The sober reflection of later years has persuaded many who favored Impeachment that it was not justifiable on the charges made, and that its success would have resulted in greater injury to free institutions than Andrew Johnson in his utmost endeavor was able to inflict.
Blaine reflects on the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, suggesting that it may have been unjustifiable and potentially harmful to free institutions.
Share
More from James Blaine
But in the treatment of the colored man, now proposed, there was absolute heartlessness and rank injustice.
The Northern people shrank from the responsibility of transferring the government of States to the control of men who had already shown themselves capable of desperate deeds.
In all the revolted states, upon the testimony of your ablest generals, there is no safety to the property or lives of loyal men.
Their convention did more to popularize the Fourteenth Amendment as a political issue than any other instrumentality of the year.
Other voices in this conversation
