Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-04-02
THE IMPEACHMENT;TRIAL,

reply Of President johnson to the Impeachment
charges At precisely one o'clock Dir. Wade an
nounced that the chair of the presiding officer
would be vacated for the occupancy Of the Chief
Justice, who at that moment entered the Chamber
andascended the steps He directed the Sergeant
|atArms to make proclamation, which was done in
profound silence t' 3. Ill.
The Sergeant-at-Arms then went to the main
doors of tie Senate, threw them open, and the
Managers in the following order, entered and were
announced: Bingham and Boutwell,, Wilson and
Williams, Logan and Butler. Thad Stevens ar
h rived sometime before. -,
The House of Representatives were next an-
nounced. They entered in much confusion and
took seats about the hall, five minutes having been
occupied in the process Of seating - a,
At the same time Messra Stanbery, Eyarts,
Nelson and Curtis, of the President scounse, came
in and took seats around the table at the right of
the Chief Justice, Mr.. Stanbeny occupying the
head I'd as as@
Silence having been resumed, Mr.. Doolittle, who
had not heretofore been present to take the oath,
was called to the bar, and the oath was admins
tered to him by the Chief Justice Secretary For
ney then read the journal of the last Court s
When the reading was finished, Mr.. Davis arose
doered aTesolution, in writing, to the effect that
as part of the States were not represented, o
court for the trial of impeachment could not be le
galy organized until all the States were represent
ed. ri ir .as7 ."a- -.
+ Mr.. Howard thought the resolution not in Or
der. Mr. Conness moved that the paper be not
received upon which he called for the yeas and
nays Mr.. Howe thought the resolution of Mr..
Davis purely in order. A vote by yeas and nays
was then takon on receiving Mr. Davis resolution,
resulting -yeas2, nays49. The yeas being Messrs.
McCreery and Davis himself. Kentucky thus
standing united. WIN. ..,i
Mr.. Stanberry then arose, and addressing the
Presiding Officer as "Mr Chief Justice" proceed
ed to say that the Presidents counsel was ready to
answer; that every moment Of time had been oc-
cupied, but they had not had sufficient time, but
such as their answer was, they would present it
THE PRESIDENTS ANSWER.
The following is, in substance the answer of the
President to the articles Of Impeachment exhibited
against him by the House of Representatives:
For answer to the first article he says that Ed
win NJ. Stanton was appointed secretary for the
Department Of War on the 18th day of January,
A. D. 1862, by Abraham Lincoln, then President
of the United States, during the first term of bis
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 law of 1889, passed by the first Congress
of the United States creating the Office Of Secreta
~ of War, provides that he shall perform his du-
ties according to the second section Of the second
article of the constitution, in such manner as the
President shall, from time to time, order and in
struc acting, according to uniform practice as one
of the Presidents advisers acting also for the
subordinate to the President, who is made respon-
sible by the constitution and laws for the conduct
of the Secretary of War. Further, that when by
the death of Mr. Lincoln, April Is, 1865, the res
pondent became President, Mr.. Stanton was hold
ing Office under the appointment above mentioned,
and not having been removed from Office by the
respondent, Mr. Stanton continued on at the pleas
ure of the President, and at no time received any
other appointment except as before stated Fur
ther that on and prior to the 5th Of August, 1857
the respondent, President of the United States,
responsible for Mr. Stanton's acts became satisfied
that he could not allow the said Stanton to continue
to hold the Office of Secretary of the Department
of War without hazard of the public interests that
the relations between the said Stanton and the
President no longer permitted the President to re-
sort to him for advice, or to be in the Judgment of
the President safely responsible for his conddct of
the affairs Of the Department of War, as by law
required, in accordance with the orders and in
structions of the President, that the respondent
then considered and determined that the said Stan
ton ought no longer to hold the Office, and quotes
the note to the Secretary, dated August 5th, 1867
requesting him to resign; also the answer of Mr.
tons Of high character" that the respondent,
having regard for his responsibility, then held that
it was impossible, consistent with public interests
to allow Mr. Stanton to continue to hold the Office,
and forthwith set about to decide what acts were
necessary to cause him to surrender the Office.
The respondent believes it to have been practi-
cay settled bv the first Conoress and octed an in
many cases by each Congress and President from
the first that the power at any and all times of re-
moving from office lexecutve officers for cause, is
to be judged Of by the President alone. This re-
spondent had in pursuance Of the constitution re-
CURED the opinion of each principal officer of the
Executive Department upon this question of con-
advised by each of them, including the said STAN
ton, Secretary for the Department Of War, that un-