As Trump itches to fire Jeff Sessions, a cautionary tale of the 17th president

would be dubbed the New Orleans massacre — Johnson put the blame squarely on the victims, although some 37 died and more than a 100 were wounded. “Every drop of blood that was shed,” he announced, “is upon their skirts, and they are responsible for it.”

Although adhering to the letter of congressional laws, Johnson worked against them in spirit, appointing military officers, for instance, with views particularly lenient on ex-Confederates. Radicals struck back by setting up Johnson. In March 1867, Congress passed over Johnson’s veto the Tenure of Office Act preventing the president from removing any executive officer appointed with the advice and consent of the Senate. Because Congress took long breaks between sessions in these years, Johnson removed Stanton, who opposed Johnson’s soft Reconstruction policies, in August 1867 when Capitol Hill was quiet.

Gen. Ulysses Grant, who was Johnson’s choice to replace Stanton, took issue with the president but to no avail and reluctantly took over the post. For Stanton had played a significant role in the 1864 presidential election to protect voters, even taking troops from the battle lines to protect polls and to cast their own ballots for GOP nominees.

When Congress returned in January 1868, it swiftly voted thumbs down on Stanton’s removal, reinstating Stanton. Johnson conceded, Grant stepped down and Stanton returned to office. But the bitter defeat overwhelmed the president, and his anger erupted a month later on Feb. 21 when he suspended Stanton and named another candidate — Grant — to the post. Stanton refused to leave, and Congress moved swiftly to impeach Johnson even though the Tenure of Office Act was clearly unconstitutional, as illustrated by legal opinions at the time and subsequently in a 1926 Supreme Court case. And, of course, Stanton had been appointed by Lincoln, not Johnson.

After impeachment in the House and a swift trial in the Senate that failed by a single vote, Stanton left office for good. As for Johnson, he was rebuffed by his successor to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, General Grant, who refused in March 1869 to ride with him to his inauguration. And Johnson, in return, stayed in the White House during the transfer of power. Earlier, Johnson had attempted to gain the nod for president from the Democratic National Convention in July 1868, with backing from Southern whites.

He sweetened his bid by pardons just before the election to any ex-Confederate that hadn’t been indicted. But after 22 ballots, Johnson lost to former New York Gov. Horatio Seymour. But he was tenacious in his political pursuits and was elected to the Senate in 1875, after a record 56 ballots in the Tennessee Legislature. He served four months until his death at age 66.