The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-29
1mpesohmsna OF the President.

Impen chment OF the President.
from he ". y WorId
Although majority of the Judiciary Com
mittee has reported in favor Of impeachment
We cannot easily bring ourselves TO discuss
the subject with much pains. But we sap
pose we shall be compelled TO say something
on IL, since It is the duty of journalists to
handle not what is most important, but what
most occupies public attention. Until it is
disposed Of by Congress in some way, the
impeachment will be leading topic, as the
trial Of Jefferson Davis is every few monthsi
but we suppose Mr.. Johnson is in as little
danger of losing his Office by impeachment as
Mr.. Davisis of losing his life by trial. We
do not mean to say that each is equally farce
in the intention of those engaged in it, for the
prosecutors of Mr.. Davis are not in earnest,
and the impeachers OF Mr. Johnson are but
in the final result one viii amount TO just as
little as the other. ri e-
The points of law will be more appropriately
discussed as they shall hereafter emerge; we
will not at present give our attention to the
order of proceedings. Our opinion rests upon
the precedent furnished by the most impor-
tant and the most fully reported case of i'm
peachment ever tried in this country-that of
Judge Samuel Chase of the United States
and acquitted, in 1905. The report of this
celebrated case occupies two octave volumes
of some 400 pages each, and is a magazine
both of forms. and Of arguments on the law Of
impeachment. case in which men like
John Randolph were managers for the House,
and men like Luther Martin were employed
by the defense and men like John Marshall
examined as witnesses, and a Senate presided
over by Aaron Burr was the court, was Of
course very ably and thoroughly tried. With
out any display of the dry husks of history,
we will use this case merely as silent guide
to our judgment in stating what forms must
be gone through with before the trial of Presi-
dent Johnson can begin--if the proceedings
should ever advance to that stage. ~ r..
If the resolution reported by the Judiciary
| Committee should pass, the House will then
appoint committee charged with the duty Of
going to the Senate, and at the bar thereof
| impeaching the President in the name of the
| House, and acquainting that body that the
| House will in due time exhibit particular arti-
ces of impeachment against him, and make
| them good. Another committee will be ap-
| pointed by the House to draw up and report
the articles. These articles, with or without
| debate, as the House shall see it will be voted
on one by one and such of them as are adopted
| will constitute the indictment on which the
| President will be tried. The House will then
by ballot choose the managers of the inn
These preliminary proceedings can hardly be
gone through with before February; but
| up to that time, the defense can make
no preparations; for the President will
| receive his first official notification Of the i'm
peaohment from the Senate after the articles
are submitted, and he can prepare no defense
against them until he knows what they are.
In a matter Of such gravity he will not be ex-
pected to make an impromptu answer. From
one to two months will be allowed him by the
Senate to engage and consult with counsel
and prepare his defense This carries us for
ward into March or April before the trial can
begin. Some idea of the length of time it
would occupy can be formed from the fact
that the Judiciary Committee has spent many
months in examining witnesses; that these
| witnesses will have to be reexamined before
the Court by the prosecution, and cross
| examined to quite as great length by the de-
| fense; that the defense will probably produce
| quite as many witnesses, who in turn will be
cross-examined by the prosecutions; TO say
nothing of the summing up of the managers
| for the House and the counsel for the defense
| The country will be far advanced in the Pre-
sdential canvass before such trial could be
brought to a conclusion.
Now we submit that the great length of the
proceedings is itself a sufficient reason why
| the subject should drop. The country will
| not with any patience tolerate such an obstruc-
ton TO the important ana necessary leglslatloh
| it demands of this Congress. BY the time an
Impeachment trial could be concluded, Mr..
johnson will be within few months of the
end of his term; and the chances are ten to
one that, after all the excitement and hubbub,
| and the obstruction to all useful legislation,
he would not be convicted. And even II he
could, what end is to be gained important
| enough to Justify such sacrifice Of the public
| interests and tranquility 1t is monstrous
and misohievous farce yet it may accomplish
some good in facilitating the overthrow Of the
| doomed Republican party.