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The Impeachment and Trial of Andrew Johnson, Seventeenth: President of the United States History
Excerpt from The Impeachment and Trial of Andrew Johnson, President of the United States History
The sudden collapse of the rebellion so soon after the second inauguration and the dispersion Of the Congress, left Lincoln, for the moment, absolute master of the whole field; and, during the few weeks he had yet to live, he made no uncertain record of what he meant to do. On the eleventh of April, 1865, in his last speech to the people of 'washington he suspended his congratulations on the surrender of Lee to commend his Louisiana experiment, announce the unanimity of his Cabinet on his reconstruction policy and express a modest hope that suffrage might be granted to the intelligent, and the Union soldiers, among the negroes. Once more, on the fourteenth, at the last meeting of his Cabinet, he directed the extension of his plan so as to take in the recovered state of North Carolina, and, with words Of charity even for the chiefs Of the over thrown Confederacy on his lips, he went forth unwit tingly to his death.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
The sudden collapse of the rebellion so soon after the second inauguration and the dispersion Of the Congress, left Lincoln, for the moment, absolute master of the whole field; and, during the few weeks he had yet to live, he made no uncertain record of what he meant to do. On the eleventh of April, 1865, in his last speech to the people of 'washington he suspended his congratulations on the surrender of Lee to commend his Louisiana experiment, announce the unanimity of his Cabinet on his reconstruction policy and express a modest hope that suffrage might be granted to the intelligent, and the Union soldiers, among the negroes. Once more, on the fourteenth, at the last meeting of his Cabinet, he directed the extension of his plan so as to take in the recovered state of North Carolina, and, with words Of charity even for the chiefs Of the over thrown Confederacy on his lips, he went forth unwit tingly to his death.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
- GenresAudiobook
660 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1903
About the author
David Miller De Witt
7 books1 followerDavid M. De Witt was a U.S. Representative from New York.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 4, 2017
I've been reading one book on each President, the timing on this read has been fortuitous. There are many parallels between Johnson and Trump.
--Both were surprises when they came to the Presidency.
--Neither had firm control as the head of his party when he became President.
--The primary reason Johnson was impeached was that his policies did not match those of the party at large.
--The primary offense used as an excuse for the articles of impeachment was the firing of Secretary of Defense Stanton. This is hauntingly similar to the demands of the media and the left that Trump be impeached for firing Comey.
--There was wide disagreement as to what "high crimes and misdemeanours" really means.
While written over 100 years ago, the language used in the book isn't too difficult to digest. The author loves very long paragraphs, which gets tedious.
--Both were surprises when they came to the Presidency.
--Neither had firm control as the head of his party when he became President.
--The primary reason Johnson was impeached was that his policies did not match those of the party at large.
--The primary offense used as an excuse for the articles of impeachment was the firing of Secretary of Defense Stanton. This is hauntingly similar to the demands of the media and the left that Trump be impeached for firing Comey.
--There was wide disagreement as to what "high crimes and misdemeanours" really means.
While written over 100 years ago, the language used in the book isn't too difficult to digest. The author loves very long paragraphs, which gets tedious.
August 8, 2025
A very thorough and complete rendering of the entire episode. Best to keep in mind two things: 1. This is a telling from the 1870s and 2. The congressman who wrote this was a big Andrew Johnson supporter and the slant in his favor is really evident. I bought this with the thought that it was going to be a balanced telling of the affair but it really isn’t. This does not mean that the book is not very worthwhile. It also serves as a great narrative to show that whatever out partisan and divisive politics are now, the Civil War era certainly topped it. I’m planning on reading another Andrew Johnson biography to get a more full perspective on the entire episode.
August 1, 2024
While it’s always fascinating to read contemporary accounts of big moments in history - that’s why I choose this after all - the bias of the author colours so much of this work. The urge to frame the Republicans as entirely wrong, as some kind of constantly scheming demons who always planned ill for Johnson…. It simmers in every word
June 1, 2025
One of the best books I have ever read. Representative DeWitt does a great job explaining the underlying facts, circumstances, and law, as well as both sides' arguments. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Presidency, the Constitution, the Congress, or American history, more generally.
November 16, 2019
Perhaps no other president resembles #45 than #17: Andrew Johnson. A flamethrower of an orator, given to accusations hurled against the radical (Republican) members of Congress seeking to cement and broaden the liberties won at the point of the bayonet between 1861 and 1865, only the presence of alcohol as the prime mover of the insults and diatribes separates Mr. Johnson from Mr. Trump. In Johnson's acquittal of impeachment, Trump should find solace in his prospects for victory, but should also fear the long-term historical repercussions, as Johnson remains among the lowly and forgotten commanders-in-chief, a reminder of courage shown during the war years shriveling into habitual racism and resignation in the years of Reconstruction.
De Witt's book on the impeachment process swims against the current of this anti-Johnson strain. The author goes to great lengths in the book to portray Johnson as the ultimate victim of nefarious Congressmen and Senators such as Sumner, Butler, and others. Johnson stands in these pages as the bulwark of moderation and constitutionalism, fighting against Robesperriests bent on power and, impliedly, the debasement of America via suffrage and greater protections for African Americans.
De Witt's book is dated, particularly in its denunciation of pro-black reconstruction. However, the narrative does present both sides and excerpts speeches of the leading lights, recounting the winding way of impeachment charged by the House and tried by the Senate. One comes away with mixed feelings: Johnson surely deserved impeachment for maladministration and odious stances towards Congress and the South. But did the particular offense of firing Secretary of War Stanton merit impeachment? Was the Tenure of Office Act nothing but a poorly-laid trap placed by Radical Republicans bent on nothing but removal of the President on any ground necessary?
Impeachment, for better or worse, has been strait-jacketed since Johnson's time. Specific crimes and misdemeanors are required, not mere maladministration. Johnson survived, but is the country better off, particularly in 2019, because of his acquittal? We shall have to wait for further developments by this House and Senate before rendering a verdict on the Reconstruction House and Senate.
De Witt's book on the impeachment process swims against the current of this anti-Johnson strain. The author goes to great lengths in the book to portray Johnson as the ultimate victim of nefarious Congressmen and Senators such as Sumner, Butler, and others. Johnson stands in these pages as the bulwark of moderation and constitutionalism, fighting against Robesperriests bent on power and, impliedly, the debasement of America via suffrage and greater protections for African Americans.
De Witt's book is dated, particularly in its denunciation of pro-black reconstruction. However, the narrative does present both sides and excerpts speeches of the leading lights, recounting the winding way of impeachment charged by the House and tried by the Senate. One comes away with mixed feelings: Johnson surely deserved impeachment for maladministration and odious stances towards Congress and the South. But did the particular offense of firing Secretary of War Stanton merit impeachment? Was the Tenure of Office Act nothing but a poorly-laid trap placed by Radical Republicans bent on nothing but removal of the President on any ground necessary?
Impeachment, for better or worse, has been strait-jacketed since Johnson's time. Specific crimes and misdemeanors are required, not mere maladministration. Johnson survived, but is the country better off, particularly in 2019, because of his acquittal? We shall have to wait for further developments by this House and Senate before rendering a verdict on the Reconstruction House and Senate.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews