The Portland daily press., 1868-02-25
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
TUESDAY, Morning, February 25, 1893.


A sensational dispatch to New York pa-
per, Sunday morning, spoke of civil war as al
most inevitable, of $4,000 volunteers from
Maryland and Pennsylvania to support the
President, and Of " the frightful tendency of
events" TO one party to the great disturb
ance at Washington, the tendency of events
is indeed =" frishtful," for 1t is sure to bring
the political career, begun as alderman of an
obscure village, to final close, and is tolera-
oly certain to finish 1t by subjecting the Pres
ident to punishment for crime. The measure
OF that punishment is to be determined by
the conduct which Mr.. johnson shall see fit
to pursue from this time forward Five years
imprisonment or ten thousand dollars fine, or
both the fine and Imprisonment, are the pen
alties incurred by the violation of the Tenure
OF Office act, but death Is the penalty of trea-
son. The fine and imprisonment are already
earned; If Mr. johnson has mind to try his
hand at coup qetat and to resist the law
by force, the question whether treason is a
crime to be punished and to be made "odious"
will be settled. The gallows stands at the
end OF the path which President johnson
has begun to tread, and the only thing that
will prevent his following 1t will be the pru-
dence OF his advisers.
The only penalty inflicted by the Senate
sitting as high court of impeachment, is
removal from Office and adjudging the guilty
party thenceforward ineligible to any official
position. Impeachment having been deter
mined upon, it becomes interesting to inquire
what the course of proceeding will be, and
how long It will take to remove johnson and
put Benjamin Wade in his place. Ten days
is frequently spoken of as ample time for
bringing the proceedings to close. 1t may
be that by economizing time to the utmost,
ten days may be long enough to put new
man in the White House. But it will take
ten very busy days. u.
The first step to be taken after the passage
of an impeachment resolution by the House
Is the appointment of committee to i'm
peach the party at the bar OF the Senate, and
to state that articles will be exhibited in due
time. Regular articles of impeachment must
then be prepared BY committee, reported to
the House and then presented to the Senate,
after which committee is appointed to con-
duct the impeachment, and process is issued
by the Senate, summoning the party to ap-
pear on certain day. This process is served
by the Sergeant alarms. a
On the return day of the process, the SEN
ators are sworn, and If the President is on
trial, the Chief Justice presides over the Sem
are sitting as court of impeachment. II the
accused does not appear his default is record
ed and the trial proceeds er parte. He may
appear either in person or by counsel and is
entitled to reasonable time in which to an
swer the articles of impeachment. Great lat
itude is given him in making this answer.
He may deny the whole charge OF particular
parts; he may plead not guilty or plead spec
ial matters in justification or excuse. After
the answer is given in, the next thing in order
is the replication to the answer, to be submit
ted in writing by the House of Representa-
tives. H
After the pleadings are complete a day is
fixed for trial. On that day the Representa-
tives appear at the bar of the Senate either
In body or by the managers selected for
that purpose. The managers then open the
proceedings with an explanatory speech, after
which the trial proceeds substantially as in
common judicial trials. After the evidence is
complete, If any debate arises it is conducted
In secret, but day Is fixed fer a final public
decision by 7eas and nays. When the court
is assembled for that purpose, the presiding
officer addresses each member separate
ly by name in the following manner: Mr..
-, how say you, is the respondent guilty or
not guilty Of a high crime and misdemeanor.
as charged in the -th article of Impeachment? ?
The member addressed rises in his place to
respond. If two thirds of the Senators
present decide that the accused is guilty, the
Senate proceeds to fix and declare the proper
punishment.
The course of proceedings above described
Is according to the American precedents. 1t
may at any time be changed by legislation,
and Senator Edmunds of Vermont has a blu
already before Congress providing, among
other things, for the suspension of the person
on trial from the exercise of his official
powers. t