history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第27节

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　said　design　and　intent；　openly　and　publicly；　and　before　divers　assemblages　of　the　citizens　of　the　United　States；　convened　in　divers　parts　thereof　to　meet　and　receive　said　Andrew　Johnson　as　the　Chief　Magistrate　of　the　United　States；　did；　on　the　eighteenth　day　of　August；　in　the　year　of　our　Lord　one　thousand　eight　hundred　and　sixty…six；　and　on　divers　other　days　and　times；　as　well　before　as　afterward；　make　and　deliver；　with　a　loud　voice；　certain　intemperate；　inflammatory；　and　scandalous　harangues；　and　did　therein　utter　loud　threats　and　bitter　menaces。　as　well　against　Congress　as　the　laws　of　the　United　States　duly　enacted　thereby；　amid　the　cries；　jeer；　and　laughter　of　the　multitudes　then　assembled　and　in　hearing。

ARTICLE　XI。

That　said　Andrew　Johnson；　President　of　the　United　States；　unmindful　of　the　high　duties　of　his　office；　and　of　his　oath　of　offce；　and　in　disregard　of　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　did；　heretofore；　to　wit；　on　the　eighteenth　day　of　August；　A。　D。　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…six；　at　the　City　of　Washington；　and　the　District　of　Columbia；　by　public　speech；　declare　and　affirm；　in　substance；　that　the　thirty…ninth　Congress　of　the　United　States　was　not　a　Congress　of　the　United　States　authorized　by　the　Constitution　to　exercise　legislative　power　under　the　same。　but；　on　the　contrary；　was　a　Congress　of　only　part　of　the　States；　thereby　denying；　and　intending　to　deny；　that　the　legislation　of　said　Congress　was　valid　or　obligatory　upon　him；　the　said　Andrew　Johnson；　except　in　so　far　as　he　saw　fit　to　approve　the　same；　and　also　thereby　denying；　and　intending　to　deny；　the　power　of　the　said　thirty…ninth　Congress　to　。propose　amendments　to　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　and；　in　pursuance　of　said　declaration；　the　said　Andrew　Johnson；　President　of　the　United　States；　afterwards；　to…wit；　on　the　twenty　first　day　of　February；　A。　D。　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…eight；　at　the　city　of　Washington；　in　the　District　of　Columbia；　did；　unlawfully；　and　in　disregard　of　the　requirements　of　the　Constitution　that　he　should　take　care　that　the　laws　be　faithfully　executed；　attempt　to　prevent　the　execution　of　an　act　entitled　〃An　act　regulating　the　tenure　of　certain　civil　offices；〃　passed　March　second；　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…seven；　by　unlawfully　devising　and　contriving；　and　attempting　to　devise　and　contrive　means　by　which　he　should　prevent　Edwin　M。　Stanton　from　forthwith　resuming　the　functions　of　the　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War；　notwithstanding　the　refusal　of　the　Senate　to　concur　in　the　suspension　theretofore　made　by　said　Andrew　Johnson　of　said　Edwin　M。　Stanton　from　said　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War；　and；　also；　by　further　unlawfully　devising　and　contriving；　and　attempting　to　devise　and　contrive　means；　then　and　there；　to　prevent　the　execution　of　an　act　entitled　〃An　act　making　appropriations　for　the　support　of　the　army　for　the　fiscal　year　ending　June　thirtieth；　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…eight；　and　for　other　purposes；〃　approved　March　second；　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…seven；　and　also；　to　prevent　the　execution　of　an　act　entitled　〃An　act　to　provide　for　the　more　efficient　government　of　the　rebel　States；〃　passed　March　second；　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…seven；　whereby　the　said　Andrew　Johnson；　President　of　the　United　States；　did　then；　to　wit；　on　the　twentyfirst　day　of　February；　A。　D。　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…eight；　at　the　city　of　Washington；　commit；　and　was　guilty　of；　a　high　misdemeanor　in　office。

Schuyler　Colfax；　Speaker　of　the　House　of　Representatives。　Attest：　Edward　McPherson；　Clerk　of　the　House　of　Representatives。


At　the　conclusion　of　the　reading　of　the　Articles　of　Impeachment；　the　President　of　the　Senate　responded　that　〃the　Senate　will　take　order　upon　the　subject　of　impeachment；　of　which　proper　notice　will　be　given　to　the　House　of　Representatives。〃

In　addition　to　the　Speaker　and　Managers；　a　large　number　of　the　members　of　the　House　of　Representatives　were　present　to　witness　the　extraordinary　and　impressive　proceedings；　and　at　its　close　all　withdrew　and　the　Senate　resumed　the　routine　business　of　the　day's　session。

On　Monday；　March　23rd；　1868；　the　President；　by　his　attorneys；　appeared　at　the　bar　of　the　Senate　and　made　answer　to　the　several　Articles　of　Impeachment；　as　follows：

