history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第6部分

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dopted　by　Congress　over　the　President's　vetoes；　would　have　been　in　a　very　large　degree　avoided；　and　THERE　WOULD　HAVE　BEEN　NO　IMPEACHMENTeither　of　Mr。　Lincoln　had　he　lived；　or　of　Mr。　Johnson　after　him。

It　was　the　misfortune　of　the　time；　and　of　the　occasion；　which　determined　Mr。　Lincoln　to　institute　a　plan　of　restoration　during　the　interim　of　Congress；　that　the　Republican　party；　then　in　absolute　control　of　Congress；　was　in　no　sense　equipped　for　such　a　work。　Its　first　and　great　mission　had　been　the　destruction　of　slavery。　Though　not　phrased　in　formal　fashion；　that　was　the　logic　of　its　creation　and　existence。　It　was　brought　into　being　purely　as　an　anti…slavery　party；　illustrated　in　the　fact　that　its　membership　included　every　pronounced　anti…slavery　man；　known　as　abolitionists；　in　the　United　States。　All　its　energies；　during　all　its　life　up　to　the　close　of　the　war　had　been　bent　to　that　end。　It　had　been　born　and　bred　to　the　work　of　destruction。　It　came　to　destroy　slavery；　and　its　forces　had　been　nurtured；　to　the　last　day　of　the　war；　in　pulling　downin　fact；　did　not　then　wholly　cease。

The　work　of　restorationthe　rebuilding　of　fallen　Stateshad　now　come。　The　Republican　party　approached　that　work　in　the　hot　blood　of　war　and　the　elation　of　victorya　condition　illy　fitting　the　demands　of　exalted　statesmanship　so　essential　to　perfect　political　effort。

Never　had　nation　or　party　thrust　upon　it　a　more　delicate　duty　or　graver　responsibility。　It　was　that　of　leading　a　conquered　people　to　build　a　new　civilization　wholly　different　from　the　one　in　ruins。　It　was　first　to　reconcile　two　races　totally　different　from　each　other；　so　far　as　possible　to　move　in　harmony　in　supplanting　servile　by　free　labor；　and　the　slave　by　a　free　American　citizen。　The　transition　was　sudden；　and　the　elements　antagonistic　in　race；　culture；　self…governing　powerindeed；　in　all　the　qualities　which　characterize　a　free　people。

There　was　a　wide　margin　for　honest　differences　between　statesmen　of　experience。　A　universal　sentiment　could　not　obtain。　The　accepted　political　leaders　of　the　time　were　illy　equipped　to　meet　the　issuemuch　less　those　who　had　been　brought　to　prominence；　and　too　often　to　control；　in　the　hot　blood　of　war　and　the　frictions　of　the　time；　when　intemperate　denunciation　and　a　free　use　of　the　epithets　of　〃rebel；〃　and　〃traitor；〃　had　become　a　ready　passport　to　public　honors。　It　was　a　time　when　the　admonition　to　make　haste　slowly　was　of　profound　significance。　A　peril　greater　than　any　other　the　civil　war　had　developed；　overhung　the　nation。　Greater　than　ever　the　demand　for　courage　in　conciliationfor　divesting　the　issues　of　all　mere　partyism；　and　the　yielding　of　something　by　the　extremes；　both　of　conservatism　and　radicalism。



CHAPTER　II。　THE　BALTIMORE　CONVENTION。

LINCOLN　AND　JOHNSON　NOT　NOMINATED　AS　REPUBLICANS。

Mr。　Lincoln　had　been　elected　President　in　1860；　distinctively　as　a　Republican。　In　1864；　however；　the　conditions　had　changed。　The　war　had　been　in　progress　some　three　years；　during　which　the　insurgents　had　illustrated　a　measure　of　courage；　endurance；　and　a　command　of　the　engineries　of　successful　warfare　that　had　not　been　anticipated　by　the　people　of　the　North。　It　was　seen　that　to　insure　the　success　of　the　Union　cause　it　was　imperative　that　there　should　be　thorough　unity　and　cooperation　of　the　loyal　people　of　all　partiesthat　it　was　no　time　for　partisan　division　among　those　who　hoped　ever　to　see　a　restored　Republicthat　it　was　necessary　to　lay　aside；　as　far　as　possible；　mere　partisan　issues；　and　to　unite；　in　the　then　approaching　campaign；　upon　a　non…partisan；　distinctively　Union　ticket　and　platform。

