history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第45节

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sed　the　attention　of　the　general　public；　to　the　interruption　of　legislation　pending　in　the　two　Houses　of　Congress；　and　more　or　less　to　the　embarrassment　of　the　commercial　activities　of　the　country。

For　the　first　time　in　the　history　of　the　government；　practically　eighty　years；　the　President　of　the　United　States　was　at　the　bar　of　the　Senate；　by　virtue　of　a　constitutional　warrant；　on　an　accusation　of　the　House　of　Representatives　of　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors　in　office；　and　his　conviction　and　expulsion　from　office　demanded　in　the　name　of　all　the　people。　No　event　in　the　civil　history　of　the　country　had　ever　before　occurred　to　so　arouse　public　antipathies　and　public　indignation　against　any　man…and　these　conditions　found　special　vent　in　the　City　of　Washington；　as　the　Capitol　of　the　Nation；　as　it　had　become　during　the　trial　the　focal　point　of　the　politically　dissatisfied　element　of　the　entire　country。　Its　streets　and　all　its　places　of　gathering　had　swarmed　for　many　weeks　with　representatives　of　every　State　of　the　Union；　demanding　in　a　practically　united　voice　the　deposition　of　the　President。

On　numbers　of　occasions　during　the　previous　history　of　the　Government　there　had　been　heated　controversies　between　the　Congress　and　the　Executive；　but　never　before　characterized　by　the　intensity；　not　infrequently　malevolence；　that　had　come　to　mark　this　and　never　before　had　a　division　between　the　Executive　and　the　Congress　reached　a　point　at　which　a　suggestion　of　his　constitutional　ostracism　from　office　had　been　seriously　entertained；　much　less　attempted。

But　it　had　now　come。　The　active；　intense　interest　of　the　country　was　aroused；　and　everywhere　the　division　among　the　people　was　sharply　defined　and　keen；　though　the　numerical　preponderance；　it　cannot　be　denied；　was　largely　against　the　President　and　insistent　upon　his　removal。

The　dominant　party　of　the　country　was　aroused　and　active　for　the　deposition　of　the　President。　Public　meetings　were　held　throughout　the　North　and　resolutions　adopted　and　forwarded　to　Senators　demanding　that　Mr。　Johnson　be　promptly　expelled　from　office　by　the　Senateand　it　had　become　apparent；　long　before　the　taking　of　the　vote；　that　absolute；　swift；　and　ignominious　expulsion　from　office　awaited　every　Republican　Senator　who　should　dare　to　disregard　that　demand。

Under　these　conditions　it　was　but　natural　that　during　the　trial；　and　especially　as　the　close　approached；　the　streets　of　Washington　and　the　lobbies　of　the　Capitol　were　thronged　from　day　to　day　with　interested　spectators　from　every　section　of　the　Union；　or　that　Senators　were　beleaguered　day　and　night；　by　interested　constituents；　for　some　word　of　encouragement　that　a　change　was　about　to　come　of　that　day's　proceeding；　and　with　threats　of　popular　vengeance　upon　the　failure　of　any　Republican　Senator　to　second　that　demand。

In　view　of　this　intensity　of　public　interest　it　was　as　a　matter　of　course　that　the　coming　of　the　day　when　the　great　controversy　was　expected　to　be　brought　to　a　close　by　the　deposition　of　Mr。　Johnson　and　the　seating　of　a　new　incumbent　in　the　Presidential　chair；　brought　to　the　Capitol　an　additional　throng　which　long　before　the　hour　for　the　assembling　of　the　Senate　filled　all　the　available　space　in　the　vast　building；　to　witness　the　culmination　of　the　great　political　trial　of　the　age。

Upon　the　closing　of　the　hearingeven　prior　thereto；　and　again　during　the　few　days　of　recess　that　followed；　the　Senate　had　been　carefully　polled；　and　the　prospective　vote　of　every　member　from　whom　it　was　possible　to　procure　a　committal；　ascertained　and　registered　in　many　a　private　memoranda。　There　were　fifty…four　membersall　present。　According　to　these　memoranda；　the　vote　would　stand　eighteen　for　acquittal；　thirty…five　for　convictionone　less　than　the　number　required　by　the　Constitution　to　convict。　What　that　one　vote　would　be；　and　could　it　be　had；　were　anxious　queries；　of　one　to　another；　especially　among　those　who　had　set　on　foot　the　impeachment　enterprise　and　staked　their　future　control　of　the　government　upon　its　success。　Given　for　conviction　and　upon　sufficient　proofs；　the　President　MUST　step　down　and　out　of　his　place；　the　highest　and　most　honorable　and　honoring　in　dignity　and　sacredness　of　trust　in　the　constitution　of　human　government；　a　disgraced　man　and　a　political　pariah。　If　so　cast　upon　insufficient　proofs　or　from　partisan　considerations；　the　office　of　President　of　the　United　States　would　be　degradedcease　to　be　a　coordinate　branch　of　the　Government；　and　ever　after　subordinated　to　the　legislative　will。　It　would　have　practically　revolutionized　our　splendid　political　fabric　into　a　partisan　Congressional　autocracy。　Apolitical　tragedy　was　imminent。

