Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-11
THE JOHNSON IMPEACHMENT.

|
d. J. Walsh and other citizens of
! San Marcial have something of con-
| troversy over the Impeachment of An
drew Johnson and the trial which fol-
lowed, and want the Journal to settle
the matter. Mr.. Walsh asks: What
was President Johnson impeached for,
and by whom, and what were the cir
cumstances leading up to and attend
| ing the trial and was it really JUS
tlfied?"
The trouble between congress and
President johnson grew out of his len
iency toward the southern states after
| the war. The leader of the senate was
Sumner of Massachusetts,, very able
and very bitter man. The leader Of
the lower house and the most power
full influence in the entire congress
was Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania
cripple, Grabbed fanatic who domi-
mated his fellow legislators by sheer
power of will and his knowledge Of
parliamentary law. He hated the
south as much as he thought he loved
the negro.
Both Stevens and Sumner wanted
the southern states treated as con
quered provinces" Johnson treated
them as states of the union that never
had been able to divest themselves of
statehood One of the first of his
executive acts was TO open all the
southern ports, except four in Texas.
This was followed soon by a proelama-
ton of general amnesty excepting
fourteen persons.
These acts aroused great hostility
on the part OF congress.
Stanton was secretary of war. and
he stood with congress against the
president. In 1867 to prevent removal
of Stanton, congress passed over john
sons veto what was known as the
tenure of office act. in which it was
provided:
THAT every person holding any civil
office to which he has been appointed,
by and with the advice and consent of
the senate, and any person who shall
hereafter be appointed to any such
office and shall become duly qualified
to act therein, is and shall be entitled
to hold such office until a successor
shall have been appointed by the pres
ident with the advice and consent of
the senate. and duly qualified; and
that the secretaries of state. of the
treasury, of war, of the navy. and of
the Interior the postmaster general
and the attorney general shall hold
their offices respectively for and dur
ing the term of the president by whom
they may have been appointed and for
one month thereafter. subject to re-
moval by and with the advice and con-
sent of the senate"
President Johnson held the act un-
constitutional and removed Stanton,
first naming General Grant as his sue
cessor. Congress refused to recognize
Grant and he resigned. Johnson then
appointed General Lorenzo Thomas.
1t was then, that the real fight be-
gan. Congress passed bills and john
son vetoed them. He also did what
many presidents have done since, but
none before, made a Swing around
the circle" making speeches. During
his tour OF, the north and the central
west he bitterly attacked congress. He
appealed to the people against their
representatives and senators.
The house passed a resolution of
impeachment. 1t acted as grand jury
and returned an Indictment with
eleven counts. practically all of which
had to do with the removal of Stanton
and the appointment of Thomas One
Of them charged the president with
conduct in violation of the constitution
and in derogation of the dignity of his
office. In support of this count ex-
tracts from a number OF his speeches
attacking congress were cited
= The trial was by the senate, with
the chief justice OF the supreme court
presiding.
The trial lasted about three months,
was prosecuted and defended by men
of great ability. Ben Butler leading
in the prosecution and William M,
Evarts in the defense. He was ac-
quilted by one vote. thirty-six affirma-
tives votes being required and thirty
five being recorded. Senator Ross or
Kansas cast the deciding vote. His
son, Pitt Ross, is resident of Albu-
querque now.
While johnson was man of ex-
IRENE views and utterances, ne was a
man of really great ability. and the
verdict of history is that he was right
in his policy toward the south duringl
the period of reconstruction.
In the. Saragossa Sea the gulf weed
~.