history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第37节

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cretary　Stanton；　and　also　his　order　to　take　possession　of　the　office；　that　the　Secretary　remarked　to　him　that　he　supposed　he　would　give　him　time　to　remove　his　personal　effects；　or　his　private　papers；　or　something　to　that　effect；　and　the　answer　was　〃certainly。〃　He　said　that　in　a　short　time　the　Secretary　asked　him　if　he　would　give　him　a　copy　of　his　order；　and　he　replied　〃certainly；〃　and　gave　it　to　him。　He　said　that　it　was　no　more　than　right　to　give　him　time　to　take　out　his　personal　effects。　I　asked　him　when　he　was　going　to　assume　the　duties　of　the　office。　He　remarked　that　he　should　take　possession　the　next　morning　at　ten　o'clock；　which　would　be　the　22nd；　and　I　think　in　that　connection　he　stated　that　he　had　issued　some　order　in　regard　to　the　observance　of　the　day；　but　of　that　I　am　not　sure。　I　remarked　to　him　that　I　should　be　up　at　that　end　of　the　avenue　the　next　day；　and　he　asked　me　to　come　in　and　see　him。　I　asked　him　where　I　could　find　him。　and　he　said　in　the　Secretary's　room　up　stairs。　I　told　him　I　would　be　there。　Said　he；　〃be　there　punctually　at　10　o'clock。〃　Said　I；　〃you　are　going　to　take　possession　to…morrow？〃　〃Yes。〃　Said　he；　〃suppose　Stanton　objects　to　itresists？〃　〃Well；〃　said　he；〃I　expect　to　meet　force　by　force。　Or　use　force。〃

Mr。　Conkling：　〃Repeat　that。〃

The　witness。　I　asked　him　what　he　would　do　if　Stanton　objected；　or　resisted。　He　said　he　would　use　force；　or　resort　to　force。　Said　I；　〃Suppose　he　bars　the　doors？〃　His　reply　was。　〃I　will　break　them　down。〃　I　think　that　was　about　all　the　conversation　that　we　had　there　in　that　connection。

No。　2。

The　next　disputed　interrogatory　put　by　General　Butler　to　the　witness　was：

Shortly　after　this　conversation　about　which　you　have　testified；　and　after　the　President　restored　Major　General　Thomas　to　the　office　of　Adjutant　General；　if　you　know　the　fact　that　he　was　so　restored；　were　you　present　in　the　War　Department；　and　did　you　hear　Thomas　make　any　statements　to　the　officers　and　clerks；　or　either　of　them；　belonging　to　the　War　Office；　as　to　the　rules　and　orders　of　Mr。　Stanton　or　of　the　War　Office　which　he；　Thomas；　would　make；　revoke；　relax；　or　rescind；　in　favor　of　such　officers　or　employes　when　he　had　control　of　the　affairs　therein？　If　so；　state　as　near　as　you　can　when　it　was　such　conversation　occurred；　and　state　all　he　said；　as　near　as　you　can。

Mr。　Howard　demanded　the　yeas　and　nays　and　they　were　ordered　and　were　as　follows：

YeasAnthony　Cameron；　Cattell；　Chandler；　Cole；　Conkling；　Conness；　Corbett；　Cragin；　Drake；　Henderson　Howard；　Howe；　Morgan；　Morrill　of　Vermont；　Morton；　Nye；　Patterson　of　New　Hampshire；　Pomeroy；　Ramsey；　Ross；　Sprague；　Stewart；　Sumner；　Thayer；　Tipton；　Trumbull；　Wilson28all　Republicans。

NaysBayard；　Buckalew；　Davis；　Dixon；　Doolittle；　Edmunds；　Ferry；　Fessenden；　Fowler；　Frelinghuysen；　Grimes；　Hendricks；　Johnson；　McCreery；　Morrill　of　Maine；　Norton；　Patterson　of　Tennessee；　Sherman；　Van　Winkle；　Vickers；　Willey；　Wilson2211　Republicans；　11　Democrats。

