General Henry S. Commager, Civil War Era Politician And Soldier, Characterizes President Andrew Johnson And Predicts His Impeachment: “The President And Cabinet, And Especially The Cabinet, Were Terribly Frightened By The Threatening Tone Of The Radicals And Besides These Considerations, The Whole Cabinet Are Against The Democracy”

(ANDREW JOHNSON IMEACHMENT). ALS. 4 pg. 5” x 7”. January 10, 1867. Washington D.C. An autograph letter signed “H.S. Commager” to “Hon W. Carter”: “The day after I reached Washington about Nov 2nd last, I place on file in the Post Office Department an application asking for the appointment of Mr. William Higgins to be Post Master at Defiance. Supposing that there would be no question as to his appointment and having a great many other matters to attend t, I did not trouble the Post Master General about it, for some little time, but finding that appointments were not being made, promptly, I called on the Post Master Genl, specially in regard to the matter, and he then informed me that the President and Cabinet had decided, not to make any more removals, on political grounds alone, until after Congress should meet, and its temper and tone ascertained…The fact is, that, although it took me some time to find it out after coming here, the President and Cabinet, and especially the Cabinet, were terribly frightened by the threatening tone of the Radicals and besides these considerations, the whole Cabinet are against the Democracy. Almost all of them are disposed to get back in some way to the Republican Party. If the President long ago had made a clean and thorough change in his Cabinet, resulting in Democrats he would to-day be master of the situation. Now all depend {sic} on chance...Those who know him best say that he is indeed a strange man; that he can neither be driven nor coaxed to advance one step till he is fully ready; but XX having taken that step forward it is an advance forever…The impeachment idea is dead for this session. But Congress may attempt to reduce the Southern States to Territories. If they pass such an act, the President will not execute it and if the question comes before this Supreme Court, the President will be sustained. Yet the refusal will induce next the Congress to impeach”. This letter by General Henry S. Commager, former Brigadier General of Volunteers and a Democratic Party politician, perfectly sets up the state of political affairs between President Andrew Johnson and the Radical Republican-controlled U.S. Congress. Though both sides had been feuding over Reconstruction since Johnson’s ascension to the presidency, appointment power was also a key divide. The letter describes how Johnson and his Postmaster General Alexander Randall were unwilling to make an appointment for fear of rejection by the U.S. Senate. This fear was codified into law just a month after this letter with the Tenure of Office Act, which would have denied the President the power to remove any executive officer unless the Senate approved the removal during the next full session of Congress, which was unlikely given the existing political dynamics. Johnson’s removal of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton the following year despite the Senate’s rejection of such a removal was the impetus of Johnson’s impeachment, predicted in this letter, and unsuccessful Senate removal trial. Commager died later in 1867, so he did not live to see his prediction come true. The letter is in fine condition with some folds. Included is a separate typed document with additional biographical information and historical context. (Inventory #: 6058)