Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-04-23
FORTIETH CONGRESS,
This Afternoons Proceedings.
Impeachment.
THE ARGUMENT OF MIR. NELSON.
THURsDAr, April q.

sitting on the trial of the i'm x,ea achfnent of An
drew johnson, President OF the United States,
De ~ CLOCK each day, excepting SUNDAY.
Senator Sumner objected TO its present con-
sidei alton, aud it went over until tomorrow
under the ru les F'
MI. Manager Boutwell, then proceeded with
MS argument, closing at one o'clock and five
minutes. :
Senator johnson. at the request of the couu
sci Tor the President, asked that the usual re-
cess be taken now. and accordingly the Senate
took recess OF 15.minutes. - ..H.I a n
Ihe Court did not again come to order before
Lao p. m. -.... .r... -....,y .-.---.--..---
Mr. Nelson then rose and said be had been
engaged IN the pursuit of his profession as a
lawyer for thirty years, and had been con.
cerned in cases involving life. liberty, and
character. But of all the causes in which be
was ever concerned. none oppressed him more
with sense OF responsibility than the one in
which he was now engaged, and he humbly
invoked the indulgence and consideration of
those W HON he was addressing. He asked aid
from on high in the work before him II has
been charged that the President was trifiing
with the Senate. Charges We're made against
nlm on endear ofing to gain time, so as to secure
an unworthy proerastination. The counsel had
not In their application for time, had any
such view. The House of Representatives
had had this subject before them for
greatest time in which to prepare their
arguments, but the counsel were summoned
from their professional labor totally uupr..
pared TO enter on this case. and they had not
asked time in which TO prepare The charges
had been m ade that the President was an un.
worthy successor of those who had filled his
nigh Office that ne was ribald aud a wanton:
mat he banded jests and gives with the crowd
These charges had been made and reiterated
and until now no reply had been made TO them:
and ne proposed now. before entering on the
review of the articles of irupeachmpnt 10 an
sWer them. If the President was such a man
as had been painted, then he (Mr NJ would
say that he was indeed a monster of such fright
ful mlen as TO be hated needed but to be seen:
that whip should be placed IN the hands of
every man TO lash him naked through the
world: that his name should be used TO frighten
children with: that the memory OF his crimes
would cause every PAL tcular hair 10 stand on
end like qulls upon a fretful porcupine But
who l. Andrew johnson MANY of Won
Senators here knew him as a man at the men
tIoh OF whose name every heart would throb.
Who is Andrew Johnson, 2, Look at him when
en terlng the little town of Greenville Tenn
MI. n. here gave an account of the political
career OF the President up TO his entering on
the esidency. Now although the storms of
passion ragged around him. although the scoyyls
and threats OF his enemies We're constantly
shoWered upon him he stood firm and untarri-
he'd; not 10 defy this Senate; not 10 bring on
civll war, but 10 assist that verdict which YOU
Senators have sworn 10 render impartially and
according TO the law and evidence Who is
Andrew Johnson /! You Senators. many of
you remember HIM IN l-61, when the country
was shaken in tbe throes OF civil war; when re-
bellon sureed up around this Capitol Then
Andrew johnson stood here In this mag nificent
chamber within len feet of where l now
stand, and hurled his fiery anathemas
against those who Were trying to destroy
this Union. How he risked his life
his fortune and his sacred honor for the prs
eTNatlon OF This Mnlon. Believing as do thar
my distin guished client Is innocent of the
charges which have been made against him. I
trust IN God that the future and favor of his
Maker. which has always attended him. will
Yet attend him, and that he Will come out of
this trial pure and undefiIed. with NO mark on
his garments. and no STAN aft xed 10 him. Who
Is Andrew johnson! When. in SOL after the
disastrous rout of Bull Run. whrn this Cari-
tai was belragued. Andrew johnson got up Ip
his place here. and with a resolution III his
hand stated the objects for which this war was
undertaken. He would ask Senators now 10
place themselves in the place of Andrew
johnson, and TO look At things from his stand
point. He did not now consider that he was
addressing politicians, but that he was adj
dressing Judges-the highest Judges in the land.