So　the　Senate　decided　that　the　question　should　be　answered。

Mr。　Butler：　With　the　leave　of　the　President；　I　will　put　this　question　by　portions。

Did　you　hear　Thomas　make　any　statement　to　the　officers　or　clerks；　or　either　of　them；　belonging　to　the　War　Office；　as　to　the　rules　and　orders　of　Mr。　Stanton；　or　of　the　office；　which　he；　Thomas；　would　revoke；　relax；　or　rescind；　in　favor　of　such　officers　and　employes　when　he　had　control　therein？

Answer：　The　General　remarked　to　me　that　he　had　made　an　arrangement　to　have　all　the　heads；　or　officers　in　charge　of　the　different　departments　of　the　office　come　in　with　their　clerks　that　morning；　as　he　wanted　to　address　them。　He　stated　that　the　rules　which　had　been　adopted　for　the　government　of　the　clerks　by　his　predecessor　were　of　a　very　arbitrary　character；　and　he　proposed　to　relax　them。　I　suggested　to　him　that　perhaps　I　had　better　go。　He　said；　〃no；　not　at　allremain；〃　and　I　sat　down　and　he　had　some　three　or　four　officersfour　or　five；　perhapscome　in；　and　each　one　brought　in　a　roomful　of　clerks；　and　he　made　an　address　to　each　company　as　they　came　in；　stating　to　them　that　he　did　not　propose　to　hold　them　strictly　to　the　letter　of　the　instructions；　but　when　they　wanted　to　go　out　they　could　go　out；　and　when　they　wanted　to　come　in　they　could　come　in；　that　he　regarded　them　all　as　gentlemen。　and　supposed　they…　would　do　their　duty；　and　he　should　require　them　to　do　their　duty；　but　so　far　as　their　little　indulgences　were　concernedI　suppose　such　as　going　out　across　the　street　or　something　of　that　kindhe　did　not　intend　to　interfere　with　them；　all　he　expected　was　that　they　would　do　their　duty。　I　waited　until　he　concluded；　and　we　took　a　walk；　and　I　came　away。

Mr。　Samuel　Wilkinson　testified　in　response　to　an　interrogatory　by　Mr。　Butler：

I　asked　him　（Thomas）　to　tell　me　what　had　occurred　that　morning　between　him　and　the　Secretary　of　War　in　his　endeavor　to　take　possession　of　the　War　Department。　He　hesitated　to　do　so　till　I　told　him　that　the　town　was　filled　with　rumors　of　the　change　that　had　been　made；　of　the　removal　of　Mr。　Stanton　and　the　appointment　of　himself。　He　then　said　that　since　the　affair　had　become　public　he　felt　relieved　to　speak　to　me　with　freedom　about　it。　He　drew　from　his　pocket　a　copy；　or　rather　the　original；　of　the　order　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　directing　him　to　take　possession　of　the　War　Department　immediately。　He　told　me　that　he　had　taken　as　a　witness　of　his　action　General　Williams；　and　had　gone　up　into　the　War　Department　and　had　shown　to　Edwin　M。　Stanton　the　order　of　the　President；　and　had　demanded　by　virtue　of　that　order　the　possession　of　the　War　Department　and　its　books　and　papers。　He　told　me　that　Edwin　M。　Stanton；　after　reading　the　order；　had　asked　him　if　he　would　allow　him　sufficient　time　for　him　to　get　together　his　books；　papers；　and　other　personal　property　and　take　away　with　him；　that　he　told　him　that　he　would　allow　to　him　all　necessary　time　to　do　so；　and　had　then　withdrawn　from　Mr。　Stanton's　room。　He　further　told　me；　that　day　being　Friday；　that　the　next　day　would　be　what　he　called　a　dies　non；　being　the　holiday　of　the　anniversary　of　Washington's　birthday；　when　he　had　directed　that　the　War　Department　should　be　closed；　that　the　day　thereafter　would　be　Sunday；　and　that　on　Monday　morning　he　should　demand　possession　of　the　War　Department　and　of　its　property；　and　if　that　demand　was　refused　or　resisted　he　should　apply　to　the　General…in…Chief　of　the　Army　for　a　force　sufficient　to　enable　him　to　take　possession　of　the　War　Department；　and　he　added　that　he　dd　not　see　how　the　General　of　the　Army　could　refuse　to　obey　his　demand　for　that　force。　He　then　added　that　under　the　order　that　the　President　had　given　to　him　he　had　no　election　to　pursue　any　other　course　than　the　one　that　he　indicated；　that　he　was　a　subordinate　officer　directed　by　an　order　from　a　superior　officer；　and　that　he　must　pursue　that　course。

