AND PROCEEDINGS IN THE COURT OF IMPEACHMENT, WITH THE VERBATIM EVIDENCE OF ALL THE WITNESSES, AND CROSS-EXAMINATIONS OF THEM, WITH THE SPEECHES OF THE MANAGERS AND THE COUNSEL ON BOTH VITH PORTRAITS OF ANDREW JOHNSON; CHIEF JUSTICE CHASE; GENERAL U. S. CONTENTS. PAGE The Second Effort-An Impeachment Effected-Excitement through- out the Country-The 22d of February, 1868, in Congress..........14-15 Impeachment under the Constitution. The Senate Notified of the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson, by the The Articles of Impeachment as drawn up by the House Committee... 19 General Butler proposes a Supplementary Article, which is adopted as Mr. Bingham offers another Article, which had received the unanimous vote of the Managers, which is adopted as Article 11-Impeachment Articles read in the Senate-Opening of the Trial.. Oath of the Chief Justice-The Senators Sworn-Hon. B. F. Wade Challenged-Remarks of Mr. Sherman-Reverdy Johnson's Views... 23 Can a Senator be excluded from the Senate-The President might ask a Question-A Precedent cited-Mr. Wade's rights Why the Challenge was made-Mr. Sumner looks up Law and Equity- Remarks by Mr. Howe, Mr. Drake, Mr. Thayer, Mr. Howard, Mr. Buckalew, Mr. Frelinghuysen, Mr. Mortoh, and others........ Speech of Mr. Dixon-Mr. Hendricks withdraws his Challenge Senator Wade sworn-A Proclamation-Mr. Howard's motion adopted House of Representatives-Summons against the President-Ad- journment of the Court-The Summons served on Andrew Johnson, The President's Reply to the Summons-The Prayer-Report of the Sergeant-at-Arms-The President called The Plea of the President -A Professional Statement by the Counsel for the Respondent....... 30 Mr. Bingham's Replication-Address of Judge Curtis, one of the Coun- sel for the President-Reply of Judge Wilson for the Managers- Mr. Stanbery Criticises the Action of the Managers...... Remarks of the Chief Justice, Mr. Bingham, and others....... Order of the Court-The Replication-Speech of General Butler.. Speech of Mr. Nelson, one of the President's Counsel....... Proceedings of Monday, March 23d-The commencement of the Trial the Senate to order-The President's answer to the Eleven Articles Proceedings of Tuesday, March 24th-The Replication of the Managers -Time for Preparation-The Private Consultation of the Senators... 46 Return of the Senate from their Secret Consultation-Adjournment of Proceedings of Monday, March 30th-Opening argument of General Recess Business Resumed-General Butler's speech concluded......... 59 Proceedings of Tuesday, March 31st-Witnesses called.................60—66 Proceedings of Wednesday, April 1st-Arrival of the Managers- The Journal-The Contested Interrogatory-Arguments of Mr. Stanbery Authorities, demanded-Mr. Butler's reply-The Ques- tion-Remarks of Mr. Curtis-Argument of Mr. Bingham.............67-75 Proceedings of Thursday, April 2d-The Seventh Rule-Congressman Ferry's Testimony-General Emory on the Stand. Proceedings of Friday, April 3d...... Proceedings of Saturday, April 4th... Proceedings of Thursday, April 9th................... Proceedings of Friday, April 10th.... Proceedings of Saturday, April 11th..... Proceedings of Monday, April 13th.. Proceedings of Tuesday, April 14th... Proceedings of Wednesday, April 15th.. Proceedings of Thursday, April 16th..... Proceedings of Friday, April 17th..... Proceedings of Saturday, April, 18th.. Proceedings of Monday, April 20th.. Proceedings of Wednesday, April 22d.. Proceedings of Thursday, April 23d............. Proceedings of Friday, April 24th. Proceedings of Saturday, April 25th. Proceedings of Monday, April 27th.... Proceedings of Tuesday, April 28th.. Proceedings of Wednesday, April 29th. Proceedings of Thursday, April 30th..... Proceedings of Friday, May 1st........ THE GREAT IMPEACHMENT AND TRIAL OF ANDREW JOHNSON, President of the United States. The impeachment of Andrew Johnson forms an important epoch in the history of the United States; he was the first President brought to the bar of the Senate to answer the charge of high crimes and misdemeanors. Before Mr. Johnson's accession to the Presidency, and for a few months after his assumption of that high office, his politics were of the extreme Republican or Radical school. During the summer and autumn of 1865, Mr. Johnson undertook to restore the State Governments of the Commonwealths which had receded from and waged war against the national authority. This important task Mr. Johnson sought to accomplish on principles directly opposed to his previous political professions. The Thirty-Ninth Congress at its first session dissented from the reconstruction views of the President; the President, however, paid little heed to the wishes of Congress, and insisted on carrying out what he termed his policy. Congressmen of extreme views, for mer political associates of Mr. Johnson, boldly denounced his reconstruction measures on the floor of the House of Representatives, and even in the more dignified Senate, the Executive's Southern policy was severely criticised. Mr. Johnson saw fit to notice these strictures of Senators and Representatives, and in numerous public speeches he spoke of Congress in the bitterest terms. Nor did he confine himself to words alone. In all his official acts he evinced a determination to weaken the influence of the majority of Congress. The Representatives were quite as determined as the Executive, and his unfriendly acts were repaid by legislation specially framed to defeat his plans of Southern restoration. The breach between Congress and the Executive grew wider and wider, and when the second session of the Thirty-ninth Congress opened, the Radical Representatives were determined to examine the official conduct of the President, with a view to impeachment. At the head of the first impeachment movement was James M. Ashley, of Ohio. On the 17th of December, 1866, he introduced a resolution for the appointment of a select committee to inquire whether any acts had been done by any officer of the Government of the United States, which, in contemplation of the Constitution, are high crimes and misdemeanors. This resolution, requiring a two-thirds majority for its adoption, was not agreed to. On the 7th day of January, 1867, Representatives Benjamin F. Loan, of Missouri, and John R. Kelso, of the same State, offered resolutions aiming at the impeachment of the Executive, and on the same day Mr. Ashley formally charged President Johnson with the commission of high crimes and misdemeanors. The resolutions of Messrs. Loan and Kelso, and the charges of Mr. Ashley, were referred to the Judiciary Committee. On the 28th of February following, a majority of the Judiciary Committee reported that they had taken testimony of a character sufficient to justify a further investigation, and regretted their inability to dispose definitely of the important subject committed to their charge, and bequeathed their unfinished labors to the succeeding Congress. The Fortieth Congress. On the 4th day of March, 1867, the Fortieth Congress convened; it was composed largely of members who had served in the previous body. On the fourth day of the session, Mr. Ashley proposed that the Judiciary Committee continue the investigations with reference to the impeachment of the President. This proposition was agreed to, and was immediately followed by a resolution from Sidney Clarke, of Kansas, requesting the committee to report on the first day of the meeting of the House after the recess. This latter provision was not complied with by the committee; there was a mid-summer session, short and busy; but the impeachment investigation was not heard of until the 25th day of November, 1867, when three reports were presented to Congressone majority and two minority; the majority report recommended the impeachment of the President for high crimes and misdemeanors. The two minority reports, each signed by two mem(13) |