Presidential Transitions: Andrew Johnson to Ulysses Grant (1868)
On March 5, 1868, the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson began in the Senate. It lasted almost three months. On May 16, the Senate voted on the article of impeachment that accused Johnson of firing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton in violation of the Tenure of Office of Act. Thirty-five senators voted "guilty" and 19 "not guilty", thus falling short by a single vote of the two-thirds majority required for conviction under the Constitution. The Senate returned on May 26 and voted on the second and third articles, with identical 35–19 results. Johnson's opponents gave up and dismissed proceedings.
In between the votes, the Republican Party held its nominating convention in Chicago, on May 20 and 21, 1868. Popular General Ulysses S. Grant announced he was a Republican and the party unanimously nominated him on the first ballot as the party's presidential candidate. House Speaker Schuyler Colfax, a Radical Republican from Indiana, was nominated for vice-president on the sixth ballot.
The Democratic National Convention was held in New York City from July 4 to July 9, 1868. Andrew Johnson still harbored hopes that he could win the party's nomination and win the presidency in his own right, but he only won 65 votes on the first ballot. After numerous indecisive ballots, convention chairman and New York Governor Horatio Seymour had his name placed in nomination. At first Seymour declined, but he was unanimously selected by the delegates and ultimately changed his mind.
While at first the election was expected to be a cakewalk for the popular Grant, the campaign turned out much closed than expected. Seymour was a formidable opponent and as late as October, some Republicans believed that they might be beaten. As was the tradition at the time, Grant took no part in the campaign and made no promises. The Republican campaign theme of "Let us have peace" came from Grant's letter of acceptance. After four years of civil war, three years of wrangling over Reconstruction, and the attempted impeachment of a president, Grant was expressing what many in the country were hoping for.
Seymour was attacked by Republican newspapers who tried to portray him as disloyal to the Union. The New York Tribune led the cartoon campaign with the picture of Seymour standing on the steps of the City Hall calling a mob of New York draft rioters "my friends." They also alleged that insanity ran through the Seymour family, citing as evidence the suicide of his father. It was a nasty campaign.
Democrats tried to frighten voters, stating that if Grant was elected, the Radical Republicans would be in control and this would lead to what they termed the rule of "a semi-barbarous race of blacks who are worshipers of fetishes and polygamists" and wanted to "subject the white women to their unbridled lust."
Late in the campaign, Seymour began to give speeches in which he said that change in the South should be accomplished at the state level, without national interference. State civil authority should take precedence over military action.
On election day Grant won the popular vote, receiving 3,013,650 votes while Seymour received 2,708,744. Seymour lost a number of states by very narrow margins including Indiana, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. In the South, Republican imposed state governments controlled the election machine and Grant won all but two states. He won the electoral college by a margin of 214 to 80 and won 26 states, compared to 8 for Seymour.
Although he had failed to win the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 1868, Andrew Johnson remained popular among Southern whites, who respected him for doing battle with the Radical Republicans in Washington. Johnson enhanced his popularity with that segment of the population by issuing a pardon ending the possibility of criminal proceedings against any Confederate not already indicted. He did so just before the Democratic Convention. The pardon still meant that CSA President Jefferson Davis and a few others still could face trial. He also delayed to take the steps necessary for ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment by the new Southern legislatures, so Congress passed a bill, over his veto, requiring him to do so within ten days of receipt. He delayed as much as he could, but ultimately had to report the ratifications making the amendment part of the Constitution.
Johnson was not happy about Grant's victory, and still had hard feelings against his successor because of Grant's opposition to Johnson's effort to fire Secretary Stanton. In his annual message to Congress in December, Johnson urged the repeal of the Tenure of Office Act and told legislators that if they had admitted their Southern colleagues in 1865, all would have been well. He celebrated his 60th birthday in late December with a party at which several hundred children were invited. He purposely lefty the children of President-elect Grant off the guest list.
On Christmas Day 1868, Johnson issued a final amnesty for all former Confederates. This one pardoned everyone, including Jefferson Davis. He also pardoned Dr. Samuel Mudd, the physician who was controversially convicted of involvement in the Lincoln assassination. Mudd was the Doctor who had set Booth's broken leg. Dr. Mudd was released from his imprisonment at Fort Jefferson on Florida's Dry Tortugas.
On March 3, 1869, the day before Grant's inauguration, Johnson hosted a large public reception at the White House on his final full day in office. Grant did not attend and he made it known that he refused to ride in the same carriage as Johnson from the White House to the inauguration, as was the custom. In turn. Johnson refused to attend his successor's inauguration at all. Despite an effort by Secretary of State William H. Seward to broker a peace, Johnson spent the morning of March 4 finishing last-minute business. Shortly after noon he rode from the White House to the home of a friend.