Hon。　T。　W。　Ferry；　called　by　the　Prosecution；　testified　from　memoranda　taken　down　at　the　time　of　the　demand　of　General　Thomas　for　possession　of　the　War　Office　（Mr。　Ferry　being　present）；　as　follows：

War　Department　Washington；　Feb。　22；　1867。

In　the　presence　of　Secretary　Stanton；　Judge　Kelley；　Morehead；　Dodge；　Van　Wyck；　Van　Horn；　Delano；　and　Freeman　Clarke；　at　25　minutes　past　12　m。；　General　Thomas；　Adjutant…General；　came　into　the　Secretary　of　War　Office；　saying〃Good　morning；〃　the　Secretary　replying　〃Good　morning；　sir。〃　Thomas　looked　around　and　said；　〃I　do　not　wish　to　disturb　you　gentlemen；　and　will　wait。〃　　Stanton　said；　〃Nothing　private　here；　what　do　you　want？〃　Thomas　demanded　of　Secretary　Stanton　the　surrender　of　the　Secretary　of　War　Office。　Stanton　denied　it　to　hint；　and　ordered　him　back　to　his　own　office　as　Adjutant…General。　Thomas　refused　to　go。　〃I　claim　the　office　of　Secretary　of　War；　and　demand　it　by　order　of　the　President。〃

Stanton：　　〃I　deny　your　authority　to　act；　and　order　you　back　to　your　own　office。〃

Thomas：　〃I　will　stand　here。　I　want　no　unpleasantness　in　the　presence　of　these　gentlemen。〃

Stanton：　〃You　can　stand　there　if　you　please；　but　you　can　not　act　as　Secretary　of　War。　I　am　Secretary　of　War。　I　order　you　out　of　this　office　and　to　your　own。〃　Thomas：　〃I　refuse　to　go；　and　will　stand　here。〃

Stanton：　〃How　are　you　to　get　possession？　Do　you　intend　to　use　force？〃

Thomas：　〃I　do　not　care　to　use　force；　but　my　mind　is　made　up　as　to　what　I　shall　do。　I　want　no　unpleasantness；　though。　I　shall　stay　here　and　act　as　Secretary　of　War。〃

Stanton：　〃You　shall　not；　and　I　order　you；　as　your　superior；　back　to　your　own　office。〃

Thomas：　〃I　will　not　obey　you。　but　will　stand　here　and　remain　here。〃

Stanton：　〃You　call　stand　there　if　you　please。　I　order　you　out　of　this　office　to　your　own。　I　am　Secretary　of　War；　and　your　superior。〃

Thomas　then　went　into　opposite　room　across　hall　（General　Schriver's）　and　commenced　ordering　General　Schriver　and　General　Townsend。　Stanton　entered；　followed　by　Moorhead　and　Ferry；　and　ordered　those　generals　not　to　obey　or　pay　any　attention　to　General　Thomas'　orders；　that　he　denied　his　assumed　authority　as　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim；　and　forbade　their　obedience　of　his　directions。　〃I　am　Secretary　of　War；　and　I　now　order　you；　General　Thomas　out　of　this　place　to　your　own　quarters。〃

Thomas：　〃I　will　not　go；　I　shall　discharge　the　functions　of