history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第42部分

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Not　Guilty19。　Guilty35one　vote　less　than　a　Constitutional　majority。



CHAPTER　XI。　　THE　IMPEACHERS　IN　A　MAZE。　A　RECESS　ORDERED。

THE　FINAL　VOTE　TAKEN。

The　defeat　of　the　Eleventh　Article　was　the　second　official　set…back　to　the　Impeachment　movementthe　first　being　the　practical　abandonment　of　the　First　Article　by　the　change　in　the　order　of　voting。

The　vote　had　been　taken　on　what　its　friends　seemed　to　consider　its　strongest　proposition；　the　Eleventh　Article　having　been　so　framed　as　to　group　the　substance；　practically；　of　all　the　pending　ten　Articles。　The　impeachers　had　staked　their　cause　upon　that　Article；　and　lost。　They　seemed　not　to　have　contemplated　the　possibility　of　its　defeat。　So　confident　were　they　of　its　success；　in　which　event　it　would　be　immaterial　what　became　of　the　other　Articles；　that　they　apparently　had　agreed　upon　no　order　of　procedure　after　that　should　have　been　defeated。　They　were　in　the　condition　of　a　flock　of　game　into　which　the　sportsman　had　fired　a　shot　and　broken　its　ranks。　They　were　dazed；　and　for　a　moment　seemed　not　to　know　what　next　to　do；　or　which　way　to　turn。　They　did　not　dare　now　go　back　to　the　fated　First　Article；　according　to　the　program　agreed　upon；　as　Mr。　Sherman　and　Mr。　Howe　had　demonstrated　its　weakness；　and　they　were　fearful　of　going　to　the　Second　or　Third；　as　in　the　then　temper　of　the　anti…impeachers　it　was　manifest　there　would　be　little　hope　for　either　of　them；　and　the　other　eight　had　been　already　beaten　without　a　vote；　at　the　conference　previously　held；　and　by　Republican　commitals。

The　Chief　Justice　ordered　the　reading　of　the　First　Article；　according　to　the　order　agreed　upon；　but　before　that　could　begin；　apparently　to　gain　time　for　recovery；　Mr。　Williams　moved　that　the　Senate　take　a　recess　of　fifteen　minutes；　but　the　motion　was　not　agreed　to。

The　Chief　Justice　again　ordered　the　reading　of　the　First　Article；　but　again；　before　the　clerk　could　begin　the　reading；　Mr。　Williams　intervened　to　move　an　adjournment　to　Tuesday；　the　26th　day　of　the　month。

After　numerous　conflicting　motions　relating　to　the　date　of　the　proposed　reassembling；　and　several　roll　calls　thereon；　the　anti…impeachers　generally　insisting　on　proceeding　at　once　to　vote　on　the　other　articles　of　impeachment；　the　motion　of　Mr。　Williams　to　adjourn　to　June　26th；　prevailed。

Of　course　the　purpose；　and　the　only　purpose　then　apparent；　of　that　adjournment；　was　to　gain　time；　apparently　in　the　hope　of　more　favorable　developments　in　the　next　ten　days。

The　supposably　strongest　count　of　the　indictment　having　been　beaten；　it　was　apparent　that　it　would　be　folly　to　hazard　a　vote　on　any　other　at　that　time。　There　was　a　possibility　that　changes　might　occur　in　the　personnel　of　the　Senate　in　the　interim。　As　but　one　article　had　been　put　to　vote；　and　as　that　was　beaten　by　the　lack　of　a　single　vote；　there　seemed　a　further　possibility　that　influences　could　be　brought　to　bear；　through　the　industry　of　the　House；　as　was　very　soon　after　developed；　to　secure　the　support　of　an　anti…impeaching　Senator　on　at　least　one　of　the　articles　of　impeachment　yet　to　be　voted　upon。　A　vacancy　in　the　ranks　of　the　anti…impeaching　Republicans　to　be　filled　by　an　impeaching　appointee　might　happen。　Many　contingencies　were　possible　during　the　next　ten　days　for　a　reversal　of　the　action　of　the　Senate　just　had。　At　all　events；　everything　would　be　hazarded　by　permitting　further　immediate　action；　while　the　situation　could　be　rendered　no　worse　by　delay；　and　time　and　other　mollifying　conditions　and　influences　might　bring　changes　more　promising　of　success。