Mr。　Lincoln　had　given　so　satisfactory　an　administration　so　wisely；　efficiently；　and　patriotically　had　he　conducted　his　great　office；　that　he　was　on　all　sides　conceded　to　be　the　proper　person　for　nomination　and　election。　The　Convention　of　1861　was　not　called　as　a　Republican　Convention；　but　distinctively　as　a　Union　Convention。

〃The　undersigned；〃　so　ran　the　call；　〃who　by　original　appointment；　or　subsequent　delegation　to　fill　vacancies；　constitute　the　Executive　Committee　created　by　the　National　Convention　held　at　Chicago　on　the　10th　day　of　May；　1860；　do　hereby　call　upon　all　QUALIFIED　VOTERS　WHO　DESIRE　THE　UNCONDITIONAL　MAINTENANCE　OF　THE　UNION；　THE　SUPREMACY　OF　THE　CONSTITUTION；　AND　THE　COMPLETE　SUPPRESSION　OF　THE　EXISTING　REBELLION；　WITH　THE　CAUSE　THEREOF；　by　vigorous　war；　and　all　apt　and　effective　means；　to　send　delegates　to　a　convention　to　assemble　at　Baltimore；　on　Tuesday；　the　7th　day　of　June；　1864；　at　12　o'clock　noon；　for　the　purpose　of　presenting　candidates　for　the　offices　of　President　and　Vice　President　of　the　United　States。〃

The　delegates　met　pursuant　to　this　call。　Hon。　Edwin　D。　Morgan；　of　New　York；　Chairman　of　the　Union　National　Committee；　called　the　Convention　to　order；　and　Robert　J。　Breckinridge；　of　Kentucky；　was　chosen　temporary　Chairman。　In　the　course　of　his　introductory　address；　Mr。　Breckinridge　said：

Passing　over　many　things　which　it　would　be　right　for　me　to　say；　did　the　time　serve；　and　were　this　the　occasionlet　me　add；you　are　a　Union　party。　Your　origin　has　been　referred　to　as　having　occurred　eight　years　ago。　In　one　sense　it　is　true。　But　you　are　far　older　than　that。　I　see　before　me　not　only　primitive　Republicans　and　primitive　Abolitionists；　but　I　see　also　primitive　Democrats　and　primitive　Whigs。　*　*　*　As　a　Union　party　I　will　follow　you　to　the　ends　of　the　earth；　and　to　the　gates　of　death。　But　as　an　Abolition　partyas　a　Republican　partyas　a　Whig　partyas　a　Democratic　partyas　an　American　party；　I　will　not　follow　you　one　foot。

Mr。　William　Dennison；　of　Ohio；　was　chosen　President　of　the　Convention。　On　taking　the　chair　he　said：

'In　no　sense　do　we　meet　as　members　or　representatives　of　either　of　the　old　political　parties　which　bound　the　people；　or　as　the　champions　of　any　principle　or　doctrine　peculiar　to　either。　The　extraordinary　condition　of　the　country　since　the　outbreak　of　the　rebellion　has；　from　necessity；　taken　from　the　issues　of　these　parties　their　practical　significance；　and　compelled　the　formation　of　substantially　new　political　organizations；　hence　the　organization　of　the　Union　Partyif　party　it　can　be　calledof　which　this　Convention　is　for　the　purpose　of　its　assembling；　the　accredited　representative；　and　the　only　test　of　membership　in　which　is　an　unreserved；　unconditional　loyalty　to　the　Government　and　the　Union。'

After　perfecting　its　organization　the　Convention　proceeded　to　ballot　for　a　nominee　for　the　Presidency；　and　Mr。　Lincoln　was　unanimously　nominatedthe　Missouri　delegation　at　first　casting　its　22　votes　for　Gen。　Grant；　but　afterwards　changing　them　to　Mr。　Lincoln；　giving　him　the　total　vote　of　the　Convention506on　the　first　and　only　ballot。

