Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-11-29

| The rules were suspended and the resolution
adopted declaring that i'll the present condition of
the finances, the further purchase OF territory is
inexpedient, and the House will hold itself under
no obligation to vote money for such purchases.
| 4 bill declaring st. Louis port OF entry, wa
referred to Committee on Commerce.
| Adjourned.
The following are the Chairmen of the different
committees Elections, Dawes Ways and Means,
Schenck Appropriations, Stevens Banking and
Currency, Pomeroy; Pacific Railroad, Price ;
Claims, Bingham; Commerce, Washburne; Public
Lands, Julian Postot1ice Earnsworth Judiciary,
Wilson.
The old COMMITTEES are continued throughout.
| as follows Indian Affairs, Window; Military At
fairs, Garfield; Naval Affairs, Pike; Foreign At
fairs, Banks ; i erTit0Ties. Ashley Of Onio hOads
and Canals, Cook; Ffeedmons Affairs, Eliot;
Education and Labor, Baker Patents, Jencks !;
Prr ting, Latin; Retrenchment, FaaWyck.
Gen. Grants evidence covers three columns, but
the following tells his story
BY Mr. Woodbridge Question: understand
your position to be this, that you did not assume
| to originate or inaugurate any policy, but that
when any question came up and your opinion was
asked as to what the President was going to do
| or had done, you gave an opinion
Answer-That is it exactly, and l pre-
sumo the whole committee 90 understood me.
[ have always been attentive to my duties
and tried not to Interfere with other peoples. l
was always ready to originate matters pertaining
to the army but Aeyer was WlIIihs to originate
matters pertaining to the civil government OF the
| United states When l " asked my opinion
about what had been aone | was wiling to give
I 1t. originated TO plan and suggested no plan
!
measures after the had been originated. [
simply expressed an anxiety that something
should be done to 8 i've some sort OF control down
! there. There We're no governments there when
the over, and wanted to some gov
ernment established aud wanted to see 1t done
| quietly. did not pretend to say how it should
! be done or IN what form.
! The majority OF the impeachment committee Ill
! their report recommending impeachment, lay
great stress upon the alleged usurpation by the
President of the pardoning and veto powers also
/
and particularly refer to what Is termed hagrant
violation of the constitutional powers OF the exc
cutive, by organizing governments IN the South
ern States at the end OF the war, without asking
the advice Of Congress, they assert for person.
al purpose. l beg to refer to the paIdonlng OF a
hundred and ninety. three persons in Vest Vir-
giria deaerters from our army during the war,
which they state in behalf Of private and in
terested parties and in order that they may vote
in accordance with the Presidents opinion, their
restoration causing great depletion of the trea-
sury.
The tenor Of the Executive offences throughout
the entire report consists in alleged usurpatlOn OF
the powers above mentioned.
The majority also, that by various official
and ether declarations the President has sought
to obstruct the laws Of Congress for the pacitca-
ton Of the States with reference to the Constltu-
tional Amendment 5prOved by Congress.
This report is very lengthy, and - signed by
Messrs. Boutwell, Williams, Churchill, Thomas and
Laurence.
report was also submitted by GIessrs Wilson
and Woodbridge, dls eenting from the views Of the
majority, and asserting that there was no evidence
presented which demanded impeachment; but
they condemned his political views, and were viii.
| ling to C6lisurG hum.
! The minority report by Messrs. Marshall and
| EIdridge strongly defends the President from
abuse by his political enemies; asserts thathi on
~ faults consist i'll not holding TO the political
views OF the party which elected him, i'll subjuga-
| ting the people of the South.
The report is extremely caustc and abuses
| harshIy some OF the witnesses who testified be-
fore the committee Mr. Baker is accused Of per-
jury, and they conclude with the President will be
held III respect by his countrymen when his caum-
niators pilloried III undying scorn and indig-
nation OF the American people.
| The points made in the summing up fthe ma
iOritv report against the President not borne
out by the testimony.
First, as to the President having usurped the
powers Of Congress in organizing governments in
the Southern States it will be found i'll General
Grants testimony, that the programme which
was followed out by Mr.. Johnson, had been laid
down by Mr.. Lincoln. It also appears in General
Grants testimony, that he was present. by invita-
tion, al the Cabinet councils, in which the reor-
ganla ion of the Southern States was considered,
and that while he assented to the plan followed by
the administration, he did not offer any sugges
ton Of his own, but was q silent listener. The
only active part he took was in restraining the
Presidents order to have prominent rebels like
Gen Lee brought to condign punishment.
As to the pardon Of prominent rebels, 1t appears
that many Of the most prominent of them were
pardOned on the recommendation OF Grant, Speed,
stanton, &c. As to the Pardoning OF some hun
which the report alleges done in order that
they might vote for a Democratic member ofCon-
gress, and it appea from the evidence that they
only technically deserters, that they were not
pardoned until some weeks after the election, and
that the President merely endorsed the applica-
ton in the usual form, referring it to the Secre-
tary of War; who hims If granted 1t.
The committee enqu-red into the possession by
the President Of certain Tennessee bonds on the
suppOsition that his possession OF them might
have some connection with his release Of the
property Of Southern railroad companies, but it
| appeared that mir. Johnson had been pOssessOr
| of those bonds for the last twelve years.
In reference to the trial Of Jefferson Davis, At
torney General Speed and the counsel for the Gov
| eminent shoulder all the responsibility of not
| trying him, the avoWed cause being that Chief
Justice Chase would not preside, and that Attorney
| General Speed would not consent, under any Cir
i cumstsnces, to have the trial conducted before
Judge Underwood. There an attempt on the
| pa 1T Of Lafayette G. Baker to get up 4 story
| about al imaginary letter from johnson, as Mill
| tary Governor of Tennessee, to Jefferson DAVIS
| offering to turn the State to him, but the
committee could have had no trouble in deciding
what degree of credit was to be given to ii. The
tale fell stil-born There is no allegation against
the President of his having personally given
round Of offence Mr. Ashley, Of Ohio who pre-
scented the articles of impeachment, acknowledges
that he has produced to the committee all the
valid evidence in his possession.
| From Ricilmonti--Thc Davis Trial.
RICHMOND Va, Nov. 25-P NJ.
Dbn cd Circuit was n