IMPEACHMENT

The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

»Impeachment, Trial, and Acquittal

back to the Andrew Johnson Home Page
back to the intro to this section

Domestic Intelligence
Harper's Weekly, May 2, 1868, page 275

go to the previous article in this section
go to the next article in this section

IMPEACHMENT
The trial of the impeachment of President Johnson was resumed by the Senate on April 15. Certain documentary evidence of minor importance was introduced on that and the succeeding day. A couple of Washington lawyers were examined on the 16^th, but little that was pertinent to the case was obtained. On the 17^th the defense introduced evidence to disprove the reported language of the President in his Cleveland and St. Louis speeches; and Frederick W. Seward testified as to the practice in regard to the appointment of vice-counsels ad interim, showing that such nominations were frequently made as matters of necessity. Secretary Welles testified to having urged the President to ask of General Emory the meaning of the movement of troops in the Department of Washington. On April 17 and 18 the defense offered to prove that the President’s Cabinet concurred in the opinion that the Civil Tenure bill was unconstitutional, and that Mr. Stanton and Mr. Seward wrote the message vetoing it. The Senate ruled that the evidence was not admissible. The same day, April 18, the defense closed their testimony, and the arguments of counsel began on April 20.

Articles Related to the Impeachment, Trial, and Acquittal:
To see a list of the related articles go back to the intro section.