history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第23节

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of　this　House　to　be　insufficient　to　justify　impeachment。　All　questions　growing　out　of　the　combinations　and　conspiracies　lately　charged　upon　the　President　were　ruled　by　the　Reconstruction　Committee　to　be　insufficient；　and　were　not　brought　before　this　House。　And　the　sole　question　now　before　us　is；　is　there　anything　in　this　last　act　of　the　President　removing　Mr。　Stanton　and　appointing　Adjutant　General　Thomas　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim　to　justify　his　impeachment　by　this　House？

I　maintain　that　the　President　of　the　United　States　is　in　duty　bound　to　test　the　legality　of　every　law　which　he　thinks　interferes　with　his　rights　and　powers　as　the　Chief　Magistrate　of　this　nation。　Whenever　he　has　powers　conferred　upon　him　by　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　and　an　act　of　Congress　undertakes　to　deprive　him　of　those　powers；　or　any　of　them。　he　would　be　false　to　his　trust　as　the　Chief　Executive　of　this　nation；　false　to　the　interests　of　the　people　whom　he　represents；　if　he　did　not　by　every　means　in　his　power　seek　to　test　the　constitutionality　of　that　law；　and　to　take　whatever　steps　were　necessary　and　proper　to　have　it　tested　by　the　highest　tribunal　in　the　land；　and　to　ascertain　whether　he　has　a　right　under　the　Constitution　to　do　what　he　claims　the　right　to　do；　or　whether　Congress　has　the　right　to　deprive　him　of　the　powers　which　he　claims　have　been　vested　in　him　by　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　and　that　is　all　that　he　proposes　to　do　in　this　case。　*　*　*

Mr。　Logan；　（Rep。　of　Ills。）　Now；　Mr。　Speaker；　let　us　examine　this　question　for　a　moment。　It　seems　to　me　very　plain　and　easy　of　solution。　It　is　not　necessary；　in　order　to　decide　whether　this　action　of　the　President　of　the　United　States　comes　within　the　purview　and　meaning　of　this　statute；　for　us　to　talk　about　revolutions　or　what　this　man　or　that　man　has　said　or　decided。　What　has　been　the　act　of　the　President　is　the　question。　The　law　is　plain。　If　the　President　shall　appoint　or　shall　give　a　letter　of　authority　or　issue　a　commission　to　any　person；　without　the　consent　of　the　Senate；　he　is　guilty　ofwhat？　The　law　says　of　a　high　misdemeanor。　And；　under　and　by　virtue　of　the　Constitution；　the　President　can　be　impeachedfor　what？　For　high　crimes　or　misdemeanors。　This　law　declares　the　issuing　a　commission　to；　or　giving　a　letter　of　authority　to；　or　appointing　to　or　removing　from　office；　any　person。　without　the　advice　and　consent　of　the　Senate　of　the　United　States；　shall　be　a　high　misdemeanor；　which　is　within　the　meaning　and　within　the　pale　of　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States。

Now；　what　is　the　evidence　presented　to　this　body　by　one　of　its　committees？　It　is　of　this　character：　The　Secretary　of　War；　Edwin　M。　Stanton；　has　been　declared　by　a　solemn　vote　of　the　Senate　to　be　the　Secretary　of　War；　by　virtue　ofwhat？　By　virtue　of　an　appointment　to　that　office；　by　reason　of　the　fact　that　Andrew　Johnson　did　not　relieve　him　from　office　when　he　had　the　right　to　present　the　name　of　somebody　elsesoon　after　his　taking　the　presidential　chairnot　the　right　to　turn　him　out；　but　the　right　to　nominate　some　one　else　to　the　senate　and　ask　them　to　confirm　him　to　that　office。　That　the　President　failed　to　do。　Then；　acting　under　the　provisions　of　this　statute；　the　President　suspended　Mr。　Stanton　as　Secretary　of　War；　but　the　Senate　passed　upon　that　act；　and　decided　that　the　reasons　given　by　the　President　for　suspending　Mr。　Stanton　were　not　satisfactory；　and　accordingly；　by　virtue　of　this　law；　Mr。　Stanton　was　confirmed　and　reinstated　in　his　position　as　Secretary　of　War。

Now；　all　this　having　been　done；　it　cannot　certainly　be　claimed　that　the　President；　in　his　recent　course　in　regard　to　Mr。　Stanton；　has　acted　without　any　intention　of　violating　the　law。　Nor　can　it　be　claimed　that　the　President　is　ignorant　of　the　law。　*　*　*

Mr。　Holman　（Dem。；　Ind。）　We　have　listened　to　much　excited　eloquence　upon　this　question。　It　is　too　manifest　that　Congress；　moving　on　with　that　impetus　which　is　ever　the　result　of　excessive　political　power。　seeks　to　usurp　those　powers　which　are　by　the　Constitution　vested　in　the　other　Departments　of　the　Government。　I　do　not　propose　to　discuss　this　subject　or　answer　the　speech　of　the　gentleman　from　Illinois　＇Mr。　Logan＇　with　any　words　of　my　own。　I　have　before　me　a　paper　which　is　full　of　mature　wisdom　and　patriotic　counsel；　a　speech　that　comes　from　the　solemn　past；　yet　speaks　to　every　heart　that　beats　for　the　Union　of　these　States；　and　the　prosperity　of　the　American　people；　a　voice　that　is　answered　back　from　every　battlefield　of　the　Revolution；　and　from　the　grave　of　every　soldier　who　has　fallen　in　defense　of　American　liberty。　I　ask　that　this　speech　may　be　read　to　the　House；　as　appropriate　to　this　day；　the　22nd　of　February；　a　day　once　so　venerated。　I　ask　that　this　immortal　address　to　the　American　people；　a　speech　that　needs　no　revision：　a　speech　in　which　there　can　be　no　interruptions　made　in　this　moment　of　passion；　be　read　to　the　American　Congress；　for　I　can　well　afford　to　be　silent　while　that　great　voice　speaks　to　the　Representatives　of　the　people　of　this　Republic。

