history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第49部分

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the　President　on　unsubstantiated；　or　even　remotely　doubtful　charges；　simply：　because　of　a　disagreement　between　himself　and　Congress　as　to　the　method　of　treating　a　great　public　emergency；　would　have　introduced　a　new　and　destructive　practice　into　our　political　system。

Logically；　the　introduction　of　such　a　practice　on　that　occasion　would　have　been　construed　as　a　precedent　for　the　treatment　of　future　public　emergencies。　Thus；　it　would　have　tended　to　disturb　the　now　perfect　adjustment　of　the　balance　of　powers　between　the　co…ordinate　branches。　That　quality　of　absolute　supremacy　of　the　several　departments　in　their　respective　spheres；　or　functions；　and　of　co…ordination　or　equality　in　their　relations　to　each　other；　established　by　the　Constitution　as　a　guarantee　of　the　perpetuity　of　our　political　system；　would　have　been　endangered；　and　the　result　could　not　have　been　otherwise　than　disaster　in　the　future。

Logically；　the　Presidency　would　in　time　have　been。　degraded　to　the　position　of　a　mere　department　for　the　execution　of　the　decrees　of　the　legislative　branch。　Not　illogically；　the　Supreme　Court　would　have　been　the　next　object　of　attack；　and　the　legislature　have　become；　by　this　unconstitutional　absorption　of　the　powers　of　Government；　the　sole；　controlling　forcein　short　the　Government。

That　would；　in　time；　by　equally　logical　sequence；　have　been　the　natural；　inevitable　resultand　the　end。　The　wreckage　of　the　Great　Republic　of　the　age　would　have　been　strown　upon　the　sands　of　the　political　seashorerelics　of　the　disregard　of　the　checks　and　balances　established　by　the　wisdom　of　its　framers；　in　the　fundamental　lawand　all　for　the　satisfaction　of　personal　ambitions　and　the　hates　of　factional　animosities。

History　affords　too　many　illustrations　of　that　tendency　to　decadence　and　disruption　from　disregard　of　the　proper　and　necessary　checks　and　balances　in　the　distribution　and　equalization　of　the　powers　of　government；　to　permit　us　to　doubt　what　the　final　end　would　have　been　had　the　President　been　removed　on　the　unsubstantiated　accusation　preferred　by　the　House　of　Representatives；　Our　peculiar　system　of　political　governmenta　Democratic　Republicpassed　the　danger　point　of　its　history　in　that　hour。

It　was　indeed　a　narrow　escape。　The　history　of　civilization　records　no　precisely　similar　condition。　The　country　then　passed　the　most　threatening　period　of　its　historybut　passed　it　safely。　The　result　was　the　highest　possible　testimonial　to　the　strength　and　endurance　of　properly　adjusted　Democratic　institutions　that　history　records。

It　emphasized　not　only　the　capacity　of　the　American　people　for　intelligent　and　orderly　self…government；　but　also　the　strength　and　endurance　of　our　popular　forms。　It　was　a　profound　surprise　to　those　habituated　to　different　political　conditions。　They　had　witnessed　with　astonishment　the　quiet　disbandment　of　millions　of　men　but　as　yesterday　engaged　in　mortal　strifethe　vast　armies　as　peacefully　returning　to　former　vocations　as　though　from　a　great　paradeand　now；　from　a　state　of　civil　convulsion　that　in　many　another　nation　would　have　produced　armed　collision　and　public　disorder；　they　saw　an　entire　people　quietly　accepting　the　verdict　of　the　highest　authoritive　body　of　the　land；　and　practically　dismissing　the　subject　from　thought。　It　was　a　splendid　world…wide　tribute　to　the　strength　and　endurance　of　our　system　of　popular　government。

