The Portland daily press., 1868-05-09


The PRosPECT.-"Dixon," the well KNOWN
correspondent of the Boston Adver'isei, LAS
returned to his post at Washington ai1er
few weeks absence occasoned by the death OF
his wife. His opinion of the prospect of the
Presidents conviction is stated IN letter
printed yesterday as follows:
The Democrats in the Senate will go solid
"not guilty" just as they have been solid for
the President from the opening of the trial
1t is something to our credit that there are
dozen Republicans who have so kept their own
counsel, have held the scales SO evenly, tha1
no one can say with certainty now tn l1y az
going to vote, The Senate BENG aui, 5o sne
Democrats must get seven Republican VOTES
with their own if they save the Ffesident'
don't believe they are to be had.
1t doesn't seem to me now worm WhlIe 10
canvass the character and motives OF IN
diyidual Senators who hold their Office in such
high respect that they refuse to declare their
opinions in advance. Every Senator ought
to be in that position, but everybody wei
enough knows that only few of them are
Why these few should be chosen out ior pun
lie dissection by the friends of just cause is
more than can TELL One or two of the num-
Der are without any particular lnnuenee
here or elsewhere, but the others are all among
the leading public men OF the country.
Surely they ought to be allowed the most
entire freedom OF 1uuguenb. Ii lAey NolS
against conviction they do so solely because
on their oaths as oficsrs and their consciences
as men they fail to- find the President
guilty of any high crime or misdemeanor.
And if they, in this grave emergency, cannot
see the way clear 70 carry out what is doubt
less the desire of the great body of the Re
publican party, it may be advisable for us to
pause ana consider whether our wishes have
not usurped the place of our judgments. L,
then, Mr. Fessenden, or Mr.. Grimes, or MI.
Thumb Ill, or Mr.. Sherm IN, or Mr.. Anthony at
last votes mot guilty" is it to be assumed
that he has acted from anything less than the
purest and highest motives? Do we OF New
England believe Pitt Fessenden can be
bought or sold or swerved with either love or
money or power or influence?
There is nothing more to our credit as
party than the manner in which the Senate it
whole has thus far in the trial conducted as
self The Democrats have shown most de-
termined partisanship from the beginning;
against them, as an Offset, may be put GER
tain number of Republicans. Between these
wings the Republican party has been honored
by the course of those who belong to it by the
strongest ties, yet are able to remember that
they are sitting as judges and not as party
men. l personally know that some of those
most likely to vote against impeachment
strongly hope impeachment will be sustained.
On the other hand, there are those who will
vote for conviction, and yet are by no means
certain but that it would be wiser for us as q
party to leave Mr.. johnson where he is
until next March. Let the issue made
by the House be decided ON party grounds,
and where are we? Let it be decided on
the consciences of the judges whom we,
the people, have named for the exercise of
our highest collective prerogative, and
whatever the temporary effect, the final
result cannot be disastrous to the principles
which are more than party.