the sequel of appomattox-第25章

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ern　man；　an　old…line　State　Rights　Democrat；　somewhat　anti…Negro　in　feeling。　He　knew　no　book　except　the　Constitution；　and　that　he　loved　with　all　his　soul。　Sure　of　the　correctness　of　his　position；　he　was　too　stubborn　to　change　or　to　compromise。　He　was　no　more　to　be　moved　than　Stevens　or　Sumner。　To　overcome　Johnson's　vetoes　required　two…thirds　of　each　House　of　Congress；　to　impeach　and　remove　him　would　require　only　a　majority　of　the　House　and　two…thirds　of　the　Senate。

The　desired　occasion　for　impeachment　was　furnished　by　Johnson's　attempt　to　get　Edwin　M。　Stanton；　the　Secretary　of　War；　out　of　the　Cabinet。　Stanton　held　radical　views　and　was　at　no　time　sympathetic　with　or　loyal　to　Johnson；　but　he　loved　office　too　well　to　resign　along　with　those　cabinet　members　who　could　not　follow　the　President　in　his　struggle　with　Congress。　He　was　seldom　frank　and　sincere　in　his　dealings　with　the　President；　and　kept　up　an　underhand　correspondence　with　the　radical　leaders；　even　assisting　in　framing　some　of　the　reconstruction　legislation　which　was　designed　to　render　Johnson　powerless。　In　him　the　radicals　had　a　representative　within　the　President's　Cabinet。


Wearied　of　Stanton's　disloyalty；　Johnson　asked　him　to　resign　and；　upon　a　refusal；　suspended　him　in　August　1867；　and　placed　General　Grant　in　temporary　charge　of　the　War　Department。　General　Grant；　Chief　Justice　Chase；　and　Secretary　McCulloch；　though　they　all　disliked　Stanton；　advised　the　President　against　suspending　him。　But　Johnson　was　determined。　About　the　same　time　he　exercised　his　power　in　removing　Sheridan　and　Sickles　from　their　commands　in　the　South　and　replaced　them　with　Hancock　and　Canby。　The　radicals　were　furious；　but　Johnson　had　secured　at　least　the　support　of　a　loyal　Cabinet。

The　suspension　of　Stanton　was　reported　to　the　Senate　in　December　1867；　and　on　January　13；　1868；　the　Senate　voted　not　to　concur　in　the　President's　action。　Upon　receiving　notice　of　the　vote　in　the　Senate；　Grant　at　once　left　the　War　Department　and　Stanton　again　took　possession。　Johnson　now　charged　Grant　with　failing　to　keep　a　promise　either　to　hold　on　himself　or　to　make　it　possible　to　appoint　some　one　else　who　would　hold　on　until　the　matter　might　be　brought　into　the　courts。　The　President　by　this　accusation　angered　Grant　and　threw　him　with　his　great　influence　into　the　arms　of　the　radicals。　Against　the　advice　of　his　leading　counselors；　Johnson　persisted　in　his　intention　to　keep　Stanton　out　of　the　Cabinet。　Accordingly　on　the　21st　of　February　he　dismissed　Stanton　from　office　and　appointed　Lorenzo　Thomas；　the　Adjutant　General；　as　acting　Secretary　of　War。　Stanton；　advised　by　the　radicals　in　Congress　to　〃stick；〃　refused　to　yield　possession　to　Thomas　and　had　him　arrested　for　violation　of　the　Tenure　of　Office　Act。　The　matter　now　was　in　the　courts　where　Johnson　wanted　it；　but　the　radical　leaders；　fearing　that　the　courts　would　decide　against　Stanton　and　the　reconstruction　acts；　had　the　charges　against　Thomas　withdrawn。　Thus　failed　the　last　attempt　to　get　the　reconstruction　laws　before　the　courts。　On　the　22nd　of　February；　the　President　sent　to　the　Senate　the　name　of　Thomas　Ewing；　General　Sherman's　father…in…law；　as　Secretary　of　War；　but　no　attention　was　paid　to　the　nomination。

On　February　24；　1868；　the　House　voted；　128　to　47；　to　impeach　the　President　〃of　high　crimes　and　misdemeanors　in　office。〃　The　Senate　was　formally　notified　the　next　day；　and　on　the　4th　of　March　the　seven　managers　selected　by　the　House　appeared　before　the　Senate　with　the　eleven　articles　of　impeachment。　At　first　it　seemed　to　the　public　that　the　impeachment　proceedings　were　merely　the　culmination　of　a　struggle　for　the　control　of　the　army。　There　were　rumors　that　Johnson　had　plans　to　use　the　army　against　Congress　and　against　reconstruction。　General　Grant；　directed　by　Johnson　to　accept　orders　from　Stanton　only　if　he　were　satisfied　that　they　came　from　the　President；　refused　to　follow　these　instructions。　Stanton；　professing　to　fear　violence；　barricaded　himself　in　the　War　Department　and　was　furnished　with　a　guard　of　soldiers　by　General　Grant；　who　from　this　time　used　his　influence　in　favor　of　impeachment。　Excited　by　the　most　sensational　rumors；　some　people　even　believed　a　new　rebellion　to　be　imminent。