Yet　the　conclusion　must　not　be　deduced　that　the　power　of　impeachment　is　not　a　wise　provision　of　our　Constitution；　nor　in　any　sense　inconsistent　with　our　popular　forms。　Conditions　may；　and　are　not　unlikely　to　arise；　some　day；　when　the　exercise　of　the　power　to　impeach　and　remove　the　President　may　be　quite　as　essential　to　the　preservation　of　our　political　system　as　it　threatened　to　become　in　this　instance　destructive　of　that　system。　Should　that　day　ever　come；　it　is　to　be　hoped　that　the　remedy　of　impeachment；　as　established　by　the　Constitution；　may　be　as　patriotically；　as　fearlessly；　and　as　unselfishly　applied　as　it　was　on　this　occasion　rejected。



SUPPLEMENT。

Copy　of　letter　addressed　to　each　of　the　members　of　the　Cabinet　present　at　the　conversation　between　the　President　and　General　Grant　on　the　14th　of　January；　1868；　and　the　answers　thereto：

Executive　Mansion；　Washington；　D。　C。；　February　5；　1868。

Sir：The　Chronicle　of　this　morning　contains　a　correspondence　between　the　President　and　General　Grant；　reported　from　the　War　Department；　in　answer　to　a　resolution　of　the　House　of　Representatives。　I　beg　to　call　your　attention　to　that　correspondence；　and　especially　to　that　part　of　it　which　refers　to　the　conversation　between　the　President　and　General　Grant；　at　the　Cabinet　meeting　on　Tuesday；　the　14th　of　January；　and　to　request　you　to　state　what　was　said　in　that　conversation。

Very　respectfully　yours；　Andrew　Johnson。

Washington；　D。　C。；　February　5；　1868。

Sir：…Your　note　of　this　date　was　handed　to　me　this　evening。　My　recollection　of　the　conversation　at　the　Cabinet　meeting　on　Tuesday；　the　14th　of　January；　corresponds　with　your　statement　of　it　in　the　letter　of　the　31st　ultimo；　in　the　published　correspondence。　The　three　points　specified　in　that　letter；　giving　your　recollection　of　the　conversation；　are　correctly　stated。

Very　respectfully；　Gideon　Welles。

To　the　President。

Treasury　Department；　February　6；　1868。

Sir：I　have　received　your　note　of　the　5th　instant；　calling　my　attention　to　the　correspondence　between　youself　and　General　Grant；　as　published　in　the　Chronicle　of　yesterday；　especially　to　that　part　of　it　which　relates　to　what　occurred　at　the　Cabinet　meeting　on　Tuesday　the　14th　ultimo；　and　requesting　me　to　state　what　was　said　in　the　conversation　referred　to。

I　cannot　undertake　to　state　the　precise　language　used；　but　I　have　no　hesitation　in　saying　that　your　account　of　that　conversation。　as　given　in　your　letter　to　General　Grant　under　date　of　the　31st　ultimo。　substantially　and　in　all　important　particulars　accords　with　my　recollection　of　it。

With　great　respect；　your　obedient　servant。　Hugh　McCulloch。　To　the　President。

Post　Office　Department　Washington；　February　6；　1868。

Sir：I　am　in　receipt　of　your　letter　of　the　5th　of　February；　calling　my　attention　to　the　correspondence　published　in　the　Chronicle　between　the　President　and　General　Grant；　and　especially　to　that　part　of　it　which　refers　to　the　conversation　between　the　President　and　General　Grant　at　the　Cabinet　meeting　on　Tuesday；　the　14th　of　January；　with　a　request　that　I　state　what　was　said　in　that　conversation。　In　reply；　I　have　the　honor　to　state　that　I　have　read　carefully　the　correspondence　in　question；　and　particularly　the　letter　of　the　President　to　General　Grant；　dated　January　31；　1868。　The　following　extract　from　your　letter　of　the　31st　January　to　General　Grant　is；　according　to　my　recollection；　a　correct　statement　of　the　conversation　that　took　place　between　the　President　and　General　Grant　at　the　Cabinet　meeting　on　the　14th　of　January　last。　In　the　presence　of　the　Cabinet　the　President　asked　General　Grant　whether；　〃in　conversation　which　took　place　after　his　appointment　as　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim；　he　did　not　agree　either　to　remain　at　the　head　of　the　War　Department　and　abide　any　judicial　proceedings　that　might　follow　the　non…concurrence　by　the　Senate　in　Mr。　Stanton's　suspension；　or；　should　he　wish　not　to　become　involved　in　such　a　controversy；　to　put　the　President　in　the　same　position　with　respect　to　the　office　as　he　occupied　previous　to　General　Grant's　appointment　by　returning　it　to　the　President　in　time　to　anticipate　such　action　by　the　Senate。〃　This　General　Grant　admitted。

