Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-05-06
Union aud dispatch.
WEDNESDAY. MAY g. Isos.
Largest Circulation in City and State.
WAITING FOR THE VRRDICT.
CanVassing the Senate-IIOpcs and
Fenrs of fhe RadfeaIs


Agate" the well.known Washington
correspondent Of the Cincinnati Gazette,
as TO how the doubtful Senators will pro-
bable vote on the articles Of impeachment.
1t will be observed that he treated the mat
ter, not as 4 purely legal question, to be
| decided according TO the law and the testi-
mony, but as political, and to be decided
by the rules that govern party caucus
that is, SO as best TO promote the interests
Of the party and he confidently relied
upon a sufficient number of the doubtful
Senators to be thus influenced to vote so as
to secure the conviction and removal of the
President. Mr.. HaIstead, the senior edi-
tor of the Cincinnati Commercial, whose
loyalty" to the Radical party cannot be
questioned, has been in Washington for
some time watching the progress of the
trial, and he embodies in a letter to his pa
per, dated the Both Of April, his concIu-
sions as the result Of observation and in
quiry. He says:
THE trial by the Senate Of the impeached
President, ia proceeding that should be
strictly judicial 1t should not be inhu-
enced by ihe clamOr of Office seekers, or
by the public sentiment concerning the
President, or by party considerations. The
Senators have been specially sworn to do
justice in this case. They cannot, as hon
orable men, heed public opinion or parti-
san passion. They must decide according
10 the law and the testimony.
We are all agreed that Andrew johnson
is a disagseeable person, whose removal
from office, in itself considered, would be
good thing. But he is not being tried be-
fore caucus for partisan disloyalty, or for
being indiscreet and improper. The ques-
ton ID not whether he is a nuisance.
1t Is OF little Importance to the country
whether Andrew johnson, of whose term
ten months remain, is deposed 1t is of
importance that the First Magistrate should
have justice.
! assume ii is still admissible to suppose
that Andrew johnson may not be guilty. of
I" treason, bribery or other high crimes and
misdemeanors demanding his removal
from office. Up to the 22d Of February.
the majority of the House was not for i'm
parchment. Even Mr.. Eggleston voted
against impeachment long after the swing
ing-on-the circle speeches were made, and
after the opposition of the President to the
reconstruction policy of Congress was fla.
grant
We have TO fall back upon the removal
Of Stanton, the ad interim appointment Of
Thomas, and the talk with Emory. The
Impeachment then, is based upon the letter
of authority handed to Lorenzo Thomas 70
serve in the War Department, and upon
the talk with Emory. Well, Thomas did
not commit violence. The President did
not ask Emory to break law.
Ii then becomes legal question whether
the President was guilty in attempting TO
remove Stanton of violating a law of Con-
gress with such evil intent that his re-
moval from Office by the constitutional pro-
cess ia demanded. In this legal question
~ embraced the construction of the tenure
OF office act, a. TO its application TO Stan
ton.
A considerable number of Republican
Senators are lawyers of distinction. Most
prominent of this class are Trumbull and
Fessenden. We may name in the same
connection Sherman, Morton, Frelinghuy-
sen and Grimes.
Suppose these men believe, as lawyers
and Senators specially. sworn to do Justice,
that the President is not technically guilty
Of the crimes with which he is charged,
and that, therefore, he must be acquitted !;
are they to be denounced as recreants and
scoundrels, COpperheads and traitors, be-
cause they have been governed by the
solemn obligations Of their oaths, and by
their Intelligence rs men learned i'm the
law?
hope not. And yet Judge Chase has
been, and is denounced as a Copperhead,
because it is known that he believes the
whole impeachment business is a wretched
and perilous blunder. The first liberal
ruling that he made as to the admission
Of evidence, drew from one Of our Congress
men an cutlery There's Chase gone over
to the Copperheads," and the poor fellow
was 80 stricken with grief, that he almost
"boo-hOOed right out" Can the Republican
party afford TO countenance such foolish
intolerance as this? Are all persons who
do not regard judicial proceeding accord,
ing 10 caucls dictation, 10 be discarded and
kicked ont and cursed az traitors?
That there are Senators who are trying
the case without caring for Thad. Stevens
warning shake of the finger, or Forneys
frantic denunciations, or the prospective
patronage OF Mr.. Wade, | shall continue
to believe
have this day been particularly con-
sulting members of the House "a TO the
verdict Of the Senate. Mr.. Eggleson, who
IL, | believe, entitled TO distinction as
the most intense of the impeachers, tells
me that there certainly will be fortV-three
votes for conviction on the Stanton articles,
and that, of course, whatever may be the
vote on the other articles, that is sufficient.
General Cary, who ia perhaps the most So
hcitous opponent of impeachment. insisted,
with confidence as great IA that of Mr..
| Eggleston, chat it was absolutely certain
there would be ttEeHty-tlres votes for &C.
| qnittal on the most material articles, and
| that he should not be surprised if majority
of Senators would be found against the
conviction and removal Of the President.
| There are Wtg-tolg Senators, and a two
| thirds vote cOnviCts.
A member of the House whom / believe
to be better informed and Of cooler iudg-
ment than Mr.. Eggleston or General Cary,
says there is no doubt the President will be
| found guilty on the Stanton articles by the
| requisite two-thirds and a vote or two to
spare. This Is my own impression.
The decision of the matter is practically
In the hands of Fessenden and Trumbull
who are not laxative. There is not the
slightest reason 10 believe that the tedious
| argument TO which Senators have listened
| and are to listen has had the remotest in
iuence upon the result The old lawyers
who will determine the case are not Of the
kind to be Influenced by speech-making.
The Senate has several questions of i'm
portancc &c decide before pronoUncing the
fate Of Andrew johnson, and if it gets
| through within a week after the conclusion
OF the argument, il must mend its pace.
Ia the meantime, | think il reasonable
that the whole Republican party should not
follow those who seek office under Mr.
| Wade and commit themselves eagerly and
| irreyoCably 20 the issue Of Impeachment,
for IL may be that tcssenden, Trumbull,
| Frelinghuysen, Grimes, Sherman, Morton,
Upton, Spngue, Ross, Wiley, Henderson,
| Fowler, Van Wrinkle and Anthony alt Of
| whom have been freely mentioned as
doubtful, will differ with those interested
in an immediate change in the head OF the
administration as 70 a legal question IN a
| judicial proceeding; and must insist that il
/ - moi entirely Bacnrous and prudPDt IN