The　impeachment　was　rushed　to　trial　by　the　House　managers　and　was　not　ended　until　the　decision　was　taken　by　the　votes　of　the　16th　and　26th　of　May。　The　eleven　articles　of　impeachment　consisted　of　summaries　of　all　that　had　been　charged　against　Johnson；　except　the　charge　that　he　had　been　an　accomplice　in　the　murder　of　Lincoln。　The　only　one　which　had　any　real　basis　was　the　first；　which　asserted　that　he　had　violated　the　Tenure　of　Office　Act　in　trying　to　remove　Stanton。　The　other　articles　were　merely　expansions　of　the　first　or　were　based　upon　Johnson's　opposition　to　reconstruction　or　upon　his　speeches　in　criticism　of　Congress。　Nothing　could　be　said　about　his　control　of　the　patronage；　though　this　was　one　of　the　unwritten　charges。　J。　W。　Schuckers；　in　his　life　of　Chase；　says　that　the　radical　leaders　〃felt　the　vast　importance　of　the　presidential　patronage；　many　of　them　felt；　too；　that；　according　to　the　maxim　that　to　the　victors　belong　the　spoils；　the　Republican　party　was　rightfully　entitled　to　the　Federal　patronage；　and　they　determined　to　get　possession　of　it。　There　was　but　one　method　and　that　was　by　impeachment　and　removal　of　the　President。〃

The　leading　House　managers　were　Stevens；　Butler；　Bingham；　and　Boutwell；　all　better　known　as　politicians　than　as　lawyers。　The　President　was　represented　by　an　abler　legal　array：　Curtis；　Evarts；　Stanbery；　Nelson；　and　Groesbeck。　Jeremiah　Black　was　at　first　one　of　the　counsel　for　the　President　but　withdrew　under　conditions　not　entirely　creditable　to　himself。

The　trial　was　a　one…sided　affair。　The　President's　counsel　were　refused　more　than　six　days　for　the　preparation　of　the　case。　Chief　Justice　Chase；　who　presided　over　the　trial；　insisted　upon　regarding　the　Senate　as　a　judicial　and　not　a　political　body；　and　he　accordingly　ruled　that　only　legal　evidence　should　be　admitted；　but　the　Senate　majority　preferred　to　assume　that　they　were　settling　a　political　question。　Much　evidence　favorable　to　the　President　was　excluded；　but　everything　else　was　admitted。　As　the　trial　went　on；　the　country　began　to　understand　that　the　impeachment　was　a　mistake。　Few　people　wanted　to　see　Senator　Wade　made　President。　The　partisan　attitude　of　the　Senate　majority　and　the　weakness　of　the　case　against　Johnson　had　much　to　do　in　moderating　public　opinion；　and　the　timely　nomination　of　General　Schofield　as　Secretary　of　War　after　Stanton's　resignation　reassured　those　who　feared　that　the　army　might　be　placed　under　some　extreme　Democrat。

As　the　time　drew　near　for　the　decision；　every　possible　pressure　was　brought　by　the　radicals　to　induce　senators　to　vote　for　conviction。　To　convict　the　President；　thirty…six　votes　were　necessary。　There　were　only　twelve　Democrats　in　the　Senate；　but　all　were　known　to　be　in　favor　of　acquittal。　When　the　test　came　on　the　16th　of　May；　seven　Republicans　voted　with　the　Democrats　for　acquittal　on　the　eleventh　article。　Another　vote　on　the　26th　of　May；　on　the　first　and　second　articles；　showed　that　conviction　was　not　possible。　The　radical　legislative　reaction　was　thus　checked　at　its　highest　point　and　the　presidency　as　a　part　of　the　American　governmental　system　was　no　longer　in　danger。　The　seven　Republicans　had；　however；　signed　their　own　political　death　warrants；　they　were　never　forgiven　by　the　party　leaders。

The　presidential　campaign　was　beginning　to　take　shape　even　before　the　impeachment　trial　began。　Both　the　Democrats　and　the　reorganized　Republicans　were　turning　with　longing　toward　General　Grant　as　a　candidate。　Though　he　had　always　been　a　Democrat；　Nevertheless；　when　Johnson　actually　called　him　a　liar　and　a　promise　breaker；　Grant　went　over　to　the　radicals　and　was　nominated　for　President　on　May　20；　1868；　by　the　National　Union　Republican　party。　Schuyler　Colfax　was　the　candidate　for　Vice　President。　The　Democrats；　who　could　have　won　with　Grant　and　who　under　good　leadership　still　had　a　bare　chance　to　win；　nominated　Horatio　Seymour　of　New　York　and　Francis　P。　Blair　of　Missouri。　The　former　had　served　as　war　governor　of　New　York；　while　the　latter　was　considered