alternative to the incumbent Harris. He actively, privately sought the seat, studying the political situation in every county in New York and securing the allegiances of local party leaders. The political organization he formed in his canvas for Senate later formed the basis for the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party. In the Republican nominating caucus, Conkling received the nomination over Davis and Judge Noah Davis on the fifth ballot. With very few Democratic legislators in Albany, his election was a foregone conclusion. Conkling joined the Senate as a member of the Committees on Appropriations, the Judiciary, and Mines and Mining. He became a popular subject of press attention and was even mentioned as a potential candidate for president in 1868. Impeachment of Andrew Johnson Conkling was a frequent critic of President Andrew Johnson and supporter of aggressive Reconstruction policies. In Johnson's impeachment trial for the removal of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, Conkling did not serve as a manager or make any public speech but was active in the prosecution of the case. He voted guilty on several articles before the Senate adjourned. Conkling fell ill while the Senate remained in recess, but declared that if he were unable to walk or speak, he would still be carried to the chamber with the word "Guilty" pinned to his coat. The Senate fell one vote short of convicting Johnson and removing him from office. Conkling remained Johnson’s antagonist for the remainder of the latter’s term. Grant administration Conkling actively supported the Ulysses S. Grant administration and its policy in Santo Domingo, including the Treaty of Santo Domingo. He became known as the "Warwick of the [Grant] Administration." During the Franco-Prussian War, Conkling expressed his sympathies with the German side, arguing that Napoleon III’s support of the Confederates in the Civil War had made him the enemy of the United States. Nevertheless, Conkling defended the administration from Charles Sumner’s charges of violating neutrality by selling arms to France. In 1870, New York elected its first Democratic legislature since the War. When the new legislature repealed and rescinded its prior resolution ratifying the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Conkling spoke out against it. He actively worked for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1875, opposing attempts by Senator Allen Thurman to water down its provisions. In the 43rd United States Congress, Conkling opposed federal relief for the Boston