The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-05-16
OF ANDREW JOHN
SON

| What memories rise in the minds Of
the survivors of the generation of the
war at the telegraphic announcement
that ex-senator Edmund G. Ross died
at Albuquerque. N. NJ, May 8.
| There comes back at once the recol-
lection of the fierce struggles between
Congress and President Johnson in the
years Immediately succeeding the war.
When Vice President Johnson succeed
ed to the chair of the beloved Lincoln
there was widespread fear that his
intense hatred of the Secessionists
would lead him to bitter and unreason-
| ing persecution. Johnson came from
East Tennessee, and was representative
of those splendid loyalists who had en-
| dured a persecution only equaled by
the cruelties of the Inquisition in their
| firm adhesion to the Government OF
their fathers. Johnson had been
shuddering witness of the atrocities
perpetrated upon his people. He was
present with them during nearly the
whole struggle, and shared and exprest
their bitter hatred of their prosecutors
He had declared his purpose to make
treason odious," and everyone expected
that Congress would have much trou-
BILE in restraining his acts of punish
ment upon the leaders in Secession. I'm
Iaccountably, he soon began to trend
toward the other extreme, and natural
ly came into violent antagonism to Con-
gress by his policy of too quickly re-
storing to the Secession:sts the rights
which they had forfeited by war against
the country. The dispute became so
hot that as early as Jan. Z, 1857, James
M. Ashley, of Ohio, introduced reso-
luton directing the investigation of the
President upon the charges Of having
corruptly used the appointive power,
the pardoning power, the veto power
and public property. The House adopt
ed the resolution, and five of the nine
members of the Judiciary Committee
reported in favor of Impeachment. This
motion, however, was lost. Congress
proceeded to take away all possible
power from the President, passing the
Tenure of Office act, making all officers
to continue until their successors should
be confirmed by the Senate and provid-
ing that Cabinet officers, unless re-
moved by consent of the Senate. should
"nold their offices for and during the
term of the President l., whom they
may have been appointed, and for one
month thereafter" This would have
carried them. over until after the in
auguration of the President who should
be elected to succeed johnson. The
command of the Army was virtually
taken away from the President, and
the Secretary of War was made indie
pendent of him and irremovable.
All of the Cabinet, except Secretary
Stanton, were in sympathy with the
President. and Aug. IL, 1857, the Presi-
dent removed Stanton and appointed
Gen. Grant Secretary ad interim. This
was permitted under the Tenure of
Office act, as occurring between ses-
sions of Congress. Upon the reassem-
bling Of Congress the Senate refused
to approve Stanton's suspension, and
Gen. Grant notified the President that
he should cease to exercise the duties
OF Secretary of War. This brought up
a question of veracity between the
President and Gen. Grant, the former
asserting that Grant had promised to
hold the office in defiance OF the Senate.
Feb. 81, 1868, Johnson removed
Stanton, and thus threw down the gage
of battle to Congress, and Feb. "a the
House adopted resolution Of impeach-
ment by vote of 126 to AZ. Represen-
tatives John A. Bingham, of Ohio; Geo.
S. Boutwell, and Benjamin F. Butler,
of Massachusetts,; James +. Wilson, of
Iowa; Thomas Williams and Thaddeus
Stevens, OF Pennsylvania, and John A.
Logan. of Illinois. were appointed man
ayers Of the impeachment before the
Senate. The Presidents counsel were
Henry Stanbery and w. S. Groesbeck,
of Ohio; William NJ. Evarts, of New
York; Thomas A. r. Nelson, of Ten
nessee, and Benjamin Il. Curtis, of
Massachusetts,.
The Impeachment Managers present
ed II articles. The 18th of these be-
came the test, and upon it the vote
was taken. This declared that In his
public speeches and otherwise Presi-
dent Johnson had asserted that the
39th Congress was not a constitutional
Congress, but Congress of part of the
States, thereby denying, and intending
to deny, that its legislation was obliga
tory upon him, and that it had any
power to propose amendments to the
Constitution" and designing to prevent
the execution of the Tenure of Office
act, the act for the government of
the Army and the Reconstruction Acts.
The trial began with the organization
Of the Senate as high court of i'm
parchment, presided over by Chief JUS
tice Salmon p. Chase. The proceedings
comm enced March and ended March
26, and were watched with the most in
tense interest all over the country. 1t
seemed as If the Nation was passing
thru another ordeal similar to that of
the rebellion. The Republican Party
and most of the Union soldiers were
solidly behind the impeachment pro-
ceedings, since they feared that John
son was trying to throw away all the
fruits Of the war.
There were then 54 Senators holding
seats, and it was necessary to have two
thirds of those for conviction; that is,
l,,,aro y,,uct ha capatprc in favnr 70