The　Clerk　commenced　the　reading　of　Washington's　Farewell　Address。

Mr。　Peters：　I　rise　to　a　question　of　order。　I　insist　that　that　address　is　not　germane　to　the　question　before　the　House。

Mr。　Holman：　I　insist　that　it　is　exceedingly　germane。

Mr。　Lawrence；　of　Ohio：　Allow　me　to　suggest　that　it　is　germane；　for　the　reason　that　it　relates　to　retirement　from　office。　＇Laughter。＇

Mr。　Peters：　That　is　too　remote。

The　Speaker　pro　tempore；　（Mr。　Blaine；　in　the　chair。）　The　Chair　sustains　the　point　of　order。

Mr。　Holman：　I　hope　no　gentleman　will　object　to　the　completion　of　the　reading：　it　will　only　occupy　the　time　I　am　entitled　to。

Mr。　Peters：　It　is　doubtless　very　instructive；　and　so　would　a　chapter　of　the　Bible　be。　but　it　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　question　before　the　House；　and　I　insist　upon　the　point　of　order。

The　Speaker　pro　tempore。　Up　to　this　point　the　discussion　has　been　pertinent　and　germane　to　the　questionvery　closely　soand　the　Chair　is　compelled　to　rule；　the　question　of　order　being　raised；　that　this　is　not　germane　or　in　order。　The　gentleman　from　Indiana　will　proceed　in　order。

Mr。　Holman：　I　suppose；　Mr。　Speaker；　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　would　scarcely　be　in　order。　I　will　not　ask　to　have　it　read。

The　debate　continued　in　the　vein　illustrated　in　the　foregoing　extracts；　from　the　morning　of　February　22；　notwithstanding　it　was　a　National　Holiday；　such　was　the　haste　of　the　impeachers；　to　the　evening　of　the　24th；　almost　without　interruption。　It　was　at　times　illustrated　by　marked　ability；　and　on　the　Republican　side　by　intense　bitterness　and　partisan　malignity。　A　large　number　of　the　members　of　the　House　participated　in　the　debate。

Mr。　Thaddeus　Stevens　then　closed　the　debate　in　the　following　arraignment　of　the　President：

Now　in　defiance　of　this　law。　（the　Office…Tenure　Act）　Andrew　Johnson；　on　the　21st　day　of　February；　1868；　issued　his　commission　or　letter　of　authority　to　one　Lorenzo　Thomas；　appointing　him　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim；　and　commanded　him　to　take　possession　of　the　Department　of　War　and　to　eject　the　incumbent。　E　M。　Stanton；　then　in　lawful　possession　of　said　office。　Here；　if　this　act　stood　alone；　would　be　an　undeniable　official　misdemeanor　not　only　a　misdemeanor　per　se；　but　declared　to　be　so　by　the　act　itself；　and　the　party　made　indictable　and　punishable　in　a　criminal　proceeding。　If　Andrew　Johnson　escapes　with　bare　removal　from　office；　if　he　be　not　FINED　AND　INCARCERATED　IN　THE　PENITENTIARY　AFTERWARD　UNDER　CRIMINAL　PROCEEDINGS；　he　may　thank　the　weakness　or　the　clemency　of　Congress　and　not　his　own　innocence。

We　shall　propose　to　prove　on　the　trial　that　Andrew　Johnson　was　guilty　of　misprision　of　bribery　by　offering　to　General　Grant；　if　he　would　unite　with　him　in　his　lawless　violence；　to　assume　in　his　stead　the　penalties　and　to　endure　the　imprisonment　denounced　by　the　law　Bribery　is　one　of　the　offenses　specifically　enumerated　for　which　the　President　may　be　impeached　and　removed　from　office。　By　the　Constitution；　article　two；　section　two；　the　President　has　power　to　nominate　and；　by　and　with　the　advice　and　consent　of　the　Senate；　to　appoint　all　officers　of　the　United　States　whose　appointments　are　not　therein　otherwise　provided　for　and　which　shall　be　established　by　law；　and　to　fill　up　all　vacancies　that　may　happen　during　the　recess　of　the　Senate；　by　granting　commissions　which　shall　expire　at　the　end　of　their　nest　session。　Nowhere；　either　in　the　Constitution　or　by　statute；　has　the　President　power　to　create　a　vacancy　during　the　session　of　the　Senate　and　fill　it　without　the　advice　and　consent　of　the　Senate；　and　yet；　on　the　21st　day　of　February；　1868；　while　the　Senate　was　in　session；　he　notified　the　head　of　the　War　Department　that　he　was　removed　from　office　and　his　successor　ad　interim　appointed。　Here　is　a　plain；　recorded　violation　of　the　Constitution　and　laws；　which；　if　it　stood　alone；　would　make　every　honest　and　intelligent　man　give　his　vote　for　impeachment。　The　President　had　persevered　in　his　lawless　course　through　along　series　of　unjustifiable　acts。　When　the　so　called　Confederate　States　of　America　were　conquered　and　had　laid　down　their　arms　and　surrendered　their　territory　to　the　victorious　Union　the　government　and　final