Norwich bulletin., 1920-05-14
Five Minutes a Day
 With Our Presidents
Copyright 1s2o-sy James Morgan

C0pyftqnp ISZt-6y James Morgan E LIII-THE GREAT IMPEACHMENT lS67-March g.. Congress passed the
 Reconstruction Act Over Pres
 ident Johnson's Veto.
 Also the Tenure of Office act.
 Aug. 12-Johnson removed
 Secretary Stanton.
 1S6S-Jan, IS, Senate refused to con
 sent and Stanton returned to
 War Department.
 Feb. 22, the House impeached
 Johnson. x.
 March 5 to May 26, the im-
 peachment trial before the
 Senate and Johnson acquitted. 1S69-SIareh 4. Johnson retired from
 the Presidency.
 IS72-Defeated for Ccngressman-at-
 Large.
 1S75-March 12, Senator from Ten
 nessee.
 July 3I, died in Carter County,
 Tenn, aged 66.
 Andrew Johnson's presidency began with a great tragedy and came near ending in another. With a two-thirds majority in congress his opponents over rode his vetoes, seized control of recon struction, stripped the president of au- thority to dismiss a postmaster or to get rid of an enemy even in his owr cabinet, and bound him hand and foot Swept on in very torrent, tempest anG .. whirlwind of passion" they attempted to eject from the White House it's helpless occupant and in an appetite for unbridled power, they commanded the Supreme Court to entertain no ap peals from their edicts on the subject 0. l reconstruction. Although the president faithfully exc cuted the reconstruction laws that hat | been passed over his vetoes, he, had as serted the rightwhich never before had beer | denied a president, to choose his owl cabinet advisers. When he tried to dis miss Secretary Stanton, Stanton turne 1 the War Depuartment into fort, an ! for weeks held it, night and day, sleep 1 ing and eating at his post for weeks. l Emotion having supplanted reason the house hastened to declare that ii the name of the house of representative 1 and the people of the United States " do impeach Andrew Johnson, president C the United States of high crimes and mis demeanors" Although there wer twelve counts in the remarkable indic nent, no crimes were specified and tn nisdemeanors that were alleged, cor sisted almost wholly of the president attempts to remove Stanton without th consent of the senate.
 This most important trial American history began on March 1868, with the Senate chamber crowde and Chief Justice Chase of the Supren Court in the chair Andrew Johnso President of the United States :" erie the sergeant Andrew Johl son, President of the United States But the defendant remained in Il White House, wisely leaving his case the hands of able counsel
 , The president had few friends left Washington. but fortunately the Pres dency itself had more. Johnsons abl } lawyers, with their better case, tore ) shreds the impeachment and the arg ments of it's advocates. When one them, Wm. NJ Eyarts, was cllided f working on Sunday in the preparation . his defense of Johnson. he replied: |" it not written that if thine ass falle into a pit it is lawful to pull him out the Sabbath Day?' D.
 There was a general expectation tn , the senate would convict, no matter he fimsy the case, and crowds of eager pa T tisans fiocked to Washington to eni the spectacle of a White House evicti Ito see Andy walk the plank Senat : Ben Wade of Ohio was confident to t s last that he would be called on, : President of the senate. to take Joh sons place. His inaugural is said to ha been written and his cabinet select, 0 with General Butler of Massachusetts 1 n secretary of state. Mrs. Wade was a less forehanded than her husband. s i was surrounded at her hotel and in t senate gallery with her women gues who had come on from Ohio to ass at her installation as mistress of 1 e White House. and they had provid a themselves with becoming gowns for i great function.
 As the roll of the senate was call = amid a hushed suspense the reput J. can senators all voted for conviction, 2 til the Chief Justice asked, Mir. Sena Fessenden, how say you? Is the
 spondent, Andrew Johnson, president d the United States, guilty or not gui e of high misdemeanor as charged e this article?'
 'fNot guilty;% answered the distil v uished Senator from Maine. who had b, ls in Lincoln's cabinet. The party ali ment was broken and it was az broken in another moment by Sena n- Grimes of Iowa, who had been stricl Ill Wltn pafalySlS under the Stra1n or is trial, but who managed to struggle s. his feet when his name was cal
 Trumbuil of Illinois, an old friend
 Lincoln. was another man of ability Il distinction among the seven republ
 senators who broke away and joined
 democrats. Yet there were thirty lu votes for conviction against only ninet ee for eacquittal, just one less than the t h. thirds necessary to convict
 By single vote the unique indepe