history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第33节

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ers）　were　to　be　the　advisers　of　the　President；　they　were　to　be　the　immediate　confidential　assistants　of　the　President；　for　whom　he　was　to　be　responsible；　but　in　whom　he　was　expected　to　repose　a　great　amount　of　trust　and　confidence；　and　therefore　it　was　that　this　Act　has　connected　the　tenure…of…office　of　these　Secretaries　to　which　it　applies　with　the　President　by　whom　they　were　appointed。　It　says；　in　the　description　which　the　Act　gives　of　the　future　tenure…of…office　of　Secretaries；　that　a　controlling　regard　is　to　be　had　to　the　fact　that　the　Secretary　whose　tenure　is　to　be　regulated　was　appointed　by　some　particular　President；　and　during　the　term　of　that　President　he　shall　continue　to　hold　his　office；　but　as　for　Secretaries　who　are　in　office；　not　appointed　by　the　President；　we　have　nothing　to　say；　we　leave　them　as　they　heretofore　have　been。　I　submit　to　Senators　that　this　is　the　natural；　and；　having　regard　to　the　character　of　these　officers；　the　necessary　conclusion；　that　the　tenure…of…office　of　a　Secretary　here　described　is　a　tenure　during　the　term　of　service　of　the　President　by　whom　he　was　appointed；　that　it　was　not　the　intention　of　Congress　to　compel　a　President　of　the　United　States　to　continue　in　office　a　Secretary　not　appointed　by　himself。　*　*　*

Shortly　after　this；　occurred　one　of　the　most　amusing　and　interesting　incidents　of　the　trial。　Mr。　Boutwell；　who　was　altogether　a　matter…of…fact　man；　though　at　times　indulging　in　the　heroics；　ventured；　in　the　course　of　his　argument；　upon　a　flight　of　imagination　in　depicting　the　punishment　that　should　be　meted　out　to　Mr。　Johnson　for　venturing　to　differ　with　Congress　upon　the　constitutionality　of　an　act　of　that　body。　He　said：

Travelers　and　astronomers　inform　us　that　in　the　Southern　heavens；　near　the　Southern　cross；　there　is　a　vast　space　which　the　uneducated　call　the　〃hole　in　the　sky；〃　where　the　eye　of　man；　with　the　aid　of　the　powers　of　the　telescope；　has　been　unable　to　discover　nebulae；　or　asteroid；　or　comet；　or　planet；　or　star；　or　sun。　In　that　dreary；　cold；　dark　region　of　space；　which　is　only　known　to　be　less　infinite　by　the　evidences　of　creation　elsewhere；　the　great　author　of　celestial　mechanism　has　left　the　chaos　which　was　in　the　beginning。　If　this　earth　were　capable　of　the　sentiments　and　emotions　of　justice　and　virtue　which　in　human　mortal　beings　are　the　evidences　and　pledge　of　our　divine　origin　and　immortal　destiny；　it　would　heave　and　throb　with　the　energy　of　the　elemental　forces　of　nature；　and　project　this　enemy　（referring　to　President　Johnson）　of　two　races　of　men　into　that　vast　region；　there　forever　to　exist　in　a　solitude　eternal　as　life　or　as　the　absence　of　life；　emblematical　of。　if　not　really；　that　outer　darkness　of　which　the　Savior　of　mankind　spoke　in　warning　to　those　who　are　enemies　to　themselves　and　of　their　race　and　of　God。

Mr。　Evarts　followed　Mr。　Boutwell；　and　in　the　course　of　his　argument　referred　to　this　paragraph　in　Mr。　Boutwell's　speech　in　the　following　humorously　sarcastic　vein；　during　the　delivery　of　which；　the　Senate　was　repeatedly　convulsed　with　laughter。　Mr。　Evarts　said：

I　may　as　conveniently　at　this　point　of　the　argument　as　at　any　other　pay　some　attention　to　the　astronomical　punishment　which　the　learned　and　honorable　manager　Mr。　Boutwell；　thinks　should　be　applied　to　this　novel　case　of　impeachment　of　the　President。　Cicero；　I　think　it　is；　who　says　that　a　lawyer　should　know　everything；　for　sooner　or　later；　there　is　no　fact　in　history；　science　or　human　knowledge　that　will　not　come　into　play　in　his　arguments。　Painfully　sensitive　of　my　ignorance；　being　devoted　to　a　profession　which　〃sharpens　and　does　not　enlarge　the　mind；〃　I　yet　can　admire　without　envy　the　superior　knowledge　evinced　by　the　honorable　manager。　Indeed；　upon　my　soul；　I　believe　he　is　aware　of　an　astronomical　fact　which　many　professors　of　the　science　are　wholly　ignorant　of；　but　nevertheless；　while　some　of　his　colleagues　were　paying　attention　to　an　unoccupied　and　unappropriated　island　on　the　surface　of　the　seas；　Mr。　Manager　Boutwell；　more　ambitious；　had　discovered　an　untenated　and　unappropriated　region　in　the　skies；　reserved；　he　would　have　us　think；　in　the　final　councils　of　the　Almighty　as　the　place　of　punishment　for　deposed　and　convicted　American　Presidents。

At　first；　I　thought　that　his　mind　had　become　so　enlarged　that　it　was　not　sharp　enough　to　observe　that　the　Constitution　has　limited　the　punishment；　but　on　reflection　I　saw　that　he　was　as　legal　and　logical　as　he　was　ambitious　and　astronomical；　for　the　Constitution　has　said　〃remove　from　office；〃　and　has　put　no　limit　to　the　distance　of　removal　so　that　it　may　be　without　the　shedding　of　a　drop　of　his　blood　or　taking　a　penny　of　his　property；　or　confining　his　limbs。　Instant　removal　from　office　and　transportation　to　the　skies。　Truly　this　is　a　great　undertaking；　and　if　the　learned　manager　can　only　get　over　the　obstacle　of　the　laws　of　nature；　the　Constitution　will；　not　stand　in　his　way。

