The Impeachment of President Andrew Johnson - Essay Example

 The Impeachment of President Andrew Johnson Introduction During the American Civil War, there were a lot of political ideologies and conflicts revolving around the parties and politicians in the then American government. This was indeed because of the varying beliefs and power struggles that existed among the politicians in different states of America, who were tasked with a mandate for running the governmental policies and decision-making. Some of the outcomes of these conflicts turned out to be historically significant ones, particularly, as in the case of President Andrew Johnson. The impeachment of President Andrew Johnson was the end result of the political conflicts and rupture of ideologies between Johnson and the Radical Republicans. Arising from the uncompromised opinions and struggle for power, between the politicians, the impeachment of the president turned out to be a most significant incident in American history. This essay examines the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson and the political conflicts that contributed to it. Andrew Johnson was the 17th president of United States. Andrew Johnson was born to a poor family in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1808. (“Andrew Johnson”). After his father’s death, he was apprenticed to a local tailor, at the age of fourteen. He learnt the trade for several years and then fled away, moving west to Greeneville, Tennessee, where he set up a tailoring shop and married Eliza McCardle. (“Andrew Johnson”). Born to illiterate parents, he had not mastered the basis of reading and grammar, until he met his wife. Even though he was holding very little formal education, he was gifted with great oration skills, which helped him in his political life. He was yet another example in the US history, after Lincoln, emerging from a poor family with no formal education, into becoming the President of a country. Whereas, Lincoln is esteemed for his contributions as a president, Johnson, his successor, turned out to be the most regretful example because of his impeachment. In the aftermath of American Civil War, the country was struggling with reunification of its Southern states through a plan of reconstruction. The formulated plan of reconstruction by the president Abraham Lincoln was intended to be carried out by Andrew Johnson, who became the president after the assassination of Lincoln. It was stated that the policy was lenient towards the defeated south, granting amnesty to the South, excluding the ex-Confederates. (Davidson). This created political disturbances among the Radical Republicans in Congress against the policies of Johnson. The clash of will continued, as there was lesser compromise between both the sides, since the Radicals were calling for a military government in the South, with stringent readmission terms to be implemented for the seceded states. However, this political backing led to the beginning of the impeachment against Andrew Johnson, finally, driving him out of the office in 1868. (“Andrew Johnson”). When President Andrew Johnson became a politician, he turned out to be a brilliant speaker with oratory speeches. He was more intelligent than those who were educated. By 1884, he had served as town alderman and as a mayor of Greeneville. As a result of his contributions, he became popular among local farmers and small merchants who were being oppressed by the rich land owners. Because of his personality and background, he was not the choice of the Radical Republicans, but of the common people. His common-man ideology and stump speeches served him a good popularity, taking him to the success in the election of the state legislature’s lower house in 1884 and 1888, as well as in the State Senate in 1841. From 1843 to 1853, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat and also served two terms as governor of Tennessee from 1853 to 1857. (“Andrew Johnson”). During the Civil War, he was a first-term U.S. senator, unanimously elected by the Tennessee legislature. Even though he had a humble beginning, as a self-educated man from a poor family who was raised in abject poverty, he rose to political power as Abraham Lincoln's vice president during his second term and subsequently became the President after the assassination of Lincoln in April of 1865. His political life was a tough one as his involvements and leanings led to greater risks of life and fortune for him. As a politician, Johnson opposed federal funding of internal improvements, but advocated homestead legislations granting free lands. One of the notable achievements of President Andrew Johnson was the attainment of homestead bill which provided free farm lands for the poor settlers. (Davidson). He was racist politician, who supported the gag rule in 1850 that prevented the consideration of antislavery petitions before the House of Representatives. (Davidson). During the secession crisis, Johnson remained in the Senate even when Tennessee seceded from the Union, which made him a hero in the North and a traitor in the eyes of most Southerners. In 1862, following the Union victories in Tennessee, President Lincoln appointed him as the Military Governor of Tennessee, and Johnson exempted the state from Emancipation Proclamation, making it a rebel state. Empowered to discharge judicial, executive and legislative functions, he ruled the state with heavy hand by levying high taxes, seizing railroads and supervising military operations. (“Andrew Johnson”). Even though he did not consider emancipation of slaves, by the end of the Civil War, he restored civil government to the state, as a war measure. In 1864, President Lincoln contended that the National Union Party was for all loyal men, and nominated Johnson, a Southerner and a Democrat, for Vice President. With the Assassination of Lincoln, the Presidency fell upon an old-fashioned Southern Jacksonian Democrat of pronounced states' rights views. Arrayed against him were the Radical Republicans in Congress, brilliantly led with their ruthless tactics. After Lincoln's death, President Johnson was intended to take charge of the reconstruction