European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 16, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The political drama of 1868 by Sam Fogg up staff writer tear be hear be a11 persons Arjeh commanded to keep silence on pain of imprisonment while the Senate of the United states is sitting for the trial of the articles of impeachment against Andrew Johnson president of the United states this 40-word cry by sergeant at arms George t. Brown just 100 year Sago this Spring daily summoned the Senate to consider the gravest constitutional crisis in american history the House impeachment and the Senate trial of the successor of Abraham Lin Coln from february into May 1868.the Power play failed by one vote in a showdown such As Washington never experienced before or since. The leading actors in the three Mont drama were Johnson the one time illiterate Tennessee tailor who took Over the White House upon the assassination of Lincoln Thaddeus Stevens a dying Pennsylvania congressman beset by virulent animosity Edwin m. Stanton Lincoln s appointee As War Secretary and a stubborn intrigue against John son chief Justice Salmon Chase whose Effort to be impartial at the trial Cost him any dreams of becoming president and a beleaguered group of Maverick Republican senators known As the seven tall men who broke party ranks to prevent impeachment. There were secondary characters contributing to the Rich political and human drama Ohio congressman James Mit Chell Ashley who spearheaded an ear Lier unsuccessful Effort to impeach Johnson rep. Ben Butler of Massachusetts an opportunistic civil War general maj. Gen. Lorenzo Thomas an amiable West Pointer from Delaware who complained he was arrested before he could have breakfast. He background of the impeach ment Effort was this Johnson a southerner who sought to carry out Lincoln s tolerant reconstruction views ran headlong into the bitter opposition of a Congress controlled bythe Radical republicans headed by Stevens and sen. Ben Wade of Ohio who would have become president if Johnson were  Stevens Wade forces were not merely against the South they were against the executive authority of the president to an astonishing degree. For instance a year earlier under Stanton s Connivance Congress passed legislation which made it a Misdemeanour for a military officer to take orders directly from the president or for the president to Issue such orders except through the general of the army. Stevens during debate on the Meas ure termed the Constitution a Worth less bit of old Parchment and said though the president is commander in chief Congress is his commander and god willing he shall obey amid this postwar Snake pit Atmos phere a first but unsuccessful impeach ment attempt was launched. Ashley the ohioan who believed that three previous vice presidents had sought to Poison residents offered a formal motion charging Johnson with High crimes and misdemeanours by usurping Powers and corrupting his  january 1867, by a vote of 107 to 39 with 45 abstentions a House Judici Ary subcommittee was directed to hold impeachment hearings. Ashley con tended that Johnson had engineered the murder of Lincoln. Committee investigators were sent to Tennessee to Check on the president s drinking proclivities and to scan his Bank records. Of the Stevens Wade forces were. Against the executive authority of the president to an astonishing degree. Congress is his commander and. He shall o Paige 12 the c .1 j we i re \ % is $$m1 v a " of i  in a Jim slim wow risk #w-?g3#nt .e.fjlfl�? -i1-1 ,.,a jul v--.-,� a ,-.-/ in to s is a Iii of &  io8hnw\rffcvi xes is president Andrew Johnson impeach me. For trial of Andrew Johnson which opened on March 30, 1868, before packed gallery of 1,000 . Senate was scene of court of Imp Lorenzo Thomai dec a interim War Secretary Edwin Mcmasters Stanton ,. Stubborn intrigue against Johnson. Chief pm he Salmon Chase ,., overruled by Senate Johnson was accused of using ghostwriter which in the parlance of the age was termed utilizing the writing skills of other men in preparing state  one of the major anti Johnson wit Nesses was a Man who had been imprisoned for perjury for his testimony Ata trial of the Lincoln assassination con  hearing 88 witnesses the sub committee returned a divided report the majority of five Radical republicans recommending impeachment the minority proposing censure. On dec. 7, 1867, the motion to impeach the 17thpresident of the United states was voted Down 108-57. A skirmish was Over but the impeachment was still on. Early in 1867, Congress enacted the tenure of office act a measure for bidding the president to dismiss an appointee including his Cabinet Mem Bers without consent of the  aug. 5, Johnson wrote Stanton sir Public considerations of a High character constrain me to say that your resignation As Secretary of War will be accepted. Very respectfully yours an Drew  jut As terse a reply Stanton re Benjamin Franklin Butl a. Chief prosecutor Thaddeus Stevens. Introduced impeachment Resolution fused to Bow out. Johnson responded by naming civil War hero . Grant As interim Secretary of War. Stanton lookup a defensive siege sleeping in his of fice on a sofa and maintaining Quarter sin the War department within a Stone s throw of the White  january 1868, the Senate ordered Stanton reinstated and Grant suffering from what one historian called presi Denittis relinquished his temporary Cabinet Post. Johnson who told his Secretary let them impeach and be damned finally prevailed on maj. Gen. Thomas to be his interim War Secretary and to oust Stanton. On feb. 22, Stanton and con Gress swiftly struck Back. Thomas was arrested Early in the morning at his Home on a warrant by Stanton and the House on a motion by John Covode of Pennsylvania initiated a new impeachment Resolution against the president. A the stars and stripes the stars and stripes Ith the galleries packed Steven hobbled in to the chamber at 2 30 . On that Slushy saturday to bring up for debate a simple Resolution that Johnson be  the debate which ran on into that night and resumed monday Johnson was denounced with savagery. William d. Big Iron Kelley of Pennsylvania at tacked him As this great  John a. Logan of Illinois shouted he has done every act a Man can conceive of to degrade  Elihu b. Wash Burne of Illinois chimed in his per Sonal and official character has mad him the opprobrium of both hemispheres. As mendacious As he is malign. Advised and counselled by the worst men that Ever crawled like filthy reptiles atthe Footstool of  Stevens summed up in a hushed Cham Ber at 4 30 monday afternoon with these words the Sovereign Power of the nation rests in the Congress who have been placed around the president. A watchmen to enforce his obedience to the Law and the  a vote of 126 to 47, Andrew John son was then impeached. A the scene shifted to the Senate where the trial would be held the House named a team of seven to serve As Man agers of the trial with Massachusetts rep. Butler gaining the role of chief prosecutor. The Senate adopted 25 rules including one which would permit chief Justice Chase to be oven tiled on any Legal Point by a majority vote. Attorney general Henry Stanbery re signed his Cabinet Post to give full time to serving As head of the president counsel. William m. Evarts a new York attorney joined Johnson s team and when chided for defending a Man whose policies he disliked Evarts gave this scriptural retort is it not written that if thine ass falleth into a pit it is lawful to pull him out on the Sabbath Day the president s lawyers decided that he should not attend  in person a fact that irked him off and on through out the  March 4, the 64 senators took their formal oath to sit in judgment of the chief executive swearing to impart Justice according to the Laws and the Constitution so help me  two Days later Johnson was serve with formal notification of the 11 separate charges against him and told Senate sergeant at arms Brown i will attend to the  � the trial opened on March 30 Wilda three hour speech by Butler la to i a packed gallery of 1,000 spectators i Mission was by ticket Only with 40 portioned to the diplomatic corps 20 10the president four to each senator  two to each House member. One Sena