history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第31部分

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　in　your　hands　from　the　beginning　to　the　end。　You　had　only　to　act　upon　the　nomination；　and　the　matter　was　settled。　Surely　that　was　no　crime。

I　point　you　to　the　cases　that　have　occurredof　ad　interim　appointment　after　ad　interim　appointment；　but　I　point　especially　to　the　case　of　Mr。　Holt；　where　the　Senate　in　its　legislative　capacity　examined　it；　weighed　it；　decided　upon　it；　heard　the　report　of　the　President　and　received　it　as　satisfactory。　That　is；　for　the　purpose　of　this　trial；　before　the　same　tribunal；　res　adjudicate；　I　think；　and　it　will　be　so　regarded。

What　else　did　he　do？　He　talked　with　an　officer　about　the　law。　That　is　the　Emory　Article。　He　made　intemperate　speeches；　though　full　of　honest；　patriotic　sentiments；　when　reviled；　he　should　not　revile　again；　when　smitten　upon　one　cheek　he　should　turn　the　other。

〃But；〃　the　gentleman　who　spoke　last　on　the　part　of　the　managers；　〃he　tried　to　defeat　pacification　and　restoration。〃　I　deny　it　in　the　sense　in　which　he　presented　itthat　is；　as　a　criminal　act。　Here；　too；　he　followed　precedent　and　trod　the　path　in　which　were　the　footsteps　of　Lincoln；　and　which　was　bright　with　the　radiance　of　his　divine　utterance；　〃charity　for　all；　malice　toward　none。〃　He　was　eager　for　pacification。　He　thought　that　the　war　was　ended。　The　drums　were　all　silentthe　arsenals　were　all　shut；　the　roar　of　the　canon　had　died　away　to　the　last　reverberation；　the　armies　were　disbanded；　not　a　single　army　confronted　us　in　the　field。　Ah；　he　was　too　eager；　too　forgiving；　too　kind。　The　hand　of　conciliation　was　stretched　out　to　him　and　he　took　it？　It　may　be　he　should　have　put　it　away；　but　was　it　a　crime　to　take　it？　Kindness；　forgiveness　a　crime！　Kindness　a　crime！　Kindness　is　omnipotent　for　good；　more　powerful　than　gunpowder　or　canon。　Kindness　is　statesmanship。　Kindness　is　the　highest　statesmanship　of　heaven　itself。　The　thunders　of　Sinai　do　but　terrify　and　distract；　alone　they　accomplish　little；　it　is　the　kindness　of　Calvary　that　subdues　and　pacifies。

What　shall　I　say　of　this　man？　He　is　no　theoriest；　he　is　no　reformer；　I　have　looked　over　his　life。　He　has　ever　walked　in　beaten　paths；　and　by　the　light　of；　the　Constitution。　The　mariner；　tempest…tossed　in　mid…sea；　does　not　more　certainly　turn　to　his　star　for　guidance　than　does　this　man　in　trial　and　difficulty　to　the　star　of　the　Constitution。　He　loves　the　Constitution。　It　has　been　the　study　of　his　life。　He　is　not　learned　and　scholarly　like　many　of　you；　he　is　not　a　man　of　many　ideas　or　of　much　speculation　but　by　a　law　of　the　mind　he　is　only　the　truer　to　that　he　does　know。　He　is　a　patriot；　second　to　no　one　of　you　in　the　measure　of　his　patriotism。　He　loves　his　country；　he　may　be　full　of　error；　I　will　not　canvass　now　his　views；　but　he　loves　his　country；　he　has　the　courage　to　defend　it；　and　I　believe　to　die　for　it　if　need　be。　His　courage　and　patriotism　are　not　without　illustration。　My　colleague　（Mr。　Nelson）　referred　the　other　day　to　the　scenes　which　occurred　in　this　Chamber　when　he　alone　of　twenty…two　Senators　remained；　even　his　State　seceded；　but　he　remained。　That　was　a　trial　of　his　patriotism；　of　which　many　of　you；　by　reason　of　your　locality　and　of　your　life…long　associations；　know　nothing。　How　his　voice　rang　out　in　this　hall　in　the　hour　of　alarm　for　the　good　cause；　and　in　denunciation　of　the　rebellion！　But　he　did　not　remain　here；　it　was　a　pleasant；　honorable；　safe；　and　easy　position；　but　he　was　wanted　for　a　more　difficult　and　arduous　and　perilous　service。　He　faltered　not；　but　entered　upon　it。　That　was　a　trial　of　his　courage　and　patriotism　of　which　some　of　you　who　now　sit　in　judgment　on　more　than　his　life；　know　nothing。　I　have；　often　thought　that　those　who；　dwelt　at　the　North；　safely　distant　from　the　collisions　and　strifes　of　the　war；　knew　little　of　its　actual；　trying　dangers。　We　who　lived　on　the　border　know　more。　Our　horizon　was　always　red　with　flame；　and　it　sometimes　burned　so　near　us　that　we　could　feel　its　heat　upon　the　outstretched　hand。　But　he　was　wanted　for　a　greater　peril；　and　went　into　the　very　furnace　of　the　war；　and　there　served　his　country　long　and　well。　Who　of　you　have　done　more？　Not　one。　*　*　*　It　seems　cruel；　Senators；　that　he　should　be　dragged　here　as　a　criminal；　or　that　any　one　who　served　his　country　and　bore　himself　well　and　bravely　through　that　trying　ordeal；　should　be　condemned　upon　miserable　technicalities。