The　President　then　asked　General　Grant　if；　at　the　conference　on　the　preceding　Saturday；　he　had　not；　to　avoid　misunderstanding；　requested　General　Grant　to　state　what　he　intended　to　do；　and　further；　if　in　reply　to　that　inquiry　he　（General　Grant）　had　not　referred　to　their　former　conversations；　saying　that　from　them　the　President　understood　his　position；　and　that　his　（General　Grant's）　action　would　be　consistent　with　the　understanding　which　had　been　reached。　To　these　questions　General　Grant　replied　in　the　affirmative。

The　President　asked　General　Grant　if；　at　the　conclusion　of　their　interview　on　Saturday；　it　was　not　understood　that　they　were　to　have　another　conference　on　Monday；　before　final　action　by　the　Senate　in　the　case　of　Mr。　Stanton。

General　Grant　replied　that　such　was　the　understanding；　but　that　he　did　not　suppose　the　Senate　would　act　so　soon；　that　on　Monday　he　had　been　engaged　in　a　conference　with　General　Sherman；　and　was　occupied　with　〃many　little　matters；〃　and　asked　if　General　Sherman　had　not　called　on　that　day。

I　take　this　mode　of　complying　with　the　request　contained　in　the　President　dent's　letter　to　me；　because　my　attention　had　been　called　to　the　subject　before；　when　the　conversation　between　the　President　and　General　Grant　was　under　consideration。

Very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；　Alexander　W。　Randall；　Postmaster　General。　To　the　President。

Department　of　the　Interior；　Washington；　D。　C。；　February　6；　1868。

Sir：I　am　in　receipt　of　yours　of　yesterday；　calling　my　attention　to　a　correspondence　between　yourself　and　General　Grant；　published　in　the　Chronicle　newspaper；　and　especially　to　that　part　of　said　correspondence　〃which　refers　to　the　conversation　between　the　President　and　General　Grant　at　the　Cabinet　meeting　on　Tuesday；　the　14th　of　January；〃　and　requesting　me　〃to　state　what　was　said　in　that　conversation。〃

In　reply；　I　submit　the　following　statement：　At　the　Cabinet　meeting　on　Tuesday；　the　14th　of　January；　1868；　General　Grant　appeared　and　took　his　accustomed　seat　at　the　board。　When　he　had　been　reached　in　the　order　of　business　the　President　asked　him；　as　usual；　if　he　had　anything　to　present？

In　reply；　the　General；　after　referring　to　a　note　which　he　had　that　morning　addressed　to　the　President；　inclosing　a　copy　of　the　resolution　of　the　Senate　refusing　to　concur　in　the　reasons　for　the　suspension　of　Mr。　Stanton；　proceeded　to　say　that　he　regarded　his　duties　as　Secretary　of　War　ad　interim　terminated　by　that　resolution；　and　that　he　could　not　lawfully　exercise　such　duties　for　a　moment　after　the　adoption　of　the　resolution　by　the　Senate。　That　the　resolution　reached　him　last　night；　and　that　this　morning　he　had　gone　to　the　War　Department；　entered　the　Sec