Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/45

 yeas to forty-seven nays, all the members from Iowa voting for impeachment. A committee of seven was appointed to prepare articles of impeachment and James F. Wilson of Iowa was a member of this committee. When the articles were adopted by the House he was one of the managers chosen by that body to conduct the trial before the Senate. The people of the country were wrought up to intense excitement over the trial, a large majority of the Republicans strongly approving the impeachment, while the opposition was bitterly denouncing the attempt to remove the President from office. The trial lasted from March 5th to May 16th when the vote was taken in the Senate.

It stood thirty-five for conviction to nineteen against. As it required two-thirds to convict the President was declared acquitted, amidst the most intense excitement. All who voted “Guilty” were Republicans, while seven Republicans voted “Not Guilty,” as did all of the Democrats. Senator Harlan of Iowa voted to convict while our other Senator, James W. Grimes, voted to acquit. Never in the political history of the country has there been such a fierce and ungovernable outcry of rage and denunciation raised against public officials as was hurled by the Republican press and people at the seven Republican Senators who conscientiously and bravely gave their votes for the acquittal of the President. It drove all of them from public life, for a time alienated life-long friends and cast a cruel stigma upon reputations earned by pure lives in long and faithful public service. The denunciation of Senator Grimes by Iowa Republicans was unmeasured, almost unanimous and brutal on the extreme. For a time reason was ignored, justice smothered and rage ruled supreme. His motives were impugned and his superb and patriotic services to his State and country, during the darkest years of the war for the Union, were ignored, while his Republican constituents vied with each other in vile abuse of a Senator who was courageous enough to