The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-09-17

ANDREW
Andrew Johnson's Presidency began
with great tragedy and came near
ending in another. With two-thirds
majority in Congress, his opponents
OVERRIDE his Vetoes, seized control OF
reconstruction, stripped the President
or authority to dismiss 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 WhlrlWlnd or
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 appeals from their ed1cts
on the subject Of reconstruction.
Although the President faithfully ex-
ecuted the reconstruction laws that
had been passed over his vetoes, he
asserted the right, which never before
had been denied President, to choose
his own Cabinet advisers. When he
tried to dismiss Secretary Stanton,
turned the War Department into fort.
and for weeks held it, night and day.
sleeping and eating at his post for
weeks.
Emotion having supplanted reason,
the House fastened to declare that lin
the name of the House of Representa-
tives and of the people of the United
States we do impeach Andrew John
son, President Of the United States, of
high crimes and misdemeanors." AL
though there were twelve counts in the
remarkable indictment, no crimes were
specified and the misdemeanors that
were alleged, consisted 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 S, 1868,
with the Senate chamber crowded and
Chief Justice Chase Of the Supreme
Court in the chair. Andrew Johnson
President of the United States!" cried
the sergeant-at-arms; Andrew john
son, President Of the United States!"
But the defendant remained in the
White House, wisely leaving his case
in the hands Of able counsel.
The President had few friends left in
Washington, but fortunately the Presi-
dency itself had more, Johnson's ADLER
lawyers, with their better case, tore to
shreds the impeachment and the argu-
ments of it's advocates. When one OF
them, VIM. M. Evarts, was chided for
working on Sunday in the preparation
of bis defense Of Johnson, he replied:
as it not written that If thine ass
falleth into pit it is lawful to pun
him out on the Sabbath Day."
There was a general expectation that
the Senate would convict, no matter
how flimsy the case, and crowds Of
eager partisans flocked to Washington
to enjoy the spectacle Of a White
House eviction-to see Andy walk the
plank" Senator Ben Wade of Ohio
was confident to the last that he would
be called on, as President of the Sen
ate, to take Johnson's place. His inau-
gural is said to have been written and
his Cabinet selected, with General But
Ter of Massachusetts for Secretary OF
State. Mrs. Wade was no less fore
handed than her husband. She was
surrounded at her hotel and in the
Senate gallery with her women guests,
who had come on from Ohio to assist
at her installation as mistress Of the
White House, and they had provided
themselves with becoming gowns for
the great function.
AS the roll of the Senate was called,
amid hushed suspense, the Republi-
can Senators all voted for conviction,
until the Chief Justice asked, "Mr.
Senator Fesseden, how say you? Is the
resi- ondent, Andrew Johnson, Pres
ident of the United States, guilty or
not guilty Of high misdemeanor as
charged in this article?"
! Not guilty" answered the distin-
guished Senator from Maine, who had
been in Lincoln's Cabinet. The party
alignment was broken and it was again
broken in another moment by Senator
Grimes of Iowa, who had ben stricken
with paralysis under the strain of the
trial, but who managed to struggle to
his feet when his name was called.
Trumbull of Illinois, an old friend Of
Lincoln, was another man Of ability
and distinction among the seven Re-
publican Senators wro broke away
and joined the Democrats. Yet there
were thirty-five votes for convictions
against only nineteen for acquittal,
Just one less than the two-thirds neces-
sary to convict.
By a single vote the unique indie
pendence of the American Presidency,
which makes 1t the most eminent and
powerful political office in the world,
was saved. Had Congress triumphed,
the first long step would have been
taken toward Congressional Govern
ment on the pattern of the Parliament
tary Governments of Europe.
Johnson himself had expected to be
convicted and was packed up in readi-
Eess to leave the White House. But in
stead of meekly resigning himself to
such an unexampled humiliation, he
was eager to battle for his v1ndication
at the hands of the people. an effort
which was only postponed the few
months that remained of his term.
The bitterest foe Of the President
was not more relieved to see him
leave the White House than the wife