CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. 



137 



"The gentleman from Massachusetts has 

 remarked that the President may interfere 

 with the next presidential election in the 

 Southern States ; that he may station soldiers 

 at the voting-places and overawe the loyal 

 vote of those States, especially the colored 

 vote ; and we must, I suppose, guard against 

 the possibility of this by his impeachment and 

 removal from office. This position, if I state 

 it correctly, is startling. Are we to impeach 

 the President for what he may do in the 

 future ? Do our fears constitute in the Presi- 

 dent high crimes and misdemeanors ? Are we 

 to wander beyond the record of this case and 

 found our judgment of it on the possibilities 

 of the future ? This would lead us even beyond 

 the conscience of this House. 



"Sir, we must be guided by some rule in this 

 grave proceeding something more certain 

 than an impossibility to arraign the President 

 for a specific crime. And when the gentle- 

 man from Massachusetts, in commenting on 

 one of the alleged offences of the President, 

 stated that we could not " arraign him for the 

 specific crime," he disclosed the weakness of 

 the case we are now considering. If we can- 

 not arraign the President for a specific crime, 

 for what are we to proceed against him? For 

 a bundle of generalities such as we have in 

 the volume of testimony reported by the com- 

 mittee to the House in this case ? If we can- 

 not state upon paper a specific crime, how are 

 we to carry this case to the Senate for trial? 

 Mr. Speaker, I have done." 



Mr. Wilson concluded his remarks with a 

 motion to lay the subject on the table. This 

 was finally withdrawn, and the question taken 

 on the resolution, which was rejected by the 

 following vote : : ' 



YEAS Messrs. Anderson, Arnell, James M. Ash- 

 ley, Boutwell, Bromwell, Broomall, Butler, Churchill, 

 Header W. Clarke, Sidney Clarke, Cobb, Coburn, 

 Covode, Cullom, Donnelly, Eckley, Ela, Farnsworth, 

 Gravely, Harding, Higby .Hopkins, Hunter, Judd, 

 Julian, Kelley, Tielsey, William Lawrence, Loan, 

 Logan, Loughridge, Lynch, Maynard, McClurg, 

 Mercur, Mullms, Myers, Newcomb. Nunn, O'Neill, 

 Orth, Paine, Pile, Price, Schenck, Shanks, Aaron F. 

 Stevens, Thaddeus Stevens, Stokes, Thomas, Trim- 

 ble. Trowbridge, Eobert T. Van Horn, Ward, Thomas 

 Williams, William Williams, and Stephen F. Wil- 

 son 57. 



NAYS Messrs. Adams, Allison, Ames, Archer, 

 Delos R. Ashley, Axtell, Bailey. Baker, Baldwin, 

 Banks, Barnum, Beaman, Beck, Benjamin, Benton, 

 Bingham, Blaine, Boyer, Brooks, Buckland, Burr, 

 Gary, Chanler, Cook, Dawes, Dixon, Dodge, Driggs, 

 Eggleston, Eldridge, Eliot, Ferriss, Ferry. Fields, 

 Garfield, Getz, Glossbrenner, Golladay, Griswold, 

 Grover, Haight, Halsey, Hamilton, Hawkins, Hill, 

 Holman, Hooper, Hotchkiss, Asahel W. Hubbard, 

 Chester D. Hubbard, Eichard D. Hubbard, Hul- 



.^..uuv/iu., Ali.ainJJ.tHi, .LU.cH V 111, JJU.\l\jU,H,Liy , iU-CV^UllUUgUl, 



Miller, Moorhead, Morgan, Mungen, Niblack, Nichol- 

 son, Perham, Peters, Phelps, Pike, Plants, Poland, 

 Polsley, Pruyn, Randall, Robertson, Robinson, Ross, 

 Sawyer, Sitgreaves, Smith, Spalding, Starkweather, 

 Stewart, Stone, Taber, Taylor, Upson, Van Aernam, 

 Van Auken, Van Trump, Van Wyck, Cadwalader C. 



Washburn, Elihu B. Washburne, Henry D. Washburn 

 William B. Washburn, Welker, James F. Wilson 

 John T. Wilson, Woodbridge, and Woodward 108. 

 NOT VOTING Messrs. Barnes, Blair, Cake, Cornell 

 Finney, Fox, Jenckcs, Kitchen, Mallory, Moore. 

 Morrell, Morrissey, Pomeroy, Raum, Scofield, Selye, 

 Shellabarger, Tafie, Twichell, Burt Van Horn, Wm- 

 dom, and Wood 22. 



In the House, on February 22d, Mr. Oovode, 

 of Pennsylvania, moved the following resolu- 

 tion: 



Resolved, That Andrew Johnson, President of the 

 United States, be impeached of high crimes and mis- 

 demeanors. 



It was referred, without debate, to the Com- 

 mittee on Reconstruction. 



On the same day, the committee made a 

 report, through Mr. Stevens, as follows : 



The Committee on Reconstruction, to whom was 

 referred, on the 27th day of January last, the follow- 

 ing resolution : 



Resolved, That the Committee on Reconstruction be 

 authorized to inquire what combinations have been made 

 or attempted to be made to obstruct the due execution of 

 the laws ; and to that end the committee have power to 

 send for persons and papers, and to examine witnesses 

 on oath, and report to this House what action, if any, they 

 may deem necessary ; and that said committee have leave 

 to report at any time. 



And to whom was also referred, on the 21st day of 

 February, instant, a communication from Hon. Edwin 

 M. Stanton, Secretary of War, dated on said 21st day 

 of February, together with the copy of a letter from 

 Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, to 

 the said Edwin M. Stanton, as follows : 



EXECUTIVE MANSION, ) 

 WASHINGTON, D. C., February 21, 1868. j 

 SIB : By virtue of the power and authority vested in 

 me, as President, by the Constitution and laws of the 

 United States, you are hereby removed from office as 

 Secretary for the Department of War, and your functions 

 as such will terminate upon the receipt of this communi- 

 cation. 



You will transfer to Brevet Major-General Lorenzo 

 Thomas, Adjutant-General of the Army, who has this day 

 been authorized and empowered to act as Secretary of 

 War ad interim, all records, books, papers, and other 

 public property now in your custody and charge. 

 Respectfully yours. 



ANDREW JOHNSON. 

 Hon. EDWIN M. STANTON, Washington, D. C. 



And to whom was also referred by the House of 

 Representatives the following resolution, namely : 



Resolved, That Andrew Johnson, President of the 

 United States, be impeached of high crimes and misde- 

 meanors. 



Have considered the several subjects referred to 

 them, and submit the following report : 



That in addition to the papers referred to the com- 

 mittee, the committee find that the President, on the 

 21st day of February, 1868, signed and issued a com- 

 mission or letter of authority; to one Lorenzo Thomas, 

 directing and authorizing said Thomas to act as Sec- 

 retary of War ad interim, and to take possession of 

 the books, records, and papers, and other public 

 property in the War Department, of which the follow- 

 ing is a copy : 



EXECUTIVE MANSION, ) 

 WASHINGTON, February 21, 1868. ) 



SIK : Hon. Edwin M. Stanton having been this day re- 

 moved from office as Secretary for the Department of War, 

 you are hereby authorized and empowered to act as 

 Secretary of War ad interim, and will immediately enter 

 upon the discharge of the duties pertaining to that office. 

 Mr. Stanton has been instructed to transfer to you all the 

 records, books, papers, and other public property now in 

 his custody and charge. 



Respectfully yours, ANDREW JOHNSON. 

 To Brevet Major-General LORENZO THOMAS, Adjt.-Gen. 



U. S. A., Washington, D. C. 



