields　of　the　war。〃

No　notice　was　taken　by　the　Senate　of　this　nomination。

Here　was　offered　an　opportunity　for　the　settlement　of　the　dispute　over　the　War　Office　on　fair　and　honorable　terms　to　all　parties　concerned。　But　that　was　not　what　the　impeachers　wanted。　They　wanted　to　get　Mr。　Johnson　out。　They　thought　they　had　a　pretext　that　they　could　sustain　by　making　it　a　party　question；　and　did　not　want　a　settlement　on　any　other　termsso　no　attention　was　given　to　Mr。　Ewing's　nomination。　It　was　ignored　and　the　impeachment　movement　went　on。



CHAPTER　VI。　IMPEACHMENT　AGREED　TO　BY　THE　HOUSE。

Mr。　Johnson's　veto　of　the　Tenure…of…Office　Bill；　and　the　passage　of　that　bill　over　his　veto；　of　course　intensified　the　antagonism　between　himself　and　Congress。　He　not　unnaturally　regarded　that　Act　as　an　infringement　of　the　Executive　function　which　it　was　his　duty　to　his　office　and　to　himself　to　resent。　The　culmination　came　upon　his　official　notification　to　the　Senate　on　February　21st；　1868；　of　his　removal　of　Mr。　Stanton　from　the　office　of　Secretary　of　War；　and　his　appointment　of　Gen。　Lorenzo　Thomas　as　Secretary　ad　interim；　nothwithstanding　the　assumed　interdiction　of　the　Tenure…of…Office　Act。

Immediately　on　receipt　of　this　notification；　the　Senate　went　into　executive　session；　and　the　following　proceeding　was　had：

IN　EXECUTIVE　SESSION　　Senate　of　the　United　States　February　21st；　1868

Whereas；　The　Senate　have　read　and　considered　the　communication　of　the　President；　stating　that　he　had　removed　Edwin　M。　Stanton；　Secretary　of　War；　and　had　designated　the　Adjutant　General　of　the　Army　to　act　as　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim。　interim。。　Therefore；

Resolved；　by　the　Senate　of　the　United　States；　That　under　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　the　President　has　no　power　to　remove　the　Secretary　of　War　and　designate　any　other　officer　to　perform　the　duties　of　that　office　ad　interim。

The　journal　of　the　Senate　shows　that　this　Resolution　was　adopted　by　the　following　vote：

YeasMessrs。　Cameron；　Cattell；　Cole；　Conkling；　Cragin；　Drake；　Ferry；　Harlan；　Morrill　of　Maine；　Morrill　of　Vermont；　Morton；　Patterson　of　New　Hampshire；　Pomeroy；　Ramsay；　Ross；　Sprague；　Stewart。　Sumner。　Thayer；　Tipton；　Trumbull。　Van　Winkle；　Wade；　Willey　Williams。　Wilson。　Yates23。

NaysMessrs。　Buckalew；　Davis；　Doolittle；　Edmunds；　Hendricks；　Patterson　of　Tennessee6。

Absent　or　not　voting20。　Note。　（NoteIt　is　due　to　myself　　to　say　here；　that　the　entry　of　my　name　in　the　above　vote；　was　incorrect。　My　distinct　recollection　is；　that　though　present；　I　declined　to　vote；　and　from　the　consideration　mentioned。　I　was　totally　unaware　of　my　name　being　recorded　as　v