Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-02-25
ExCITING DAY I'M WASHINGTON
Graphic Account of the Scene in the
House of Representatives DHriae
the Debate On the ImpeRehment

House of Representatives DHriak
the Debate On the HmpeRehmeut
Resolution.
The Louisville Journals Washington
dispatch gives the following graphic ac-
count of the scenes and incidents in the
national capital Saturday;
3 WAsHIxaToN, Feb. Washington
has passed through day Of exciting and
moneniOus interest. Even the papers have
agreed that nothing like it has heen wit
messed since Lees surrender The fact
that the city is oyercrowded with strangers,
many Of whom are prominent public men
and politicians, in attendance on the ses-
sion of the National Democratic Executive
Committee, and added to this the fact that
to-day was observed by the departments
as a holiday, threw an immense popula-
ton into the capital. The hotels and the
streets were filled as rapidly as the excit-
ing events followed each other. ElHr
The bold course of the President yesier-
day, and the action Of the Senate last night,
together with the dissemination of Mr..
Stanton not 70 yield the War Office to Gen.
Thomas, connected with rumors that troops
were being called out, sharpened the pub.
lie appetite TO the keenest degree. First in
order Of fact came the arrest by the civil
court of Gen. Thomas, under the section Of
the civil tenure act, charged on the oath Of
Mr.. Stanton that he (Thomas) has violated
the law by accepting the office of Secretary
Of War dd Interim.
No sooner had this been disposed of at
one end of the town when news came from
u EI.ll III =.
newspaper extras and through the crowds
at the hotels, on the streets, and about the
| departments, that the Reconstruction Com
| nlittee had assembled at IL o'clock at the
residence Of Thad. Stevens, and had, after
an hours discussion, agreed, by party
vote, to report a resolution for the impeach-
ment of the President for a violation Of
| the civil tenure act. In the meantime the
scene in the House of Representatives was
exciting. Dense masses of people thronged
the galleries and blocked the corridors sur
rounding the hall. The members were
generally in their seats.
On the floor and within the bars Of the
| adjoining cloak-room hundreds of persons
not even privileged to the floor were stand
| ing or sitting. The ladies were present in
| force. and were admitted to the Reporters
| Gallery, with a full display Of the fashions
Finally the Speaker, in order to accommo-
| date the press issued an order refusing to
admit any more. But it was too late, for
| many Of the reporters were unable to get
I in or out Of the gallery. The Diplomatic
Gallery was fully occupied with ladies of
the families of the diplomatic corps and the
ladies Of members of Congress.
Il 4b,t l.,
cluded was the negroes. They have, by a
common consent, obtained possession of
seats 10 the north gallery of the House, but
The Anglo-Saxons stole a march upon them
this morning, and occupied their seats,
pushing them off upon the steps The
| consequence was, that there was but a
small sprinkling of black faces among
the hosts that looked down from the gal
| leries upon the Legislators below. The
| proceedings Ia the House were commenced
| with the offer of a resolution by Mr.. Ed
ridge to have Washington'5 Farewell Ad-
| dress read, and that the House then adj
| iourn. This was objected to on the Repub-
lican side, and, in retaliation, everything
| offered by the Republicans, out of the
regular order, was objected to, and the
House was compelled to attend TO its regu-
| lar business, which was the consideration
| of an insignificant patent case.
After while an arrangement was made
whereby Mr.. Eldridge secured the floor,
| and he submitted motion to adjourn, and
this was followed by motion to adjourn
until Tuesday next. Upon both questions
| the yeas and nays were demanded, the in
| dications being that the Democrats were
| about to commence a flibustering process
for delay. They contented themselves,
however, with the vote upon the motion for
adionrning. Meanwhile the Senate had
| adjourned, and members of that body came
| over to the House and occupied seats be
| side their State delegations, and proceeded
to discuss the exciting action Of the past
forty-eight hours. ...
Everybody was waiting for the impeach-
ment report, and the delay was unex-
planned except to newspaper men, who as-
| certained that Thad. Stevens was too much
exhausted by the session of the committee
TO come at once into the House, but about
two o'clock P. NJ. the eyes of the dense
| auditory were upon him as he feebly
| walked mp one of the aisles, balancing
| himself by tie desks a. he went to his seat.
| The speaker knew what was coming, aud
/ in an imperative tone warned the galleries
and then the floor not to indulge in any
demonstration of applause or censure
This had good effect on a crowd that was
evidently wrought to a high degree of ex-
element, ~
As Mr.. Stevens rose, the Speakers ham
| mer fell commanding order, and restoring
such a silence that the first words of the
] inlirm voice of the Chairman of the Recon
/ struction Committee could be heard de
claring, in his official capacity, for the first
time, for the impeachment Of Andrew
johnson for high crimes and misdemean
ors. Col. Mcpherson, Clerk of the House
| took the place of the usual reading clerk
! and read the report. When he concluded
with the resolution for impeachment, tht
crowds in the galleries were evidently an
easy for some demonstration, but Mr.. Ste
yens at once arose and was again heard
| throughout the Hall.
He said it was not his purpose to discus.
| the question, and, if no one on the Demo
cratic side desired to discuss it, he would
move to take the vote with the knowledge
| they now had of the act of the President
| in removing Mr.. Stanton from Office, while
| the Senate was in session. He had no de
| sire to discuss the mstter, and would give
the other side an opportunity for discussing
tiff they desired it. The Republican mem
bers appeared to be ready TO take the vote
Mr.. Brooks, of New York, however, aros'
on behalf of the minority committee, Mr.
Beck and himself and addressed the HOUSE
in an earnest speech, defending the Presi
dent and warning the House Of the horrible
consequences that, in his opinion, must re
suit from this proceeding
At one or two points in his speech there
was suppressed applause.
Judge Spalding and Mr.. Bingham, OF
Ohio, followed in support Of Impeachment.
If there had been any doubt OF the result
| of a vote there was none now, for both
of these gentlemen had heretofore opposed
it, and were accepted as representative o
that portion of the Republican members
which had acted with the opponents of tha
measure. Their speeches seemed 10 inten
sify the excitement in and out of the House
for men Of all parties agreed that the Re
pnblicans were about a unit in favor o
going 10 the bar of the Senate and demand
ing the trial Of the President for higt
| crimes and misdemeanoEs.
The debate ran on after Mr.. Bingham
1 IA cn;sba1 snaatino and the crowds con.