Question

Use the quotation to answer the following question:

“When Andrew Johnson took upon himself the duties of his high office he swore to obey the Constitution and take care that the laws be faithfully executed. That, indeed, is and has always been the chief duty of the President of the United States. The duties of legislation and adjudicating [making a judgment on] the laws of his country fall in no way to his lot. To obey the commands of sovereign power of the nation, and to see that others should obey them, was his whole duty—a duty which he could not escape, and any attempt to do so would be in direct violation of his official oath…”

—Thaddeus Stevens, Closing Remarks in the Impeachment Trial of Andrew Johnson, 1868



According to the quotation, why does Stevens believe that Johnson should be removed from office?

Answer 1

Stevens argues Johnson should be removed because he has violated his oath by refusing to obey and faithfully execute the Constitution and the laws. In Stevens’s view the President’s sole duty is to enforce the laws, not to legislate or judge them, and Johnson’s attempt to shirk or exceed that duty is a direct breach of his official oath.