The　anti…impeachment　Republicans　had　not　long　to　wait　for　the　development　of　the　purpose　of　the　recess；　at　least　so　far　its　supporters　in　the　House　were　concerned。　Immediately　upon　the　adjournment　of　the　Senate；　the　House　re…assembled；　and　the　following　proceeding　was　had：

Mr。　Bingham：　I　have　been　directed　by　the　Managers　on　the　part　of　the　House　of　Representatives；　in　the　matter　of　the　Impeachment　of　Andrew　Johnson；　to　report　the　following　preamble　and　resolutions　for　consideration　at　this　time：

Whereas；　information　has　come　to　the　Managers　which　seems　to　them　to　furnish　probable　cause　to　believe　that　improper　or　corrupt　means　have　been　used　to　influence　the　determination　of　the　Senate　upon　the　Articles　of　Impeachment　submitted　to　the　Senate　by　the　House　of　Representatives　against　the　President　of　the　United　States；　therefore。

Be　it　Resolved；　That　for　the　further　and　more　efficient　prosecution　of　the　Impeachment　of　the　President；　the　Managers　be　directed　and　instructed　to　summon　and　examine　witnesses　under　oath；　to　send　for　persons　and　papers；　and　employ　a　stenographer；　and　appoint　sub…committee　to　take　testimony；　the　expense　thereof　to　be　paid　from　the　Contingent　Fund　of　the　House。

This　resolution　was　immediately　and　without　debate　adopted　by　a　vote　of　88　to　14。　It　would　be　stating　it　mildly　to　say　that　the　House　was　in　a　tumult。　The　Republican　leaders　were　wild　with　rage。　They　had　selected　for　the　first　vote　what　they　deemed　the　strongest　point　in　their　indictment；　and　lost；　and　their　vengeance　now　turned　upon　those　Republican　Senators　who　had　failed　to　support　them。　Hence　the　adjournment　of　the　Senate　for　ten　days　to　afford　them　time　to　discipline　the　recusants　and　force　an　additional　vote　for　conviction　on　the　next　ballot。

The　conspicuous　indelicacy　of　this　move　was　two…fold：　1st；　in　that　the　House　proposed　to　investigate　the　action　of　a　co…ordinate　branch　of　Congress：　and　2nd；　that　the　trial　not　being　concluded；　it　had　to　a　pointed　degree　the　appearance　of　an　attempt　to　intimidate　Senators　who　had　voted　against　conviction　into　changing　their　votes　at　the　next　ballot　in　fear　of　an　inquisition　for　alleged　corruption。　In　that　sense　it　was　an　act　of　intimidationa　warning。　It　was　an　ill…disguised　threat　and　a　most　unseemly　proceedingyet　there　was　not　one　among　the　supporters　of　the　Impeachment　to　condemn　it；　and　few　who　failed　openly　to　justify　it。　Partisan　rancor　and　personal　and　political　hostility　to　the　President　had　reached　a　point　that　condoned　this　indelicacy　of　the　House　towards　the　Senate；　and　justified　the　public　assault　upon　the　dissenting　Republican　Senators；　and　the　insult　to　the　Senate　itself。

The　demand　for　adjournment　and　delay　seemed　to　have　been　understood　by　the　impeaching　majority　of　the　Senate；　and　was　of　course　promptly　granted　and　further　voting　postponed；　and　the　Senate　adjourned　to　May　26th。

The　next　ten　day　were　days　of　unrestof　anxiety　to　all　who　were　involved　or　in　any　way　interested　in　the　impeachment　proceeding。　While　the　result　of　the　16th　gave　hope　and　comfort　to　the　opponents　of　impeachment；　it　caused　little　or　no　perceptible　discouragement　to　its　more　radical　friends。　They　were　more　active　and　persistent　than　ever。　The　footsteps　of　the　anti…impeaching　Republicans　were　dogged　from　the　day's　beginning　to　its　end　and　far　into　the　night；　with　entreaties；　considerations　and　threats；　in　the　hope　of　securing　a　reversal　of　the　result　of　the　16th。　The　partisan　press　of　the　States　represented　by　the　anti…impeaching　Republicans　came　daily　filled　with　vigorous　animadversions　upon　their　action；　and　not　a　few　threats　of　violence　upon　their　return　to　their　constituents。　But　it　was　in　vain。

