The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
... lending credence to the rumors that he was an alcoholic. (Kennedy) Even with these rumors floating around it didn't stop the victory of Lincoln and Johnson in the 1864 election. Within six weeks of taking office as Vice President, Johnson succeeded to the Presidency after Lincoln's assassination. Johnson wasn't prepared for this position and faced many difficult decisions. Johnson's first difficult situation was developing a policy for the postwar reconstruction of the union. Johnson's Reconstruction Plan allowed the former confederate states to return quickly to the Union. This plan would have left the civil rights of former slaves completely under the auspices of former-slave owners (Kennedy). Johnson believed secession was illegal. He felt that the Southern states were still in the union and only had to set up loyal governments to resume legitimate relations with the United States. (Trefousse) Congress didn't share the same views as the president though, they felt that the freedmen should be protected and the power of the Republican Party should be sustained in the South. Since the President could not guarantee black civil and political rights it caused opponents to pass the fourteenth Amendment in hope of securing them. His continued intransigence led to the framing of the Reconstruction Acts, remanding the Southern states to military rule until they enfranchised the blacks and ratified the amendment. (Trefousse) Radical Republicans in Congress wrestled control of Reconstruction from the President and began passing their own program over Johnson's vetoes. The result was the passage of the Tenure of Office Act. This act prevented the President form dismissing officials appointed by him and with the advice and consent of the Senate without the body's approval. In addition to this act there was the Army Appropriations Act that stipulated that the President must transmit his orders to the military through the commanding General of the Army in Washington. During Johnson's term General William H Emory was the commander of the Washington military district. On February 22, 1868, Johnson had a conversation with General Emory where Johnson expressed his feelings that the Army Appropriation Act of 1867, which required all orders to military commanders to be issued through General Grant, was unconstitutional. (Morin) The House Republicans interpreted the President's remark as a suggestion that Emory pass along Johnson's own military commands without referring them to Grant. This was a clear violation of the law. Around the same time Johnson violated the Tenure of Office act by receiving Stanton and not receiving the Senate's approval. With these two violations committed by Johnson the Judiciary Committee voted to submit a report recommending impeachment. (Chaddock) The house drafted eleven articles of impeachment. The first eight articles described specific actions by the President that violated the Tenure of Office Act. The ninth article charged the President with trying to persuade an army officer to violate the 1867 Army Appropriation Act. This article referred to a conversation the president had on February 22, 1868, with Major General William H. Emory. The tenth article charged that in numerous public speeches the President deliberately tried to set aside the rightful authority and powers of Congress by subjecting it to disgrace, ridicule, hatred, contempt, and reproach. (Zeitz) The eleventh article charged the President with declaring on a public speech that the Thirty-ninth Congress, as a Congress of only some of the states, had no authority to exercise legislative power. Rumors of an armed conflict between the President and Congress spread. Grant ordered the army garrison in Washington to remain on alert for trouble and stationed extra troops at the War Department building. (Benedict) The expected clash never occurred however. On February 28, 1868, when the house voted along strict party lined to impeach President Johnson. The House appointed seven members to argue the House's case before the Senate. These seven managers' included two Republicans who had voted against impeachment in 1867 and two of Johnson's most outspoken radical opponents, Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania, and Benjamin F. Butler of Massachusetts. (Stathis) The trial centered on the Tenure of Office Act. There were two main questions concerning this law- whether it was constitutional and whether it protected Stanton. It became obvious during the trial that the real reason for impeachment was not the dismissal of Stanton but the long-standing quarrel between the President and Congress about Reconstruction. (Trefousse) When the Senate met on May 16, 1868, to decide on its verdict, it agreed to vote first on the eleventh article, which seemed to offer the best chance for obtaining a conviction. When the final votes came in three states voted to acquit, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Philadelphia. Ten states voted to convict, California, Nevada, Oregon, Nebraska, Ohio, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Eleven states had split votes, Missouri, Iowa, ...