Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/475

Rh with the rights of the states. This bill was passed over the veto. On 16 June the 14th amendment to the constitution, which contained the princi- ple of the civil rights bill, was proposed, disap- proved by the president, but ratified and declared in force, 28 July, 1868. Both houses of congress passed a joint resolution that the delegation from a state lately in rebellion should not be received by either the senate or the house until both united in declaring said state a member of the Union. In July the second freedman's bureau bill was passed, vetoed, and passed over the veto. In June, 1866, the Republicans in congress brought forward their plan of reconstruction, which was called the " con- gressional plan," in contradistinction to the presi- dent's plan, of which he spoke as "my policy." The chief features of the congressional plan were, to give the negroes the right to vote, to protect them in this right, and to prevent the Confed- erate leaders from voting. Congress met on 3 Dec., 1866. The bill giving negroes the right of suffrage in the District of Columbia was passed over a veto. An attempt was made to impeach the president, but it failed. In January, 1867, a bill was passed to deprive the president of the power to proclaim general amnesty, which he dis- regarded. Measures were adopted looking to the meeting of the 40th and all subsequent congresses immediately upon the adjournment of the prede- cessor. The president was deprived of the com- mand of the army by a " rider " to the army ap- propriation bill, which provided that his orders should only be given through the general, who was not to be removed without the previous con- sent of the senate. The bill admitting Nebraska provided that no law should ever be passed in that state denying the right of suffrage to any person because of his color or race. This was vetoed, and passed over the veto. On 2 March, 1867, the " bill to provide efficient governments for the insurrec- tionary states," which embodied the congressional plan of reconstruction, was passed, vetoed, and passed over the veto. This divided the southern states into military districts, each under a briga- dier-general, who was to preserve order and exer- cise all the functions of government until the citi- zens had formed a state government, ratified the amendments, and been admitted to the Union. On 2 March, 1867, the tenure-of-office bill was passed oyer the veto. This provided that civil officers should remain in office until the confirmation of their successors ; that the members of the cabinet should be removed only with the consent of the senate; and that when congress was not in session, the president could suspend, but not remove, any official, and in case the senate at the next session should not ratify the suspension, the suspended official should be reinducted into his office. The elections of 1866 were uniformly favorable to the Republicans, and gave them a two-third majority in both house and senate. On 5 Aug., 1867, the president requested Edwin M. Stanton to resign his office as secretary of war. Mr. Stanton refused, was suspended, and Gen. Grant was appointed in his place. When congress met, it refused to ratify the suspension. Gen. Grant then resigned, and Mr. Stanton again entered upon the duties of his office. The president removed him, and appoint- ed Lorenzo Thomas, adjutant-general, U. S. army. The senate declared this act illegal, and Mr. Stan- ton refused to comply, and notified the speaker of the house. On 24 Feb., 1868, the house passed a resolution for the impeachment of the president. The trial began on 5 March. The main articles of impeachment were for violating the provisions of the tenure-of-office act, which it was claimed he had done in order to test its constitutionality. After the trial began, the president made a tour through the northwest, which was called " swing- ing round the circle," because in his speeches he declared that he had swung around the entire cir- cle of offices, from alderman to president. He made many violent and intemperate speeches to the crowds that assembled to meet him, and de- nounced the congress then sitting as " no con- gress," because of its refusal to admit the repre- sentatives and senators from the south, and on these speeches were based additional articles of impeachment. On 16 May the test vote" was had. Thirty-five senators were for conviction and nineteen for acquittal. A change of one vote would have carried conviction. The senate ad- journed sine die, and a verdict of acquittal was entered. After the expiration of his term the president returned to Tennessee. He was a candi- date for the U. S. senate, but was defeated. In 1872 he was a candidate for congressman from the state-at-large, and, though defeated, he regained his hold upon the people of the state, and in Janu- ary, 1875, was elected to the senate, taking his seat at the extra session of 1875. Two weeks after the session began he made a speech which was a skilful but bitter attack upon Gen. Grant. He returned home at the end of the session, and in July visited his daughter, who lived near Carter's station in east Tennessee. There he was stricken with paralysis. 29 July, and died the next day. He was buried at Greenville. His "Speeches'* were published with a biographical introduction by Frank Moore (Boston, 1865), and his " Life and Times " were written bv an anonvmous author (New York, 1866). See also "The Tailor Boy" (Boston, 1865), and "The Trial of Andrew Johnson on Impeachment " (3 vols., Washington, 1868). — His wife. Eliza McCardle, b. in Leesburg, Washington co., Tenn.. 4 Oct.. 1810; d. in Home, Greene co., Tenn., 15 Jan., 1876, was the only daugh- ter of a widow in Greenville. Tenn. On 27 May. 1826, she married Andrew Johnson, and devot- ed herself to his in- terests and educa- tion, contributing ef- fectually toward his future career. She remained in Green- ville while he served in the legislature, and in 1861 spent two months in Wash- ington while Mr. Johnson was in the senate. Owing to impaired health she returned to Greenville, and while there received an order, dated 24 April. 1862, requiring her to pass beyond the Confederate lines through Nashville in thirty-six hours. This was impossible, owing to her illness, and she therefore remained in Greenville all summer, hearing constantly rumors of Mr. Johnson's murder. In September she applied for permission to cross the line, and, accompanied by her children and Mr. Daniel Stover, she began her journey to Nashville. At Murfreesboro they were met by Gen. Forrest, who detained them until' Isham G. Harris and Andrew Ewing obtained permission from the authorities at Richmond for them to pass. Mrs. Johnson joined her husband at Nashville. During her residence