Tuesday, October 15, 2019

the last book I ever read (The Impeachers: The Trial of Andrew Johnson and the Dream of a Just Nation by Brenda Wineapple, excerpt ten)

from The Impeachers: The Trial of Andrew Johnson and the Dream of a Just Nation by Brenda Wineapple:

The galleries, bored much of the time, snapped to attention. Evarts quoted from the Honorable Charles Sumner’s diatribe against the President, whom Sumner had labeled “an enemy of the people.” He noted that Ben Butler had once accused John Bingham of spilling the blood of Mary Surratt—and that Bingham had called his newfound friend Ben Butler “a man who lives in a bottle, and is fed with a spoon.” (Laughter.) Evarts said he didn’t know what Bingham meant (more laughter), but he did know that name-calling was standard practice in the House. And do not forget, Evarts calmly observed, that these gentlemen, Benjamin Butler and John Bingham, had indulged in such behavior during a discussion of “charity.” (Laughter again.) “Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.” (Even more laughter.)

Bingham forced a smile. Butler, head in hand, sat poker-faced.



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