Increasingly ill , Stevens took little part in the impeachment trial , at which the leading House manager was Massachusetts Representative Benjamin F. Butler . Stevens nourished himself on the Senate floor with raw eggs and terrapin , port and brandy . He spoke only twice before making a closing argument for the House managers on April 27 . As he spoke , his voice weakened , and finally he allowed Butler to read the second half of his speech for him . Stevens focused on Article XI , taking the position that Johnson could be removed for political crimes ; he need not have committed an offense against the law . The President , having sworn to faithfully execute the laws , had intentionally disobeyed the Tenure of Office Act after the Senate had refused to uphold his removal of Stanton , " and now this offspring of assassination turns upon the Senate who have ... rebuked him in a constitutional manner and bids them defiance . How can he escape the just vengeance of the law ? " Most radicals were confident that Johnson would be convicted and removed from office . Stevens , however , was never certain of the result as Chief Justice Chase ( the former Treasury Secretary ) made rulings that favored the defense , and he had no great confidence Republicans would stick together . On May 11 , the Senate met in secret session , and senators gave speeches explaining how they intended to vote . All Democrats were opposed , but an unexpectedly large number of Republicans also favored acquittal on some or all of the articles . Counting votes , managers realized their best chance of gaining the required two-thirds for conviction was on the Stevens-inspired Article XI , and when the Senate assembled to give its verdict , they scheduled it to be voted upon first . The suspense was broken when Kansas Senator Edmund Ross , whose position was uncertain , voted for acquittal . This meant that , with the votes of those who remained , the President would not be convicted on that article . The article failed , 35 in favor to 19 against . In the hope that delay would bring a different result , Republicans adjourned the Senate for ten days . Stevens was carried from the Senate in his chair — one observer described him as " black with rage and disappointment " — and when those outside clamored for the result , Stevens shouted , " The country is going to the devil ! " During the recess of the impeachment court , the Republicans met in convention in Chicago and nominated Grant for president . Stevens did not attend , and was dismayed by the exclusion of African-American suffrage from the party platform as radical influence began to fade in the Republican Party . When the Senate returned to session , it voted down Articles II and III by the same 35 – 19 margin as before , and Chase declared the President acquitted . Stevens did not give up on the idea of removing Johnson ; in July , he proffered several more impeachment articles ( the House refused to adopt them ) . He offered a bill to divide Texas into several parts so as to gain additional Republican senators to vote out Johnson . It was defeated ; the '' Herald '' stated , " It is lamentable to see this old man , with one foot in the grave , pursuing the President with such vindictiveness . " Nevertheless , Stevens planned to revisit the question of impeachment when Congress met again in late 1868
met in convention
1868 Republican National Convention
Thaddeus Stevens