He　can　contrive　no　method　but　that　of　a　convulsion　of　the　earth　that　shall　project　the　deposed　President　to　this　indefinitely　distant　space；　but　a　shock　of　nature　of　so　vast　an　energy　and　for　so　great　a　result　on　him　might　unsettle　even　the　footing　of　the　firm　members　of　Congress。　We　certainly　need　not　resort　to　so　perilous　a　method　as　that。　How　shall　we　accomplish　it？　Why；　in　the　first　place；　nobody　knows　where　that　space　is　but　the　learned　manager　himself；　and　he　is　the　necessary　deputy　to　execute　the　judgment　of　the　court。　Let　it　then　be　provided　that；　in　case　of　your　sentence　of　deposition　and　removal　from　office；　the　honorable　and　astronomical　manager　shall　take　into　his　own　hands　the　execution　of　the　sentence。　With　the　President　made　fast　to　his　broad　and　strong　shoulders；　and　having　already　assayed　the　flight　by　imagination；　better　prepared　than　anybody　else　to　execute　it　in　form；　taking　the　advantage　of　ladders　as　far　as　ladders　will　go　to　the　top　of　this　great　capitol；　and　spurning　there　with　his　foot　the　crest　of　Liberty；　let　him　set　out　upon　his　flight　while　the　two　houses　of　Congress　and　all　the　people　of　the　United　States　shall　shout〃Sic　itur　ad　astra！〃　But　here　a　distressing　doubt　strikes　me。　How　will　the　manager　get　back。　He　will　have　got　far　beyond　the　reach　of　gravitation　to　restore　him；　and　so　ambitious　a　wing　as　his　should　never　stoop　to　a　downward　flight。　Indeed；　as　he　passes　through　the　constellations；　the　famous　question　of　Carlyle　（by　which　he　derides　the　littleness　of　human　affairs　upon　the　scale　of　the　measure　of　the　heavens；）　〃What　thinks　Bootes　as　he　drives　his　hunting　dogs　up　the　zenith　in　their　leash　of　sidereal　fire？〃　will　force　itself　on　his　notice。　What；　indeed；　will　Bootes　think　of　this　new　constellation？　Besides；　reaching　this　space　beyond　the　power　of　Congress　ever　to　send　for　persons　and　papers；　how　shall　he　return；　and　how　decide　in　the　contest　there　become　personal　and　perpetualthe　struggle　of　strength　between　him　and　the　President？　In　this　new　revolution　thus　established　forever；　who　shall　decide　which　is　the　sun　and　which　is　the　moon？　Who　determine　the　only　scientific　test；　which　reflects　hardest　upon　the　other？〃


Gen。　Logan；　one　of　the　managers；　appeared　for　the　prosecution；　upon　the　close　of　the　examination　of　witnesses。　The　following　is　a　brief　extract　from　his　very　long　and　labored　argument；　and　relates　to　the　Tenure…of…Office　Act：

It　is　a　new　method　of　ascertaining　the　meaning　of　a　law；　plain　upon　its　face；　by　resorting　to　legislative　discussions；　and　giving　in　evidence　opinions　affected　by　the　law。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　it　is　well　known　the　act　was　intended　to　prevent　the　very　thing　Mr。　Johnson　attempted　in　the　matter　of　Mr。　Stanton's　removal。　I　think　this　manner　of　defense　will　not　avail　before　the　Senate。　The　law　must　govern　in　its　natural　and　plain　intendment；　and　will　not　be　frittered　away　by　extraneous　interpretation。　The　President　in　his　veto　message　admits　substantially　this　construction。

The　proviso　does　not　change　the　general　provisions　of　the　Act；　except　by　giving　a　more　definite　limit　to　the　tenure…of…office；　but　the　last　paragraph　of　the　Act　puts　the　whole　question　back　into　the　hands　of　the　Senate　according　to　the　general　intention　of　the　Act；　and　provides　that　even　the　Secretaries　are　subject　to　removal　by　and　with　the　advice　and　consent　of　the　Senate。

The　Act　first　provides　that　all　persons　holding　civil　offices　at　the　date　of　its　passage　appointed　by　and　with　the　advice　and　consent　of　the　Senate；　shall　only　be　removed　in　the　same　manner。　This　applies　to　the　Secretary　of　War。　This　proviso　merely　gives　a　tenure　running　with　the　term　of　the　President　and　one　month　thereafter；　subject　to　removal　by　and　with　the　advice　and　consent　of　the　Senate。　The　law　clearly　gives　Mr。　Stanton　a　right　to　the　office　from　the　4th　of　March；　1865；　till　one　month　after　the　4th　of　March；　1869；　and　he　can　only　be　disturbed　in　that　tenure　by　the　President　by　and　with　the　advice　and　consent　of　the　Senate。

Yet；　although　Mr。　Stanton　was　appointed　by　Mr。　Lincoln　in　his　first　term；　when　there　was　no　tenure…of…office　fixed　by　law；　and　continued　by　Mr。　Lincoln　in　his　second　term；　it　is　argued　that　his　term　expired　one　month　after　the　passage　of　the　Tenure…of…Office　Act；　March　2nd；　1867；　for　the　reason　that　Mr。　Lincoln's　term　expired　at　h