the impeachment of Andrew Johnson - Democratic Underground

OneBlueSky

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Sat Nov-08-03 03:32 AM
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the impeachment of Andrew Johnson

and some interesting stuff about the role of Harper's Weekly in America at that time . . . fascinating, if you're so inclined . . .

http://www.impeach-andrewjohnson.com/

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Zuni

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Sat Nov-08-03 07:44 AM
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1. That era is fascinating to me

Andrew Johnson was a southern Democrat Unionist, and was basically impeached because the more hard core Republicans like Stanton, etc. wanted him out. He had to deal with opposition from Democrats who were mad that he joined Lincoln, Southerners angry that he was a unionist and Republicans who hated him with a passion. He had no friends.

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genius

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Sat Nov-08-03 01:41 PM
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2. Like Clinton, he was impeached for political reasons.

The law they used to impeach him was later declared unconstitutional. The whole purpose of the Tenure of Office Act was to set him up for impeachment.

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Bucky

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Sat Nov-08-03 02:11 PM
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3. Keep in mind about Johnson

He was also a drunk (moreso than Grant) and a racist who obstructed Civil Rights reform in the South throughout his presidency. Had Lincoln lived or been succeeded in office by a VP committed to true Reconstruction, the country would not have spent 100 years mired in segregation and Jim Crowism.

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genius

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Sat Nov-08-03 02:24 PM
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4. This did not play an official part in his impeachment

Under the Constitution, they had to come up with something to call "high crimes and misdemeanors" and so they created the Tenure of Office Act. This prevented him from firing members of his cabinet. Although it was later decared unconstitutional, his firing of the Secretary of War Edwin Stanton was the excuse for impeachment. The whole thing was a set-up as they knew he was planning to fire Stanton before they passed the thing and did so only so they could impeach him when he did.

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Thu Apr 25th 2024, 02:52 AM
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