that an
unsuccessful user of one of the President's cards returned to the
President for a reinforcement of the order. The President insisted
upon a full report of the Secretary's answer. The applicant repeated
the Secretary's remark, which was not complimentary to the President's
good sense. The President hesitated, and then declined to renew the
order, saying: "Stanton is generally right."

Mr. Stanton's testimony was taken February 11, 1867, and on subsequent
days. The record of the text and the accompanying documents cover more
than two hundred printed pages. The evidence was taken by the
Committee on the Judiciary, and it had special reference to the charges
that had been made against President Johnson. At that time, the
separation between Mr. Stanton and the President had become
irreconcilable, but there are no indications of hostility in the
answers given by the Secretary. Indeed, he assumed, without reserve,
full responsibility for acts that had been charged on the President by
others.

During the war the railroads that fell within our lines were
appropriated to the use of the United States, and heavy outlays had
been made upon some of them for repairs and improvements. In many
cases expenses had been incurred, that in the hands of the corporation
would not have been chargeable to a construction account. In a
majority of cases, if not in all, the roads had been surrendered
without compensation, and the rolling stock had been transferred for
very slight consideration.

Mr. Stanton assumed the responsibility of the policy, upon the ground
that it was important to the South and to the country that the channels
of commerce should be made available without delay and that the army
could not be used wisely in commercial traffic. As the President was
interested in one of the railroads that received a large benefit by the
restoration of its property much improved, he was relieved of all
responsibility for a policy that had been much condemned.

Through the testimony of Secretary Stanton the committee was enabled
to find the origin and to trace with a degree of accuracy the history
of President Johnson's plan of reconstruction. At a time not many days
prior to Mr. Lincoln's death, Secretary Stanton prepared an order which
contained a _projet_ for the government of the States that had been in
rebellion. The paper was submitted to President Lincoln and it was
considered by him in a cabinet meeting that was