Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. III.djvu/37

ANDREW JOHNSON 17 of 1866 were uniformly favorable to the Repub licans, and gave them a two-thirds majority in both house and senate. On August 5, 1867, the president requested Ed win 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 appointed Lorenzo Thomas, ad jutant-general, U. S. army. The senate declared this act illegal, and Mr. Stanton refused to com ply, and notified the speaker of the house. On February 24, 1868, the house passed a resolution for the impeachment of the president. The trial began on March 5. The main articles of impeach ment were for violating the provisions of the tenure-of-office act, which it was claimed he had done in order to test its constitutionality, ^fter, Jhe trial began, the president made a tour through the northwest, which was called "swinging round the circle," because in his speeches he declared that he had swung around the entire circle of offices, from alderman to president. He made many vio lent and intemperate speeches to the crowds that assembled to meet him, and denounced the congress then sitting as "no congress," because of its re fusal to admit the representatives and senators