Benjamnin F. Butler, Butler's Book: Autobiography and Personal Reminiscences of Major-General Benjamin Butler

“ [928] Senate. There are less than three days in which to prepare it. Who is anxious for that place?” There were not many candidates for that labor and I said: “Very well; I suppose as usual the opening of the case will fall upon the youngest counsel, and that is myself.” The members of the board unanimously said: “Will you undertake it?” “Yes, if the board desires it, and no one else will take it, I will.” It was agreed upon that I should prepare the case and make the opening argument, and I thought that it would not be of much consequence after that was done who did the rest. And thus I became the leading figure of the impeachment, for better or worse.

The three days devoted to the preparation of this case were three of the hardest labor of my life. Of those three days I used only nine hours to sleep, and I was working under many disadvantages. But I had a corps of faithful stenographers around me, and, fortunately, the Hon. William Lawrence, of Ohio, a man of a good deal of learning and industry, assisted me in getting together all the legal authorities bearing upon the subject. I was so sure when I came away from home that there would be an impeachment during that session that I took to Washington with me my copy of the English state trials so as to have them handy, and they were of great service to me.

No member of the board of managers called upon me to offer any aid, although Governor Boutwell did call in towards the night of the third day to inquire how I was getting along in the work, and whether it would be necessary to move the Senate for a postponement. “By no means,” said I, “you will remember that we promised the Senate we would be ready without any delay, when we were discussing the fixing of the time for the trial.”

Another great difficulty was the crowd of newspaper men who were trying to get at me and at my speech which was to be printed at the government printing-office before its delivery. Hundreds of dollars were offered to get a copy of it. But with the aid of my private secretary we devised means by which it could be kept away from everybody except those who worked on it and put it together. It was put in type in disconnected parts, no one part being complete in itself or having anything to do apparently with the others, there being no connection between them. But the key to the connection was held by us, so that at last when the proofs were completed they