（Answer　to　only　the　1st；　2nd；　3rd；　and　11th　Articles；　are　here　given；　as　the　2nd；　3rd　and　11th　were　the　only　Articles　put　to　voteall　others　being　abandoned；　and　as　the　1st　Article；　though　never　put　to　vote；　contained　practically　all　there　was　of　the　impeachment。）

ANSWER　TO　ARTICLE　I。

For　answer　to　the　first　article　he　said：　That　Edwin　M。　Stanton　was　appointed　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War　on　the　15th　day　of　January；　A。　D。　1862；　by　Abraham　Lincoln；　then　President　of　the　United　States；　during　the　first　term　of　his　presidency；　and　was　commissioned；　according　to　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　to　hold　the　said　office　during　the　pleasure　of　the　President；　that　the　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War　was　created　by　an　act　of　the　first　Congress　in　its　first　session；　passed　on　the　7th　day　of　August；　A。D。　1789；　and　in　and　by　that　act　it　was　provided　and　enacted　that　the　said　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War　shall　perform　and　execute　such　duties　as　shall　from　time　to　time　be　enjoined　on　and　intrusted　to　him　by　the　President　of　the　United　States；　agreeably　to　the　Constitution；　relative　to　the　subjects　within　the　scope　of　said　department；　and　furthermore；　that　the　Secretary　shall　conduct　the　business　of　the　said　department　in　such　a　manner　as　the　President　of　the　United　States　shall；　from　time　to　time；　order　and　instruct。

And　this　respondent　further　answering；　says　that　by　force　of　the　act　aforesaid　and　by　reason　of　his　appointment　aforesaid　the　said　Stanton　became　the　principal　officer　in　one　of　the　executive　departments　of　the　government　within　the　true；　intent　and　meaning　of　the　second　section　of　the　second　article　of　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　and　according　to　the　true　intent　and　meaning　of　that　provision　of　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States：　and；　in　accordance　with　the　settled　and　uniform　practice　of　each　and　every　President　of　the　United　States；　the　said　Stanton　then　became；　and　so　long　as　he　should　continue　to　hold　the　said　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War　must　continue　to　be；　one　of　the　advisers　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　as　well　as　the　person　intrusted　to　act　for　and　represent　the　President　in　matters　enjoined　upon　him　or　entrusted　to　him　by　the　President　touching　the　department　aforesaid；　and　for　whose　conduct　in　such　capacity；　subordinate　to　the　President；　the　President　is；　by　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　made　responsible。

And　this　respondent；　further　answering；　says　he　succeeded　to　the　office　of　President　of　the　United　States　upon；　and　by　reason　of；　the　death　of　Abraham　Lincoln；　then　President　of　the　United　States；　on　the　13th　day　of　April；　1865；　and　the　said　Stanton　was　then　holding　the　said　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War　under　and　by　reason　of　the　appointment　and　commission　aforesaid；　and；　not　having　been　removed　from　the　said　office　by　this　respondent；　the　said　Stanton　continued　to　hold　the　same　under　the　appointment　and　commission　aforesaid；　at　the　pleasure　of　the　President；　until　the　time　hereinafter　particularly　mentioned：　and　at　no　time　received　any　appointment　or　commission　save　as　above　detailed。

And　this　repondent；　further　answering；　says　that　on　and　prior　to　the　5th　day　of　August；　A。　D。　1867；　this　respondent；　the　President　of　the　United　States。　responsible　for　the　conduct　of　the　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War；　and　having　the　constitutional　right　to　resort　to　and　rely　upon　the　person　holding　that　office　for　advice　concerning　the　great　and　difficult　public　duties　enjoined　on　the　President　by　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　became　satisfied　that　he　could　not　allow　the　said　Stanton　to　continue　to　hold　the　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War　without　hazard　of　the　public　interest；　that　the　relations　between　the　said　Stanton　and　the　President　no　longer　permitted　the　President　to　resort　to　him　for　advice；　or　to　be；　in　the　judgment　of　the　President；　safely　responsible　for　his　conduct　of　the　affairs　of　the　Department　of　War；　as　by　law　required；　in　accordance　with　the　orders　and　instructions　of　the　President；　and　thereupon；　by　force　of　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　which　devolve　on　the　President　the　power　and　the　duty　to　control　the　conduct　of　the　business　of　that　executive　department　of　the　government；　and　by　reason　of　the　constitutional　duty　of　the　President　to　take　care　that　the　laws　be　faithfully　executed；　this　respondent　did　necessarily　consider　and　did　determine　that　the　said　Stanton　ought　no　longer　to　hold　the　said　office　of　Secretary　for　the　Department　of　War。　And　this　respondent；　by　virtue　of　the　power　and　authority　vested　in　him　as　President　of　the　United　States　by　the　Constitution　and　laws　of　the　United　States；　to　give　effect　to　such　his　decision　and　determination；　did；　on　the　5th　day　of　August；　A。　D。　1867；　address　to　the　said　Stanton　a　note；　of　which　the　following　is　a　true　copy：

Sir：Public　considerations　of　a　high　character　constrain　me