If　he　has　committed　any　gross　crime；　shocking　alike　and　indiscriminately　the　entire　public　mind；　then　condemn　him；　but　he　has　rendered　services　to　the　country　that　entitle　him　to　kind　and　respectful　consideration。　He　has　precedents　for　everything　he　has　done；　and　what　excellent　precedents！　The　voices　of　the　great　dead　come　to　us　from　the　grave　sanctioning　his　course。　All　our　past　history　approves　it。　How　can　you　single　out　this　man；　now　in　this　condition　of　things；　and　brand　him　before　the　world；　put　your　brand　of　infamy　upon　him　because　he　made　an　ad　interim　appointment　for　a　day；　and　possible　may　have　made　a　mistake　in　attempting　to　remove　Stanton？　I　can　at　a　glance　put　my　eye　on　Senators　here　who　would　not　endure　the　position　he　occupied。　You　do　not　think　it　is　right　yourselves。　You　framed　this　civil　tenure　law　to　give　each　President　his　own　Cabinet；　and　yet　his　whole　crime　is　that　he　wants　harmony　and　peace　in　his。

Senators；　I　will　not　go　on。　There　is　a　great　deal　that　is　crowding　on　my　tongue　for　utterance；　but　it　is　not　from　my　head；　it　is　rather　from　my　heart；　and　it　would　be　but　a　repetition　of　the　vain　things　1　have　been　saying　the　past　half　hour　But　I　do　hope　you　will　not　drive　the　President　out　and　take　possession　of　his　office。　I　hope　this；　not　merely　as　counsel　for　Andrew　Johnson；　for　Andrew　Johnson's　administration　is　to　me　but　as　a　moment；　and　himself　as　nothing　in　comparison　with　the　possible　consequences　of　such　an　act。　No　good　can　come　of　it；　Senators；　and　how　much　will　the　heart　of　the　nation　be　refreshed　if　at　last　the　Senate　of　the　United　States　can；　in　its　judgment　upon　this　case；　maintain　its　ancient　dignity　and　high　character　in　the　midst　of　storms；　and　passion；　and　strife。


A　somewhat　startling　incident；　which　for　the　moment　threatened　unpleasant　results；　occurred　in　the　course　of　the　trial。　In　his　opening　speech　for　the　prosecution；　Mr。　Manager　Boutwell　used　this　language；　speaking　of　the　President：

