Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-05-13
FiUe Minutes A Day
With Our Presidents
The Great Imneachment
BY JAMES MORGAN

Andrew Johnson's Presidency began
with a great tragedy and came near
ending in another. With a two-thtrds
majority in Congress. his opponents
OVERRIDE his vetoes. seized control OF
reconstruction, stripped the President
Of authority TO dismiss a postmaster
or to get rid of an enemy even in his
own Cabinet, and bound him hand and
foot. Swept on in a very torrent,
tempest and . whirlwind Of
passion" they attempted to eject from
the White House it's helpless occupant,
and in an appetite for unbridled pow
er, they commanded the Supreme
Court to entertain no appeals from
their edicts on the subject of recon-
Istruction.
Although the President faithfully
executed the reconstruction laws that
had been passed over his vetoes, he
asserted the right, which never before
had been denied a President, to
choose his own Cabinet advisers.
When he tried to dismiss Secretary
Stanton, Stanton turned the War De-
partment into a fort. and for weeks
held 1t, night and day, sleeping M
eating at his post for weeks.
Emotion having supplanted reason,
the House FASTENED to declare that
"in the name of the House of Rep
resentatives and of the people of the
UNITED States we do impeach Andrew
Johnson, President of the United
States, of high crimes and misdemean-
ors." Although there were twelve
counts in the remarkable Indictment.
no crimes were specified and the mis-
.demeanors that were alleged, consist
ed almost wholly of the Presidents
attempts to remove Stanton without
the consent OF the Senate.
This most important trial in Ameri-
can history began on March 3, 1868.
with the Senate chamber crowded and
Justice Chase of the Supreme
in the chair. Andrew Johnson,
President of the United States!" cried
the sergeant-at-arms; Andrew John
son, President of the United States!"
the defendant remained in the
White House, wisely leaving his case
in the hands of able counsel.
The President had few friends left
Washington, but fortunately the
Presidency itself had more. J~ohnson's
ADLER lawyers, with their better case,
to shreds the Impeachment and
The arguments of It's advocates. When
one OF them, VIM. NJ. Evarts, was
chided for working on Sunday in the
preparation of his defense of Johnson,
10 replied rs 1t not written h q If
.hine ass faleth into a pit it is lawful
% pull him out on the Sabbath
There was a general expectation
hat the Senate would convict, no mat
er how flimsy the case, and crowds
If eager partisans flocked to Wash
ngton to enjoy the spectacle of a
White House eviction-to see ANDY
Walk the plank" Senator Ben Wade
Of Ohio vas confident to the last
hat he would be called on, as Presf-
lent of the Senate to take Johnson's
Yao~ Hts a~a II, a., anI1 70 hnxyA
,een written and his Cabinet selected
With General Butler of Massachusetts
or Secretary Of State. Mrs. Wade
nc less forehanded than her hus-
She was surrounded at her
.otel and In tho Senate gallery with
.er women guests, who had come on
Ohio to assist at her installation
s mistress of the White House, and
hey had provided themselves with
ecoming gowns for the great func-
AS the roll of the Senate was called.
mid a hushed suspense. the Republi-
an Senators all voted for conviction,
ntil the Chief Justice asked. Mr.
enator Fessenden, how say you? Is
respondent, Andrew Johnson,
resident of the United States, guilty
r not guilty of a high misdemeanor.
s charged in this article?"
mol guilty, dHSWGTeu inc QlSl4u- III
Senator from Maine, who mad
sen in Lincoln's Cabinet. The party
lignment was broken and 1t was !
broken in another moment by :
snator Grimes of Iowa, who had been :
ricken with paralysis under the
rain of the trial, but who managed
struggle to his feet when his name
as called. Trumbull of Illinois, an
Id friend of Lincoln, was another
of ability and distinction among
he seven Republican Senators who
'roke away and Joined the Demo-
rats. Yet there were thirty-five votes
or conviction against only nineteen
or acquittal, Just n less than the
necessary to convict.
BY a single vote the unique indie ]
,endence of the American Presidency, il
makes 1t the most eminent J
md powerful political Office in the
world, was saved. Had Congressl