The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-11-28
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. REPORT.

" hAN
Z Representatives Wilson and Wood
bridge handed in ;helr report, dissent
ing from the conclusions OF the major
ity of the committee. They say on
the third day of June, 1867, it was de-
clarcd by Il solemn vote in the com
mittoe that from the testimony before
them il did not appear that the Presi.
dent of the United States was guilty
ofsuch crimes and misdemeanors as
called for the exercise ofthe impcach-
ing power Of this House. The vote
stood, yeas 8, nays A.
On the 2lst Instant, this action ofthe
Committee was reversed, and by n
vote OF hvo to four declared ia favor Of
rcconsidering TO the House al i'm
%peuchmunt Of the President. Forty.
eight hours have not yet elapsed since
they were informed of the character
of the. report which represents this
changed attitude Of the Committee
The rcc%cntness of tins event compcls Il
general treatment OF some features Of
The case. us 1t is presented by the ma
iority, which otherwise would have
been treated moro IN detail.
The report Of the majority resolves
all prcsumptions against the President,
closes the door against all doubts, at.
firms facts as established by the tcsti-
mony, in support of which there is not
Il particle OF evidence before us which
would be received by any court in the
land. We dissent from all this and
from the temper and spirit of the re-
port tue cool and unbiased judgment
of the future, when the excitement in
the midst OF which we live shall have
passed away, will not tail to discover
that the political bitterness Of the
present time, is by 10 considerable de-
gree given to the document which we
decline to approve, dissenting as we
dc from the report Of the committee,
both rs to the law OF the case and the
conclusions drawn from the facts do
velopcd by the testimony. A due re.
gard for the body wAich imposed on
us the hIuh and tr~anscendautly Impor-
tant duty involved in on. investigation
OF the charges preferred against the
President, impresses Is TO present at
length the subject which has been
committed to us by the most solemn
vote Of the House Of Representatives
I'm approaching this duty we feel tina t
the spirit OF the partisans should be
LAID aside, and ihat the interests OF the
Republic rs they are ARE measured by
its Constitution and laws clone shall
guide MS.
Messrs. Wilson and Woodbridge
then proceeded to discuss the co:sti-
tutional question with regard to i'm
parchment, showing by reference 10 lie
gal authority that an impeachment
cannot he supported by any act which
falls short Of an indictablc crime or
misdemeanor. English prcccdcnts are
referred to at length, and copious ex.
tracts made from the testimony of the
committee in order to rctutc the reas.
oning and conclusions Of the majority
They conclude us follows A great
deal Of the matter contained in the
volume Of testimony reported TO the
House rs Of no value whatever. Much
Off is nero horesay opinions OF wit,
ncsses, and no liItlc amount of II utter
~ irrcvelant to the case. Compare,
.iyely n small amount Of It could bt
used on Il trial before the Senate. AL
0! the testimony relating TO tho fail
uro TO try, and admission II bail o
JEFF. DAVIS, the ASSASSINATION of Presi
dent Lincoln, the diary of. Wilkes
Booth, hls place Of burial, the practic,
Of pardon brokerage. and the ailcgoC
correspondence Of the President will
jeff. Davis may be interesting to tn,
, reader, but is not of the slightest i'm
: portance so far as a determination 0
= tins case is concerned still. much o
this irrelevant matter has interviewer
, INTO the majority, and has served t.
: he'ghten its color and deepen its tone
70 settle down upon the real evidence II
the case, that which will cstat ush, II
view Of the attending circumstances,
=. substantial crime, by making plain tn
clements which constitute it, and tn
i case, IN many respects, dwaris into
c political contest. In approaching
G conclusion, we do not fail 10 recognlz
the standpoints from which this cas-
> can be revIewed-tho legal and the pc
l%itical. Viewing il tron the latter, lii
case is n success.
Q TIE President has Disappointed tn
hopes and expectations Of those VIII
, placed him in power. He has hetray
ed their confidence, and joined hand
with their enemies. He has prove
$ false TO the express and implicit cond
tons which underlie his elevation I
power, and in u view Of the case dc
serves the cCusurc and condemnatIo
Of every well disposed citizen Of III
= Republic. While We acquit him
~impeachab'o crimes, we pronOunC
il him gully of many wrongs. lis COZ
-, test with Congress has delayed rccol
u structlon, and inflicted vast injury uT
&c on the people Of the rebel States, j
n has been bhud o the necessities Oft!
" times and to the demands Of a pr,
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