New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-02-25


DRns STEVENS, BENJAMIN F. BUTLER, AND
GEORGE s. BOUTWELL-THE FEELING OF
TIE PEOPLE.
NJ rKseEAPH TO
WASHINGTON, Monday, Feb. a, 1858
The current of feeling in favor of the impeachment
and removal of Andrew johnson from the high Office
which he uses solely to thwart the viii Of the people
and to distract the country rolled in moment to
hieh flood on Friday, with rush like the tide IN the
Bay of Fundy. sweeping away doubts, timdity ana
resistance and carrying the Radical majority IN a
soldd body to the conviction that the immediate ex
ercise of the constitutional right to change the Presi-
dency by the Judicial act of Congress essential
to te salvation of the nation. This feeling received
confirmation and force and heat on Saturday Inc
solemn passion of the House was enveloped with
popular passion as earnest and solemn Never was
there such pressure upon the galleries for sitting
and standing room; never such clamorous invasion
Of reserved space Ladies were introduced, in viola
ton Of rule upon the floor Of the House. The cor
ridOrs were filled by eager and unsatiated crowds
who for hours wandered in the neghborhOOd of
debate which they could not hear, but from which
they could not withdraw. Thousands must have
t the Capitol after VAIN efforts TO get within hear
ing. in which they persisted IN crushing, surgng
struggle destructive to clothing and exhaustive OF
strength.
Long before the adjournment it was clear that
night session was inevitable 1t was voted for ';oV
Pnnctualy at the moment, with full House. the
debate was resumed in presence Of public audience
denser more numerous, more eager more aggressive
than that of the afternoon. FaTnsworth of Illinois
led off in conclusion of the speech which was inter
rupted by the adjournment at o'clock. The pat
riotic crowds in the gallery with difficulty restrained
their sympathy from bursting into applause when
the solder-orator said: Andrew johnson should
NJ sI,o biaf tam 10 Ona
day only, and should be sent down to pOsterity de-
graded and incapable of holding any office of trust
or profit under the Government of the United
Stafes1 Baker OF Illinois followed in a demOnstTa.
ton of the completeness of the reasons for impeach
ment the Presidents last violation of law having
supplied What heretofore appeared to many to be
wanting-definitenes In the midst Of his speech
was the significant interruption of an over
few Of the crowd in the lower
corridor of the House into the
cloak rooms and back seats of the hail. The Copper
head Phelps of Maryland then flung himself into the
impeachmerf torrent, to stem it. with speech
which hinged on the rotten sOphism that the PTesi-
dent was bound TO disregard an act of Congress if it
conRicted in his judgment, with the higher law OF
the Constitution Kelley OF Pennsylvania, orator Of
patriotism and humanity, next took the floor, and
the vast audience was hushed to silence in hungry
expectation With power and beauty he Graigned
Andrew johnson as the great criminal OF the age and
The country, as a man who for two years had been
plotting with bloody and deliberate purpose, the
overthrow Of his country. With thrilling effect he
ran historic parallel between the ever-famOus coup
q etat achieved 10y the evernfamOus Third Napoleon
through the murdeTous energy of Marshal st. Ar
maud, commanding the military in Paris, and the
purposed overthrow of our Government by our trail
torous President, through the pliancy and sympathy
4 1f Qcfqh IfehQ
War Department Beck of Kentucky then tried pa
thence and tested forbearance with speech TO show
that the Presidents clutch at the powers of the War
Once and the control of the troops was but method
chosen by the Executive to test the cOnstituonaty
Of the Tenure-of-Offee act Logan, gallant soldier
and magnetic orator. next rose and enchaned the
House and the galleries with lawyer-lke demon
vtraton Of the vital and only point involved in the
resolution, that Andrew johnson was guilty Of a
plain, palpable intentional violation of the law and
therefore was amenable TO impeachment
At the conclusion of Gen. Logan's speech, Holman
Of Indiana with characteristic naptitude and obsti-
Racy out of place. tried to substitute In lieu OF
Copperhead speech, which he was unprepared to de-
liver Washington's Farewell Address rs q logical
objection and sufficient reply to the resolution for
Impeachment. His pig-headed scufie to accomplish
this concert aided by the expiration of the half
hour won the success of permission to print the
Father of his Country in The Globe. This trifling
periOcomc incident served to point attention to the
fact that there was neither the dignity Of passion
nor the force of earnesness lin the opposition from
the Democratic side of the House to this movement
to try, convict and remove the President. The
feeling in regard to him which controlled In the
meeting Of the National Democratic Committee had
Crept up to the Capitol and had established itself on
The east side of the Representatives hall lie was
doomed man, to whom the Democracy was tied
neither by interest nor affection, and 10 espouse
whose eanse would be failure and ruin.
Ingersell of Illinois next followed in demand for
Impeachment which he said was the want the
oati0n. In support of this be sent to the clerks
desk Telegram just receivedlfrOm Gov. Oglesby de-
slaring that the people Of Indiana demand the inn
parchment of Andrew johnson, and will heartily
sustain Congress in voting IT, Niblack, having
WashiBgton's unaccepted address on his stomach,
tried to prevent the reading of the patriotic dis
match. which he probably knew contained the
assurance that millions of loyal hearts are pant
ing 10 stand by the Stars and Stripes" Tie par
Iamet,tary night was waning now, and the debate,
dropping off into a sharp brief skirmish of ques-
tions and replies between mgersoll, and Schenck,
and Trimble, was terminated by an adjournment at
n15 The vast crowd filed out Of the portals OF the
Capitol into the funeral cOrtege in which
we're no mourners but many reioicers, bearing with
impatient speed the officially dead President TO his
political grave.
Ssnday came. II was a Sunday of the war--a chr
rent Of religious life running mechanically under
superior passions and engrossing interests RumOrs
swept the city like winds The telegraph was at an
early bOnr i'm active use. and inquiries, cOngratua-
tions, adjuTations 10 stand firm, and promises of
armed aid 10 march to the support OF Congress on the