On　the　other　hand；　that　vote　properly　given　for　acquittal；　would　at　once　free　the　Presidential　office　from　imputed　dishonor　and　strengthen　our　triple　organization　and　distribution　of　powers　and　responsibilities。　It　would　preserve　the　even　tenor　and　courses　of　administration；　and　effectively　impress　upon　the　world　a　conviction　of　the　strength　and　grandeur　of　Republican　institutions　in　the　hands　of　a　free　and　enlightened　people。

The　occasion　was　sublimely　and　intensely　dramatic。　The　President　of　the　United　States　was　on　trial。　The　Chief　Justice　of　the　Supreme　Court　was　presiding　over　the　deliberations　of　the　Senate　sitting　for　the　trial　of　the　great　cause。　The　board　of　management　conducting　the　prosecution　brought　by　the　House　of　Representatives　was　a　body　of　able　and　illustrious　politicians　and　statesmen。　The　President's　counsel；　comprising　jurists　among　the　most　eminent　of　the　country；　had　summed　up　for　the　defense　and　were　awaiting　final　judgment。　The　Senate；　transformed　for　the　occasion　into　an　extraordinary　judicial　tribunal；　the　highest　known　to　our　laws；　the　Senators　at　once　judges　and　jurors　with　power　to　enforce　testimony　and　sworn　to　hear　all　the　facts　bearing　upon　the　case；　was　about　to　pronounce　that　judgment。

The　organization　of　the　court　had　been　severely　Democratic。　There　were　none　of　the　usual　accompaniments　of　royalty　or　exclusivism　considered　essential　under　aristocratic　forms　to　impress　the　people　with　the　dignity　and　gravity　of　a　great　occasion。　None　of　these　were　necessary；　for　every　spectator　was　an　intensely　interested　witness　to　the　proceeding；　who　must　bear　each　for　himself；　the　public　consequences　of　the　verdict；　whatever　they　might　be；　equally　with　every　member　of　the　court。

The　venerable　Chief　Justice；　who　had　so　ably　and　impartially　presided　through　the　many　tedious　weeks　of　the　trial　now　about　to　close；　was　in　his　place　and　called　the　Senate　to　order。

The　impressive　dignity　of　the　occasion　was　such　that　there　was　little　need　of　the　admonition　of　the　Chief　Justice　to　abstention　from　conversation　on　the　part　of　the　audience　during　the　proceeding。　No　one　there　present；　whether　friend　or　opponent　of　the　President；　could　have　failed　to　be　impressed　with　the　tremendous　consequences　of　the　possible　result　of　the　prosecution　about　to　be　reached。　The　balances　were　apparently　at　a　poise。　It　was　plain　that　a　single　vote　would　be　sufficient　to　turn　the　scales　either　wayto　evict　the　President　from　his　great　office　to　go　the　balance　of　his　life's　journey　with　the　brand　of　infamy　upon　his　brow；　or　be　relieved　at　once　from　the　obloquy　the　inquisitors　had　sought　to　put　upon　himand　more　than　all　else；　to　keep　the　honorable　roll　of　American　Presidents　unsmirched　before　the　world；　despite　the　action　of　the　House。

The　first　vote　was　on　the　Eleventh　and　last　Article　of　the　Impeachment。　Senators　voted　in　alphabetical　order；　and　each　arose　and　stood　at　his　desk　as　his　name　was　called　by　the　Chief　Clerk。　To　each　the　Chief　Justice　propounded　the　solemn　interrogatory〃Mr。　Senator；　how　say　youis　the　respondent；　Andrew　Johnson；　President　of　the　United　States；　guilty　or　not　guilty　of　a　high　misdemeanor　as　charged　in　this　Article？〃

Mr。　Fessenden；　of　Maine；　was　the　first　of　Republican　Senators　to　vote　〃Not　Guilty。〃　He　had　long　been　a　safe　and　trusted　leader　in　the　Senate；　and　had　the　unquestioning　confidence　of　his　partisan　colleagues；　while　his　long　experience　in　public　life；　and　his　great　ability　as　a　legislator；　and　more　especially　his　exalted　personal　character；　had　won　for　him　the　admiration　of　all　his　associates　regardless　of　political　affiliations。　Being　the　first　of　the　dissenting　Republicans　to　vote；　the　influence　of　his　action　was　feared　by　the　impeachers；　and　most　strenuous　efforts　had　been　made　to　induce　him　to　retract　the　position　he　had　taken　to　vote　against　conviction。　But　being　moved　on　this　occasion；　as　he　had　always　been　on　others；　to　act　upon　his　own　judgment　and　conviction；　though　foreseeing　that　this　vote　would　probably　end　a　long　career　of　conspicuous　public　usefulness；　there　was　no　sign　of　hesitancy　or　weakness　as　he　pronounced　his　verdict。

Mr。　Fowler；　of　Tennessee；　was　the　next　Republican　to　vote　〃Not　Guilty。〃　He　had　entered　the　Senate　but　two　years　before；　and　was　therefore　one　of　the　youngest　Senators；　with　the　promise　of　a　life　of　political　usefulness　before　him。　Though　from　the　same　State　as　the　President；　they　were　at　political　variance；　and　there　was　but　little　in　common　between　them　in　other　respects。　A　radical　partisan　in　all　measures　where　radical　action　seemed　to　be　called　for；　he