de besought Senators TO sink the partizan In the
Judge 10 Judge this case Iightfully, although
II was like cutting of right arm or punching
our rleht eye. 1t was useless to deny that
the public press. which was the most mighty
power in the land, was now discussing thi.
question as II IL was fOregore con clusion and
We're now making calculations on il. He did
not look upon II IN any such light. Ii he be-
HeNed that Impeachment was foregone con.
ciuslon, humble as he was, and lofty as they
We're. be would but stoop to argue this case
before them. He believed with the old conf
dence OF the American people that when the
causes of popular feeling ran high, when the
country was in danger look to the S.nal.
look TO that body which is removed from and
II independent OF popular influence 1t was
WIN this view he would now address them on
the points at issue in this trial
Who is Andrew Johnson! An old Jackson
Jefersonian Democrat, and 50 procla med him
self TO be in that letter. He had asked Senators
10 look at Wings from the standpoint of tn.
President. They would find all through his
career that he was always strict construc.
n nd he l,A..
ences now between him and Congress. he (Mr
n asked Senators to look TO the whole mo-
ave OF his life. not 10 look upon him as base
but as honestly entertaining his own opinions
Mr.. n. here read from the RESOLUTION of Goa,
gIess passed July, 1861, declaring the purposes
OF the war. There was the chart which had
guided the President Of the United States in
The dis charge of his ofic cIal duties There was
The platform by W hich he had been guided
win TIE exception of enc single solitary in
stance the President has stood up for the car
ryins out OF this declaration of Congress. In the
course OF the war he recognized he force of cir
eumstanoes. and as Military Governor assisted
IN the extinction OF slavery but " ith this excep-
uon he had faithfully stood up for the principles
IN that resolution, intro d uced by themselves
He (Mr. n y did not now mean to touch on the
unfortunate differences between the President
and Congress as TO the policy OF reconstruction
In le61 amid the plaudits of the brave men and
fair women who crowded these galleries he
denounced secession and denied the right of
any State to secede from the Union Then
W nth tne " ar was over, when Lee unexpect.
edly SUI lrounded, ii became necessary for the
President 10 take measures to bring the coun-
Try once more together with all the rights of
the States unimpaired. There was no
time 10 call Congress together. and what
did Mr.. johnson do. According to the test
mony OF Mr.. Stanton himself, he honestly en-
deavored 10 carry out the policy as he believed
OF his successor. He made no attempt to sena
rate himself from the party which elected him
Suppose he was wrong, and suppose Congress
was right. was that crime, and should he he
punished for a mere difference of opinion! He
(Mr. NJ did not doubt that many Senator'S
thought the President was wrong, but
was that cause for this prosecutionp
lie judge to be punished for wrongly charging
jury under misconstruction OF the law. He
one single passage in the Constitution which
gave the power to any department TO restore
the States TO their relative position in the Union
after peace. Where does Congress get the
power 10 pass its reconstruction lawsl The
Constitution is silent on the subject Now, The
power is by implication, and where the power
lie claimed by implication, can il not be claimed
as well for the President as for Congress-!
He repeated that there was no time to he lost
when the war was. over. suppose the Presi
dent did make mistake-suppose he fell into
the error Of Mr.. Lincoln.- Ls- there no license
for difference Of opinion-no tolerationl Are
by the views which then preyailedY IL fSe
President was guided BY honesty ana in ntegrit~
of motive, he (Mr. NJ maintained that wr.s
protection and shield for him arsinst ali
charges. The history Of the country in snNs
cfnt to show that. the President was Snided hv
upright motives, and should NOT he ir,d~~d -
the spirit in which the manaeers rdcnsud.