The　President　is　a　man　of　strong　will；　of　violent　passions；　of　unlimited　ambition；　with　capacity　to　employ　and　use　timid　men；　adhesive；　subservient　men；　and　corrupt　men；　as　the　instruments　of　his　designs。　It　is　the　truth　of　history　that　he　has　injured　every　person　with　whom　he　has　had　confidential　relations；　and　many　have　escaped　ruin　only　by　withdrawing　from　his　society　altogether。　He　has　one　rule　of　his　life：　he　attempts　to　use　every　man　of　power；　capacity；　or　influence　within　his　reach。　Succeeding　in　his　attempts；　they　are　in　time；　and　usually　in　a　short　time；　utterly　ruined。　If　the　considerate　flee　from　him；　if　the　brave　and　patriotic　resist　his　schemes　or　expose　his　plans；　he　attacks　them　with　all　the　energy　and　patronage　of　his　office；　and　pursues　them　with　all　the　violence　of　his　personal　hatred。　He　attacks　to　destroy　all　who　will　not　become　his　instruments；　and　all　who　become　his　instruments　are　destroyed　in　the　use。　He　spares　no　one。　*　*　*　Already　this　purpose　of　his　life　is　illustrated　in　the　treatment　of　a　gentleman　who　was　of　counsel　for　the　respondent；　but　who　has　never　appeared　in　his　behalf。


The　last　paragraph　of　the　above　quotation　manifestly　referred　to　a　disagrement　between　the　President　and　Judge　Black；　which　led　to　the　retirement　of　that　gentleman　from　the　Management　of　the　Defense　of　the　President；　a　few　days　prior　to　the　beginning　of　the　trial。

To　this　criticism　of　the　President；　Judge　Nelson；　of　Counsel　for　Defense；　responded　a　few　days　later；　with　the　following　statement：

It　is　to　me；　Senators；　a　source　of　much　embarassment　how　to　speak　in　reply　to　the　accusation　which　has　thus　been　preferred　against　the　President　of　the　United　States。　*　*　*

In　order　that　you　may　understand　what　I　have　to　say　about　it　I　desire　to　refer　the　Senate　to　a　brief　statement　which　I　have　prepared　on　account　of　the　delicacy　of　the　subject；　and；　although　I　have　not　had　time　to　write　it　out　as　I　would　have　desired　to　do；　it　will　be　sufficient　to　enable　you　to　comprehend　the　facts　which　I　am　about　to　state。　You　will　understand；　Senators；　that　I　do　not　purport　to　give　a　full　history　of　what　I　may　call　the　Alta　Vela　case；　as　to　which　a　report　was　made　to　the　Senate　by　the　Secretary　of　State　upon　your　call。　A　mere　outline　of　the　case　will　be　sufficient　to　explain　what　I　have　to　say　in　reference　to　Judge　Black：

Under　the　guano　act　of　1856；　William　T。　Kendal　on　the　one　side；　and　Patterson　and　Marguiendo　on　the　other；　filed　claims　in　the　Secretary　of　State's　office　to　the　island　which　is　claimed　by　the　government　of　St。　Domingo。

On　the　17th　of　June；　1867；　the　examiner　of　claims　submitted　a　report　adverse　to　the　claim　for　damages　against　the　Dominican　government。　On　the　22d　of　July；　1867；　Mr。　Black　addressed　a　letter　to　the　President；　（page　10）　and　another　on　the　7th　of　August；　1867。　On　page　13　it　is　said　that　Patterson　and　Marguiendo　acquiesce　in　the　decision。　On　page　13　it　is　shown　that　other　parties　are　in　averse　possession。　On　page　15　it　is　asserted　that　the　contest　is　between　citizens　of　the　United　States；　and　can　be　settled　in　the　courts　of　the　United　States。　The　contest　now　seems　to　be　between　Patterson　and　Marguiendo　and　Thomas　B。　Webster　&　Co。

On　the　14th　of　December；　1859；　Judge　Black；　as　Attorney　General；　rejected　the　claim　of　W。　J。　Kendall　to　an　island　in　the　Carribean　Sea；　called　Cayo　Verde；　and　Mr。　Seward　seems　to　regard　the　two　cases　as　resting　on　the　same　principle　in　his　report　of　17th　of　January；　1867。

On　the　22d　of　July；　1867；　Judge　Black　addressed　a　letter　to　the　President　enclosing　a　brief。　On　the　7th　of　August；　1867；　he　addressed　another　communication　to　the　President。　On　the　7th　of　February；　1868；　an　elaborate　an　able　communication　was　sent　to　the　President；　signed　by　W。　J。　Shaffer；　attorney　for　Patterson　and　Marguiendo；　and　Black；　Lamon　&；　Co。；　counsel；　in　which　they　criticised　with　severity　the　report　of　Mr。　Seward　and　asked　the　President　to　review　his　decision。

According　to　the　best　informati