Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-04-26
THE GREAT TRIAL.
How Senators are Expected 20 Vote
How MOrgan's Mind as Made Up.

hOh DthhNgES dAE h-ABGGtNh
How MOrgan's Mind as Made Up.
Correspondence of the Cincinnati Commercial.
WASHINGTON, April 81 1861 see
quite as little reason now, as at any time
since the commencement of the trial, TO
doubt that the Presidents conviction is
fact already determined. There has been
much talk of judicial oaths," and people
have been constantly reminded that the
President was certain to have fair trial,
according to the law and the testimony.
How comes it, then, that upon all questions
of law and testimony such men az Morgan,
Cattell, Comes and Chandler, who never
read a law book in their lives, are found
overrulng the Chief Justice while, in
nine cases out of ten, all the best lawyers
of the Senate, Trumbull, Reverdy John
son, Frellinghysen, and such men, have
sustained his decisions?
Ii ia highly amusing to listen to the
different speculations one hears as to the
probable verdict of the Senate You meet
one man who tells you he has positive in
formation which admits Of no shadow Of
doubt, that at least ten Republican Sena-
tors will vote for acquittal. He puts his
finger to his mouth in an ominous sort of
way, as much as to say that he does not tell
his source of information, bat that it is
unquestionsbe You ask him TO name
few of the ten, and he commences with
Anthony, OF Rhode Island, then Fessendsn,
then Frelinghuysen, then Grimes
snd 20 on until he makes up the whole
number. Yon go away convinced that the
President il all right Half an hour after
you meet another well informed person,
who, in response to your question, answers
you that not three Republican Senators at
most will vote for acquittal. You express
a little establishment, and say that yOu have
luat heard, on most reliable authority, that
ten Of them are committed against cOnvic-
ton, and you proceed TO name them. The
chances are ten to one you are stopped at
the threshold of your list. Anthony
Why, bless your soul, he is as certain as
Chandler" and so on, until, in the end,
you are thrown on the resources of your
own judgment, to make what predictions
you choose. | met man yesterday who
felt assured to a certainty that Fessenden
would vote for acquittal; he had Just seen
him and talked with him, and without get
ting any positive word on the subject, he
inferred from single remark what Fessen-
denis vote would be. That remark was in
these words: 81 expect to be the most I'M
popular man in the State Of Maine when
this thing is over My friend interpreted
this to mean that the Senator'S vote
would be against conviGtion. But an
hour afterward | met an equally rell-
able gentleman, who knew Fessendeu
equally we'll, and was willing to wager
ten dollars TO a cent that lac would
vote for conviction. SO upon the probable
verdict of this particular Judge and Juror,
] leave the readers of the Commercial in
that condition of uncertainty which con
dicting information leaves me. So of Mr..
Anthony He has been voting all along to
sustain the Chief Justice and to admit all
the testimony that was offered hut friend
Of Mr. Wade, who pretends 10 accurate
knowledge a. to the final vote, says he il
lust az certain to vote for conviction az
Chandler il. 1t will require thirty-siK votes
10 convict, or nineteen 20 scquit. If seven
Republicans vote with the twelve Con-
servatiyes, sequittal will be The result.
Those who predict acguittal rely upon
Messrs. Anthony, Fowler, Grimes, Fessen-
den, Ross Trumbull and Van Wrinkle to
accomplish it. Sprague Is reported to have
said in conversation recently, enough 10
20 show that he was for conviction. His
term of Office expires with this Congress,
and he Is a candidate for reelection. His
party in Rhode Island are for conviction,
and he will hardly care to yindicate the
President at the risk Of his own success. If
his election were four years of, instead OF
one, he might be set down az certain 10 vote
for acquittal
Here is another illustration of the
eminently Judicial character of the trial.
1t ought to be preserved "a one Of the Incl
dents to he woven into history hereafter.
When the Impeachment articles were first
presented TO The Senate, Mr.. Morgan, of
New York, betrayed much uueasiness. re-
sulting from a doubtful state of mind az to
what he ought to DO in the premises. Most
Of his life having been spent IN passing
Judgment upon mackeral and mols-ses, hs
had given very litlle time 60 the study of
those great Judicial questions involved al
sn impeachment. lie l. candidate for
reelection, and is DESTROYS, above all
things, 10 please his constituents Of the Re-
publican party so "a 10 secure their good
will aud support. How to know Just y hat
the views OF his constituents we're, vas the
great question with him. He considered
the subject awhile, aud, finally, hit upon
the novel sxpedient Of hiring sn intelligent
Young man 10 travel over the State Of New
York, from one end 10 The other, visit the
leaders OF the Republican party 10 all the
principal towns ascertain their views on
impeachment and communicate the same
10 him. The accommodating tour coat good
deaf Of money, which Morgan ehserhllly
paid, and lasted about two weeks. 1t re-
suited in report decidedly in favor Of i'm
peachment, end those who are curious as