▁vote ▁to ▁im pe ach , ▁stating ▁that ▁" cover up ▁of ▁criminal ▁activity ▁and ▁mis use ▁of ▁federal ▁ag encies ▁can ▁neither ▁be ▁cond oned ▁nor ▁toler ated ". ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁August ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁Sen ators ▁Barry ▁Gold water ▁and ▁Hugh ▁Scott ▁and ▁Congress man ▁Rh odes ▁met ▁with ▁N ixon ▁in ▁the ▁O val ▁Office . ▁Scott ▁and ▁Rh odes ▁were ▁the ▁Republican ▁leaders ▁in ▁the ▁Senate ▁and ▁House , ▁respectively ; ▁Gold water ▁was ▁brought ▁along ▁as ▁an ▁elder ▁states man . ▁The ▁three ▁law m akers ▁told ▁N ixon ▁that ▁his ▁support ▁in ▁Congress ▁had ▁all ▁but ▁disappeared . ▁Rh odes ▁told ▁N ixon ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁face ▁certain ▁im pe achment ▁when ▁the ▁articles ▁came ▁up ▁for ▁vote ▁in ▁the ▁full ▁House ; ▁indeed , ▁by ▁one ▁estimate , ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁ 7 5 ▁represent atives ▁were ▁willing ▁to ▁opp ose ▁im pe achment . ▁Gold water ▁and ▁Scott ▁told ▁the ▁president ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁enough ▁votes ▁in ▁the ▁Senate ▁to ▁conv ict ▁him , ▁and ▁that ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 5 ▁Sen ators ▁were ▁willing ▁to ▁vote ▁for ▁acqu itt al . ▁ ▁Real izing ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁no ▁chance ▁of ▁stay ing ▁in ▁office ▁and ▁that ▁public ▁opinion ▁was ▁not ▁in ▁his ▁favor , ▁N ixon ▁decided ▁to ▁res ign . ▁In ▁a ▁nation ally ▁tele vised ▁address ▁from ▁the ▁O val ▁Office ▁on ▁the ▁evening ▁of ▁August ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9