The Van Buren press., 1868-06-05
Mr., Evarts and some Passages from his
Speech

speech, are those IN which with severe
but quiet and parliamentary iuvective, he
shows the whole character of the impeach.
ment, and covers with confusion the man
ayers on the part of the House These
ut the same time have all the force and
point Of argument They are nterspers
ed amidst his clear and concise reason
ing
II is well known that the first ten ar.
ticles Of accusation were prepared under
the direction Of Mr. Butler, while the
eleventh, owes its origin to Mr.. Thsd.
deus Stevens.
Mr.. Evarts, in allu1ng to this fact,
thus brings Messrs. Butler and Stevens
and their incou ,istcncies in bold relief
mid the laughter of the Senate and the
audience. lie said
Il understand the honorable Manager
Mr. Butler) to say that if there is not
anything in the first ten articles you need
not trouble yourself to think Of the elev-
enth and Mr. Manager Stevens thinks if
there is nothing in the eleventh article,
you need not bother yourselves for look
ing to anything in the iirst ten, laughter
for he says a county court lawyer could
get rid of them. Here is what Mr.. Ste
vens says in the House
." | wish it particularly noticed that
intend to offer this rs All amendment
wish gentlemen to examine and see that
this charge is nowhere contained in any
OF the articles reported, and that unless
it is inserted there can he no trial and
that if there be shrcwd lawyers, as know
there will be, and caviling judges { he did
not state any certainty of that, and with
out this article, they do not acquit him,
| they are greener than was in any case
ever undertook before Il court Of quarter.
/ ly sessions" B."
So, too, Mr.. Bingham had assaied the
. President, as also had Mr. Butler, for
what they called "his impropriety Of
/ speech while on his tour through the
/ North and West Mr. Evarts hold up to
public view in the light oftheir own cause.
these accusers Of the Executive His
satire is keen and effective
I We have (he remarked report in the
House of Representatives Of Il very brief
debate between two Of 'hn 49,. Aia.;->
gWsncu members of that body, who can,
as well as any others, for the purpose of
his trial, furnish standard of what is
called by the honorable Manager, "pro-
priety of speech.
Mr.. Bingham says " desire to say,
Mr. Chairman, that it does not become n
gentleman who recorded his vote fifty
times for Jefferson Davis, the arch traitor
IN this rebellion, roars of laughter as
his candidate for the Presidency of the
United States, to undertake to damage
this cause by attempting to fasten the
imputation either on my integrity or my
honor. repcl with scorn and contempt
any utterances Of that sort from any man,
whether he be the hero of Fort Fisher
not taken, or Fort Fisher taken"
/ Mr.. Butler, after some remarks, said :
But if, during the war, the gentleman
/ from Ohio did as much as did in that
direction, ! shall be glad to recognize
that much But the only victim of the
gentleman's prowess that | know Of was
an innocent woman hung upon the scaf-
fold-one Mrs. Surratt; and ] can sus-
tain the memory of Fort Fisher if he and
his present associates can sustain him in
shedding the blood OF woman who was
tried by a military commission, and con
victed without sufficient evidence, in my
judgement"
Mr. Bingham, with spirit replied 81
challenge the gentleman--I dare him,
here or anywhere, in this tribunal, or in
any tribunal, to assert that spoiated or
mutilated any book. But such charge
without one title Of evidence, is only fit
to come from man who lives in a bottle
and is fed with a spoon. What that re
J icrs to / do not know
Mr. Evarts, continuing, said. " This
all comes within the common law Of cour-
tcsy, in the judgment Of the House of
Representatives. We have attempted to
show that in the Presidents addresses to
the people there was something Of irrita
ton, something in the subject something
in the manner Of the crowd which excus
ed and explained, if it did not Justify, the
style of his speeches and you might sup
pose that this interchange ofdebate which
/ have just read, grew out of some sub
jcct which was irritating, which was IN
itself savage and ferocious But wha,
do you think was the subject that thos,
honorable gentlemen were debating up
on; Why, it was charity.
a Scnator--What? ....
Mr.. Evarts--Charity a question o
charity to the South That was the whole
staple Of the debate charity which suf
rcrcth all things, and is kind Laugh
ter Charity envieth not, Chart,
yanntcth not itself; is not pulled up
doth not behave itself nnsccmly seekett
not her own, is not easily provoked
thinkcth no evil rejoiceth not in iniquity
but rcjoiceth in the truth beareth all
things, hclieveth all things, hopeth all
things ondureth all things Charity never
fails ....' ...
- II