The　Senate　reassembled　on　the　26th　of　May　to　complete　the　vote　on　the　articles　of　impeachment。　After　the　usual　preliminary　proceedings；　Mr。　Williams　moved　to　begin　the　voting　on　the　Second　Article；　which　was　had　with　the　same　result　as　on　the　11thand　then　the　Third；　and　still　with　the　same　result。　It　then　became　manifest　that　it　was　useless　to　go　farther；　as　all　the　balance　had　been　rendered　certain　of　defeat；　and　by　still　more　decisive　votesa　considerable　number　of　those　so　far　voting　for　impeachment　having　committed　themselves　in　the　previous　conference　against　all　the　balance。　So；　to　save　themselves　from　being　forced　to　vote　against　impeachment　on　any　of　the　articles；　there　was　a　unanimous　vote　of　the　impeachers　to　abandon　the　case　and　adjournand　with　it　went　glimmering　the　visions　of　office；　and　spoils；　and　the　riotous　assaults　on　the　public　treasury　that　had　for　months　been　organizing　for　the　day　when　Mr。　Johnson　should　be　put　out　and　Mr。　Wade　put　in；　with　the　political　board　clear　for　a　NEW　DEAL。

An　analysis　of　the　Eleventh；　Article　shows。　that　it　comprised　four　distinct　counts；　or　accusations。

FirstThat　Mr。　Johnson　had　said　that　the　Thirty…Ninth　Congress　was　not　a　Congress　of　the　United　States；　but　a　Congress　of　only　part　of　the　States；　and　therefore　had　no　power　to　propose　amendments　the　Constitution。

The　latter　clause　of　this　accusation　was　the　only　portion　of　the　first　count　that　received　any　consideration　during　the　trial；　and　the　only　testimony　brought　in　its　support　was　the　Parsons…Johnson　telegraphic　correspondence　set　out　in　Interrogatory　No。　5。

In　that　dispatch；　referring　to　then　pending　Constitutional　amendment　（the　14th）　Mr。　Johnson　referred　to　Congress　as　〃a　set　of　individuals。〃　Mr。　Manager　Boutwell　declared　this　expression　to　be　〃the　gist　of　the　offense　of　this　particular　telegraphic　dispatch。〃

Counsel　for　defense　objected　to　this　testimony；　but　it　was　received　by　a　vote　of　yeas　twenty…seven；　nays　seventeen。

As　the　Fourteenth　Amendment　was　not　declared　adopted　or　a　part　of　the　Constitution　for　more　than　a　year　after　the　transmission　of　that　dispatch；　and　as　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　prohibits　any　abridgment　of　the　freedom　of　speech；　and　as　this　remark　was　unaccompanied　by　any　act　in　violation　of　law；　it　is　difficult　to　see　how　it　could　be　construed　into　an　impeachable　offense。　Moreover；　saying　nothing　of　the　good　taste　or　propriety　of　that　dispatch；　Mr。　Johnson　was　opposed　to　the　proposed　amendment；　and　had　the　same　right　to　oppose　it；　or　to　characterize　it　or　the　members　of　Congress　favoring　it；　as　had　any　private　citizen；　or　as　had　the　members　of　Congress　to　characterize　his　action　in　the　premises；　without　being　called　to　account　therefor。

The　second　count　of　that　article　was：

Violation　of　the　Tenure…of…Office　Act　of　March　2nd；　1867；　in　seeking　to　prevent　the　resumption　by　Mr。　Stanton　of　the　office　of　Secretary　of　War。

This　clause　had　been　very　effectually　disposed　of　by　Messrs。　Sherman　and　Howe　several　days　before　the　vote　was　taken　on　the