Arizona republican., 1914-06-10
TRIAL OF BELKNAP

Among the impeachment trials that have excited more than the usual amount of interest in the United States, that of William w. Belknap, next to that of President Andrew Johnson, was the most strik ing. At the time Belknap was sec retary Of war under President Grant. He had served with distinction dur ing the civil war, and was Grants secretary of war from 1869 to March Y. 1876 Upon his being charged with political corruption he at once resigned his office. He was after ward impeached by the house of rep resentatives before the senate, on the accusation that he promised to ap : roint Caleb P. Marsh to the charge of a trading department at Fort Sill. in consideration of a sum of money to be paid quarterly to Belknap or his agent.
 The impeachment proceedings were quashed in the senate, on the ground of lack of jurisdiction, but on the question of guilty or not guilty. 37 senators voted guilty and 23 not guilty. It was generally believed among those best informed regard
 ing the details of this scandal, that cCmplicity as to the improper acts charged against him, and that he was even ignorant of the facts of the case.
 In February and March, 1876, the house committee on expenditures in the war department discovered that Secretary Belknap had for six years
 been receiving money for the ap-
 pointment and retention in office of the post-trader at Fort Sill, Indian Territory The total amount receiv ed was about $24.450. Belknap re- signed on March ', 1876, and his resignation was at once accepted by | President Grant
 On April 4, the manager of the impeachment on the part of the house appeared at the bar of the senate, and exhibited five articles of l impeachment, covering the various | receipts of money charged against | Belknap. In his reply the defen- dant claimed to be a private citizen | of Iowa, and denied the power of the | house to impeach any one who, by | resignation or otherwise, had ceased | to be a civil officer of the United | States
 Between May 4 and May 29. the | question as to whether Belknap was,
 under all circumstances, amenable
 to trial by impeachment was argued
 and decided in the affirmative by a
 vote of 37 to 29; but the vote proved | the hopeleSsneSS of conviction
 since the minority was too large to
 allow d two thirds vote of guilty. | The evidence and argument on
 both sides continued from July un- l til August l, when the vote stood SC guilty to 25 not guilty on the second,
 third and fourth articles; 35 to 25
 on the first, and 37 to 20 on the fifth article.
 | The majority for conviction not
 being two-thirds, d verdict of ac-
 quittal was entered. When Secre-
 tary Belknap was first summoned to
 appear before the house to answer | guilt. The charges against him were | presented to the house by Congress
 man J. Proctor Knott.
 | While the house and senate were debating the question. proceedings in 1 the criminal court were being in- stituted against the ex -secertary, and
 he was indicted by the grand jury in
 the early part of May, 1876. The case dragged along for several
 months and was finally dismissed in
 February, 1877, on motion of the dis | trict attorney, in accordance with the direction of the attorney general for the reason that, in his opinion
 the evidence against Belknap would
 not sustain the prosecution. l After the sensation caused by
 General Belknaps fall had subsided
 he settled down in Washington as a
 claim agent, making speciality of | looking after railroad interests be- | fore the departments and the com
 mittees of congress He was an able
 lawyer and soon stepped into an in- | come of $10,00O to $15,000 a year. l Belknap maintained a luxurious
 home in Washington, and, although for some years he did not go into
 society. he finally overcame the per
 sonal prejudice existing against him
 and became popular in the best cir
 cles of the capital as gastronomer | 3 wit and a story teller.
 General Belknap was found dead in his bedroom on the morning oi I October 13, 1890, having died some time during the night of fatty de- | generation of the heart. His wife l at the time was visiting in New sl York. Upon the day his death was announced the flag on the war de- \ partment was placed at half mas I and the building was decorated ir I mourning.
 r.