Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-11-28
The Impeachment Evidence.

From advanced copies OF the Impeachment evil
dence, am enabled to make an abstract of the
evidence Of Gen. Grant, Chief Justice Chase, Ex-
Attorney General Speed, and Enforcement De-
tectiye Baker. The evidence of Gen. Grant is
very long, and is characteristic of tho Generals
shrewdness and reticence. lie testified that he
was always very anxious for rebel States to get
some sort Of civil government, and althoughhe
had been consulted in the matter by the President
and members of the Cabinet, he never gave an
opinion for the reason that the thought he had no
business to dictate in civil matters. He was IA
vorable to temporary or provisional governments
In the South, until Congress should meet and set
tie the matter. Inregafd to the amnesty proela-
nation, he told the President at the time it was
issued, that the only points he thought were inu-
| di cious were the clauses excluding Generals in
the rebel army, and those worth more then TWEEN
| ty thousand dollars General Grant was of the
opinion that the parole he had given to General
Lee and his soldiers secured them in all their
rights excepting the political rights, ard he felt
bound that their lives should be protected. This
he told the President in reply to a suggestion the
President had given of Furnishing Lee and several
OF the leaders OF the rebel army. He stated that
he recommended the pardon OF General john
ston on account of his manly address To his
troops on the surrender; that he ncHcr had any
conversation in relation to the General on uniyer-
sal amnesty; that he did not feel il was safe to
grant universal amnesty at the present; that Grn.
Lee had forwarded his application for pardon to
him, and that he had approved OF it aud sent it
to the President. lie had no conversation what
ever with Mr. johnson, except what was official
| and OF which he had kept copies. lie merely
gave his advice when asked on questions us they
came up. He had always attended to his own
business, and originated or inauguraed no mea-
sure belonging solely to the civil department of
| the Government.
Chief Justice Chase testified that he knew no
| reason why the Government should not bring ON
the trial Of Davis. That on his surrender the
| courts We're in operation in Virginia, in one of
| which an Indictment was framed against him.
lie wished To join the Judges of the Circuit
Court, but WAS prevented from so doing by tbe
fact that the Military Commission were trying
| cases there. He went to the President and tried
to get him to issue proclamation to the effect
that the military tribunals should not interfere
with the civil courts, which the President thought
was covered by his proclamation OF July, 1866
declaring the war to be ut an end MIR. johnson
appeared very willing to do all that Mr.. Chase
asked, but he never did anything. The President
has consulted him on the subject but Mr. Chase
did not think that he should have anything to
say In the matter, as to the time made or manner
OF the trial. Nothing but the existence of mill
tary tribunals in Virginia had prevented him
from going there to open court when he should
cerIainiy have tried any case brought before him
About year ago he was on the point of going
to Richmond to begin the trial OF jefferson Davis
few weeks before this Congress had passed 4
law reducing the number of judges of the Su.
preme Court, and providing for the holding o
courts in two out of the nine judicial districts.
namely, the first and second. This did not includ,
the Virginia district, and Mr.. Chase called a met
ing OF the supreme Court Judges for the pur
pose OF getting their views on the subject. The,
all, with one exception, and one Judge being ab
sent In California, were of the opinion that h,
Chase could not hold the court in Richmond
Attorney General Speed testified that the Prcsi
dent always appeared anxious to try Davis ; tina
it was discussed in Cabinet. Mr. Speed AWAY
objected to the trial of treason before Militar,
Commissions, and violently opposed the trial q
Jefferson Davis by Judge Underwood lie state
that at one time it was intended to try Davis il
Kentucky, but he objected, because then case q
constructive presence would have to be made ont
The question was involved as to trying him in In
diana, Ohio, or Pennsylvania, or III the District d
Columbia, but he (Mr. Speed) wished to try Davi
IN place where he had been actually present. |
had been suggested to try him in Tennessee, an
appoint Judge in the place of Judge Catron, Blu
he thought ii would not look well for the Pres
dent to apponiaa judge for that purpose in Nj
Johnsons own state IN which opinion the Pres
dent concurred. While he remained in the Cabi
net he was the greatest obstacle to the trial o
Davis, since Mi. chase could not or would not q
and preside ut the court "
l.. G. Baker testified to the contents of n lettc
supporting to be written by Andrew johnson t
Jefferson DAVIS in 1861 rendering some ddpice =,
tdfire 10 he rebellion dndMe disposition of trool
an Tennessee, Col Browning Of the White Holis
I and private secretary to the President said thu
the signature to the letter was not a forger,
The letter was stolen by a colored man, III iii
: instlgnation of son OF Governor Brownlow. /
relation to Mrs. Cobb and her connection wit
, White House, MIR. Baker said he ut one time ask
i ed Mrs. Cobb il she was not ashamed to be aroun
the White House. She said no, that the Pres
dent authorized and approved her presence ther,
She showed two letters from Mr.. johnson, one
McCplloch asking him to giving her plat
/ in the Treasury, and the other to the Postmastt
i General asking him TO give her position in til
G post office. She said that Johnson bad made ~
r proaches to her, and invited her to his privat
room in the Kirkwood House before lie WI
4 President. That she stopped with him once a
4 of one night, and remained there another ucc.
q sion until two o clock in the morning At anotht
occasion she got three thousand dollars for pa
i don. She afterwards gave Col. Robert ,Johnso
I a'pair of kid glover with $500 bill in each gloy