of the defeated South. He was intended to extend the civil rights and suffrage to the black Southerners. Being a racist Southerner, he was acting against the Southern states’ full equity for blacks, particularly in the voting. However, the congressional Republicans were concerned about the voting rights of the black, as it was crucial for establishing their power in the South. Initially, Johnson placed his own policies for Reconstruction of the Confederate States while Congress was not in session in 1865. Andrew Johnson was honest and honorable, yet, he was faced with oppositions and intimidation from the radical republicans, who did not want him in office. “The radicals expected Johnson to uphold their views on reconstructions; however, on assuming the presidency, he in fact spoke of trying Confederate leaders and breaking up the planters' estates.” (Davidson 338). However, he handed out thousands of pardons to all who would take an oath of allegiance in the south, setting up ‘black codes’ for maintaining the slavery. It also required ex-Confederate leaders and wealthy men to obtain special Presidential pardons. President Andrew Johnson has an attitude favoring the white people because when he took over the office, he declared that his government would solely be of and for the white men since America is a country of white people. He was a racist president who did little care about the welfare of the black people. This was evident through most of his speeches, which was hardly declaring his view against the Black. During the civil-war he even proclaimed, ‘'Damn the Negroes' for he was a white supremacist who never had the intention to free black people out of slavery. “Although he accepted emancipation as one consequence of the war, Johnson lacked any concern for the welfare of African Americans. “Damn the negroes,” he said during the war, “I am fighting these traitorous aristocrats, their masters.” (Davidson 337). It was evident that America is considered as the home of the white people at this time, therefore the black people suffered in the hands of the slave masters. Although racism is now a crime in America, it is still very much alive indirectly. Johnson was true to his course because he ensured that he gave pardons to ex-rebels, held back military commanders from blocking leaders in the south to gain various power positions in the society. Moreover, in his speeches and interviews, Johnson was always on an opposite position from the Radical Republicans who were bitter because majority of their plans were constantly being turned down due to the fact that Johnson was still in-charge of the office. “Radical Republicans protested against the Amnesty Proclamation, for they understood quite clearly that wholesale pardons of ex-Confederates would mold the political landscape of the South in such a way as to restore these persons to power.” (Bergeron 75). The impeachment of President Andrew Johnson happened in the year 1868, making him to be the first president in the America history to be impeached from office. In the year 1865, after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, Johnson who was currently the Vice President took over the Presidency office. In his attempts of reconstruction, he failed to win over the Radicals who were campaigning for an equal right of the freedom. “The Radicals had a genuine plan for Reconstruction. Their ideology was grounded in the notion of an activist federal government, a redefinition of American citizenship that guaranteed equal political rights for black men and faith in free labor in a competitive capitalist system.” (Cobbs, Blum and Gjerde 474). The Radicals were clear that their program of reconstruction of the South could not succeed with Johnson at power in the office and so they acted widely to impeach him from his position in office. When congress came back to session, Radical Republicans started efforts to stop the president’s policies in the South. The Republicans wanted to enact a transformation of South in its social and economic life, by ending the old plantation system, which was keeping the Black under slavery. This was totally in contrary with Johnson’s view as he was against the planter elites as he believed that they were the favoring the secessionist movement. A series of political conflicts existed between president and the Republicans in Congress over the Reconstruction policies of South. The Radicals favored in granting freedom and citizenship to the slaves, particularly the voting rights. However, the Civil War put an end to the slavery as even Johnson accepted the Emancipation Act. However, he tried to preserve slavery in new guise by the amnesty and ‘black codes’. (“Andrew Johnson”). In 1866, the Congress passed the Freedmen's Bureau Bill and Civil Rights Act, which were protecting the rights of the slaves and defining them as citizens of the US. Each of these acts was passed over the President’s veto. “The Radicals mustered enough votes in Congress to pass legislation over his veto--the first time that Congress had overridden a President on an important bill. They passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which established Negroes as American citizens and forbade discrimination against them.” (“Andrew Johnson”). Furthermore, the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution was passed by the Congress, authorizing the protection of all citizens, including the slaves, by the federal government. Johnson opposed the amendment mentioning that it does not apply to the southerners as they have no representation with Congress. All the former Confederate States except Tennessee refused to ratify the amendment. Finally, Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act, which took away the power of the president, that he cannot fire any federal official without the consent of Senate. Johnson’s trouble began when the Tenure of Office Act was passed in 1867. This act prevented the President from firing any government officials who occupied respectable positions and offices within the country, without the consent of the Senate. (Stewart 10). Being stripped from his power on officials, Johnson furiously