On March 4, 1869, Ulysses Grant was sworn in as the eighteenth President of the United States by Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase. In his inaugural address, Grant urged the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment and said he would approach Reconstruction "calmly, without prejudice, hate or sectional pride." He also recommended the "proper treatment" of Native Americans be studied; advocating their civilization and eventual citizenship.
In between the votes, the Republican Party held its nominating convention in Chicago, on May 20 and 21, 1868. Popular General Ulysses S. Grant announced he was a Republican and the party unanimously nominated him on the first ballot as the party's presidential candidate. House Speaker Schuyler Colfax, a Radical Republican from Indiana, was nominated for vice-president on the sixth ballot.
The Democratic National Convention was held in New York City from July 4 to July 9, 1868. Andrew Johnson still harbored hopes that he could win the party's nomination and win the presidency in his own right, but he only won 65 votes on the first ballot. After numerous indecisive ballots, convention chairman and New York Governor Horatio Seymour had his name placed in nomination. At first Seymour declined, but he was unanimously selected by the delegates and ultimately changed his mind.
While at first the election was expected to be a cakewalk for the popular Grant, the campaign turned out much closed than expected. Seymour was a formidable opponent and as late as October, some Republicans believed that they might be beaten. As was the tradition at the time, Grant took no part in the campaign and made no promises. The Republican campaign theme of "Let us have peace" came from Grant's letter of acceptance. After four years of civil war, three years of wrangling over Reconstruction, and the attempted impeachment of a president, Grant was expressing what many in the country were hoping for.
Seymour was attacked by Republican newspapers who tried to portray him as disloyal to the Union. The New York Tribune led the cartoon campaign with the picture of Seymour standing on the steps of the City Hall calling a mob of New York draft rioters "my friends." They also alleged that insanity ran through the Seymour family, citing as evidence the suicide of his father. It was a nasty campaign.
Democrats tried to frighten voters, stating that if Grant was elected, the Radical Republicans would be in control and this would lead to what they termed the rule of "a semi-barbarous race of blacks who are worshipers of fetishes and polygamists" and wanted to "subject the white women to their unbridled lust."
Late in the campaign, Seymour began to give speeches in which he said that change in the South should be accomplished at the state level, without national interference. State civil authority should take precedence over military action.
On election day Grant won the popular vote, receiving 3,013,650 votes while Seymour received 2,708,744. Seymour lost a number of states by very narrow margins including Indiana, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. In the South, Republican imposed state governments controlled the election machine and Grant won all but two states. He won the electoral college by a margin of 214 to 80 and won 26 states, compared to 8 for Seymour.
Although he had failed to win the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 1868, Andrew Johnson remained popular among Southern whites, who respected him for doing battle with the Radical Republicans in Washington. Johnson enhanced his popularity with that segment of the population by issuing a pardon ending the possibility of criminal proceedings against any Confederate not already indicted. He did so just before the Democratic Convention. The pardon still meant that CSA President Jefferson Davis and a few others still could face trial. He also delayed to take the steps necessary for ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment by the new Southern legislatures, so Congress passed a bill, over his veto, requiring him to do so within ten days of receipt. He delayed as much as he could, but ultimately had to report the ratifications making the amendment part of the Constitution.
Johnson was not happy about Grant's victory, and still had hard feelings against his successor because of Grant's opposition to Johnson's effort to fire Secretary Stanton. In his annual message to Congress in December, Johnson urged the repeal of the Tenure of Office Act and told legislators that if they had admitted their Southern colleagues in 1865, all would have been well. He celebrated his 60th birthday in late December with a party at which several hundred children were invited. He purposely lefty the children of President-elect Grant off the guest list.
On Christmas Day 1868, Johnson issued a final amnesty for all former Confederates. This one pardoned everyone, including Jefferson Davis. He also pardoned Dr. Samuel Mudd, the physician who was controversially convicted of involvement in the Lincoln assassination. Mudd was the Doctor who had set Booth's broken leg. Dr. Mudd was released from his imprisonment at Fort Jefferson on Florida's Dry Tortugas.
On March 3, 1869, the day before Grant's inauguration, Johnson hosted a large public reception at the White House on his final full day in office. Grant did not attend and he made it known that he refused to ride in the same carriage as Johnson from the White House to the inauguration, as was the custom. In turn. Johnson refused to attend his successor's inauguration at all. Despite an effort by Secretary of State William H. Seward to broker a peace, Johnson spent the morning of March 4 finishing last-minute business. Shortly after noon he rode from the White House to the home of a friend.
On March 4, 1869, Ulysses Grant was sworn in as the eighteenth President of the United States by Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase. In his inaugural address, Grant urged the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment and said he would approach Reconstruction "calmly, without prejudice, hate or sectional pride." He also recommended the "proper treatment" of Native Americans be studied; advocating their civilization and eventual citizenship.