Nominations　for　the　Vice　Presidency　being　next　in　order；　Mr。　Lyman　Tremaine；　of　New　York；　an　old　time　Democrat；　nominated　Daniel　S。　Dickinson；　another　old　time　Democrat　and　a　very　distinguished　citizen　of　that　State。　In　his　nominating　speech　Mr。　Tremaine　again　emphasized　that　this　Convention　was　a　Union；　and　not　a　partisan　body；　in　these　words：

'It　was　well　said　by　the　temporary　and　by　the　permanent　Chairman；　that　we　meet　not　here　as　Republicans。　If　we　do；　I　have　no　place　in　this　Convention；　but；　like　Daniel　S。　Dickinson；　when　the　first　gun　was　fired　on　Sumter；　I　felt　that　I　should　prove　false　to　my　revolutionary　ancestry　if　I　could　have　hesitated　to　cast　partisan　ties　to　the　breeze；　and　rally　around　the　flag　of　the　Union　for　the　preservation　of　the　Government。'

The　Indiana　delegation　nominated　Andrew　Johnson；　also　a　Democrat；　and　the　nomination　was　seconded　by　Mr。　Stone；　speaking　for　the　Iowa　delegation。

In　the　earlier　proceedings　of　the　Convention　there　had　seemed　a　disposition　to　exclude　the　Tennessee　delegation；　and　Parson　Brownlow；　an　old　line　Whig；　being　called　on　for　a　speech；　evidenced　in　the　course　of　his　remarks　the　small　part　which　partisan　considerations　were　permitted　to　play　in　the　purposes　and　proceedings　of　the　Convention。　He　said：

'There　need　be　no　detaining　this　Convention　for　two　days　in　discussions　of　various　kinds；　and　the　idea　I　suggest　to　you　as　an　inducement　not　to　exclude　our　delegation　is；　that　we　may　take　it　into　our　heads；　before　the　thing　is　over；　to　present　a　candidate　from　that　State　in　rebellion；　for　the　second　office　in　the　gift　of　the　people。　We　have　a　man　down　there　whom　it　has　been　my　good　luck　and　bad　fortune　to　fight　untiringly　and　perseveringly　for　the　past　twenty…five　yearsAndrew　Johnson。　For　the　first　time；　in　the　Providence　of　God；　three　years　ago　we　got　together　on　the　same　platform；　and　we　are　fighting　the　devil；　Tom　Walker；　and　Jeff。　Davis；　side　by　side。'

Mr。　Horace　Maynard；　a　conspicuous　Republican　of　Tennessee；　said：

'Mr。　President；　we　but　represent　the　sentiment　of　those　who　sent　here　the　delegation　from　Tennessee；　when　we　announce　that　if　no　one　else　had　made　the　nomination　of　Andrew　Johnson；　which　is　now　before　the　Convention；　it　would　have　been　our　duty　to　make　it　by　one　of　our　own　delegation。　That　citizen；　known；　honored；　distinguished；　has　been　presented　to　this　Convention　for　the　second　place　in　the　gift　of　the　American　people。　It　needs　not　that　I　should　add　words　of　commendation　of　him　here。　From　the　time　he　rose　in　the　Senate　of　the　United　States；　where　he　then　was；　on　the　17th　day　of　December；　1860；　and　met　the　leaders　of　treason　face　to　face；　and　denounced　them　there；　and　declared　that　the　laws　of　the　country　must　and　should　be　enforced；　for　which　he　was　hanged　in　a　effigy　in　the　City　of　Memphis；　in　his　own　State；　by　the　hands　of　a　negro　slave；　and　burned　in　effigy；　I　know　not　in　how　many　places　throughout　that　portion　of　the　countryfrom　that　time；　on　during　the　residue　of　that　session　of　the　Senate　until　he　returned　to　Tennessee　after　the　firing　upon　Fort　Sumter；　when　he　was　mobbed　in　the　City　of　Lynchburg；　Virginiaon　through　the　memorable　canvass　that　followed　in　Tennessee；　till　he　passed　through　Cumberland　Gap　on　his　way　North　to　invoke　the　aid　of　the　Government　for　his　peoplehis　position　of　determined　and　undying　hostility　to　this　rebellion　that　now　ravages　the　land；　has　been　so　well　known　that　it　is　a　part　of　the　household　knowledge　of　many　loyal　families　in　the　country。　*　*　*　When　he　sees　your　resolutions　that　you　have　adopte