decided to regain his authority and stature as a president, through the people’s support. In the congressional elections, he set out his campaign for supporting his policies, which was a great disaster as there were two bloody race riots in the South, and on his debacles in the Middle West, Johnson faced hostile audiences. He has bitter personal attacks for his factious, domineering speeches against the Congress. Furthermore, the reports of violence against blacks in the South, turned moderate voters to lean in favor of the Republicans. The Radical Republicans won an overwhelming victory in Congressional elections. In March 1867, the Radicals efficiently implemented their own plan of Reconstruction, again placing Southern States under military rule. Johnson’s attempts to get his hand high in the political sphere began to decline. Three of his consecutive vetoes were overridden by Congress, with its majority and passed the Military Reconstruction Act, Command of the Army Act, and Tenure of Office Act, against his opposition. Moreover, Johnson’s power to interfere with the Congressional Reconstruction also was limited. When Johnson realized that he had lost both the congressional as well as popular support, he decided to challenge the Tenure of Office Act by going against it. He made a blatant usurpation of presidential authority, by firing the Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, which was a direct opposition to the act. Stanton was a strong supporter Radical Republicans in their reconstruction of South. When Johnson suspended Stanton and appointed the popular General Ulysses S. Grant in his place, it directly challenged the constitutionality of the Tenure of Office Act. Congress subsequently overruled the suspension while Grant resigned the position. To top it all, Johnson made a bold attempt by dismissing Stanton formally from his position on February 21, 1868. With the support of the Republicans, Stanton responded to the dismissal by locking himself in his room, refusing to leave. This incident was not politely received by the House of Representatives as they felt that he had violated the Tenure of Office Act, therefore, showing that he had no respect for the Congress of the United States which was mandated with the responsibility of creating policies. Congress voted to impeach the President by a vote of 126 to 47 in February 1868, owing to his violation of the Tenure of Office Act. He was charged for bringing disgrace through his ridiculous act of violating the law enforced by the constitution. However, they followed the legal procedure in impeaching Johnson and his trial began on March 4th and later proceeded for eleven weeks. (Jones 263). His trial began in the Senate under the US Supreme Court Chief Justice, Salmon Chase. During his trial Johnson was apologetic for his acts, and promised to enforce the Reconstruction Acts. He also made commitments not to give speeches against the Congress. On May 16, 1868 he acquitted, by a margin of one vote as Johnson’s opponents failed to achieve two-thirds majority, which was necessary in convicting him. He then served for the rest of the term as the President. Conclusion In conclusion, the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson came as a surprise because it made history in US, as the first president to be removed from office while in his serving period. Despite Johnson’s plans of southern reconstruction, the Radicals prevailed over him with their intentions of establishing black majority government in the South. However, before judging the decision of the congress on his impeachment, one should quickly look at the role and importance of acts created within the constitution. Every American is expected to obey the constitution as stipulated by the law based on the intuition of the founding fathers. Johnson’s act of ignoring the constitution was wrong, and even though he was the president of the nation, it cannot add to the fact that he had violated the constitutional acts. The decision taken against him supports the American constitution that ''no man is above the law''. The constitution is set to protect the rights of all Americans, and no one is expected to violate the law, in any means. The impeachment of President Andrew Johnson is a lesson to all, as today’s political leaders cannot forget the fact that the law is made for all Americans for peaceful co-existence, and any violation of it, will probably have to face the consequences, despite their position and authority in the government. Works Cited “Andrew Johnson.” The Whitehouse, n. d. Web. 16 April 2014. Davidson, James West. U.S.A. Narrative History from 1865. New York: McGraw Hill, 2012. Bergeron, Paul H. Andrew Johnson’s Civil War and Reconstruction. Knoxville: Univ. of Tennessee Press, 2011. Cobbs-Hoffman, Elizabeth., Edward Blum and Jon Gjerde. Major Problems in American History. New York: Cengage Learning, 2011. Stewart, David O. Impeached: the trial of President Andrew Johnson and the fight for Lincoln's legacy. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009. Jones, Mark. History of Criminal Justice. Burlington: Elsevier Science, 2011. Andrew Johnson. The Whitehouse.Retrieved from www www .whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/ andrewjohnson Bergeron, Paul H. Andrew Johnson's Civil War and Reconstruction. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2011. Internet resource. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012. Print. Cobbs, Hoffman E, Edward J. Blum, and Jon Gjerde. Major Problems in American History: Documents and Essays / Edited by Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman, Edward J. Blum, Jon Gjerde. Davidson J.W. U.S.A. Narrative History from 1865,Vol. 2. New York:McGraw Hill, 2012 Print. Jones, Mark. History of Criminal Justice. Burlington: Elsevier Science, 2011. Internet resource. McNeese, Tim. Reconstruction: Life After the Civil War. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 2009. Internet resource. 89 Stewart, David O.. Impeached: the trial of President Andrew Johnson and the fight for Lincoln's legacy. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009. Print. Read More