Trumbull introduces two bills to protect the freedmen in the states—Provisions of the Freedmen's Bureau Bill—Trumbull contends that the Thirteenth Amendment authorized Congress to abolish the incidents and disabilities of slavery—The Freedmen's Bureau Bill passed by Congress and vetoed by the President—The Senate fails to pass it over the veto—Struggle in the Senate to obtain a two-thirds majority—Senator Stockton (Democrat), of New Jersey, unseated—Trumbull's Civil Rights Bill taken up—It does not deal with the right of suffrage—Debate in the Senate on the constitutional question—Bill passes Senate—Is opposed in the House by Bingham, of Ohio—Is vetoed by the President—Exciting scene in Senate when the bill is passed over the veto—Trumbull takes the lead in the campaign of 1866 and is reëlected to the Senate—The Civil Rights Act in the courts—An echo from the State of Georgia257
THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT
The Joint Committee on Reconstruction reports the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution—It holds that the seceding states cannot be restored to their former places in the Union by the executive alone—Tennessee admitted to the Union by Congress—The Arm-in-Arm Convention at Philadelphia—President Johnson's unfortunate speech following that event—The Southern States refuse to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment—This refusal gives increased power to the radicals in the North281
CROSSING THE RUBICON
Decision of the Supreme Court in the Milligan case—It declares all trials of civilians by military commissions unlawful—It implies that Andrew Johnson's policy was preferable to that of Congress—All the members of the Cabinet support the President's policy—Stanton, however, secretly confers with the radicals to undermine the President—Sumner and Stevens become the leaders in Congress and pass bills annulling state governments in the South—The Conservatives follow reluctantly, believing that the negroes cannot be protected unless they have the right to vote—Remarkable series of Reconstruction Acts passed in 1867 and 1868—The case of Georgia—Trumbull overthrows Governor Bullock and his senatorial supporters288
IMPEACHMENT
The Tenure-of-Office Bill passed to curtail the President's power to remove office-holders—It does not apply to members of the Cabinet—The President vetoes it—The veto message written by Seward and Stanton in conjunction—Bill repassed over veto—First mutterings about impeachment—The Judiciary Committee reports in favor of it—The House rejects the report—The President requests Stanton's resignation—Stanton refuses to resign—The President removes him and appoints Grant Secretary of War ad interim—Stanton retires—The Senate disapproves of the removal of Stanton—Grant retires and Stanton resumes office—The President accuses Grant of bad faith, and appoints Lorenzo Thomas Secretary of War—The House votes to impeach the President and appoints managers therefor—The trial begins March 5, 1868—The President is acquitted by vote of 35 to 19, not two thirds—Seven Republican Senators including Trumbull vote "Not Guilty"—Newspaper comments sustaining the "Seven Traitors"—Trumbull's written opinion filed with the record—Consequences of the impeachment trial—Death of Fessenden—Death of Mrs. Lyman Trumbull301