Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-04-21
THE IMPEACHMENT

The farce inauguratcd in Washington over
a month ago, is still being played but the
interest which it at first attracted has greatly
diminished, aud the work Of the conspirators
has ceased to be regarded with any other feel
ing than that of supreme contempt. The ac-
tors themselves arc sickening with disgust,
and no surprise need be felt if the performs
ance should be abruptly closed. We copy
from the correspondence of the Baltimore Ga
=ctte the following review Of the proceedings
Of Friday and Saturday:
WASHINGTON April II, 1868.
This has been by far the most interesting
day in the "High Court of Impeachment"
as the Senate and the country are now getting
at the kernel of the nut which the Jacobins
have been so busily cracking. Up to this
time the display has been scenic and purely
for etTect-much of it most disgusting. But
Ter has nearly strutted out his brief display
before the public, and the charges against
President johnson are being now reduced to
the test of material facts. n distinguished
Massachusetts, General and member of Con-
grcss declared last evening that the testimony
given in during the day had greatly disturbed
the friends and advocates of impeachment, as
they had not apprehcnded the facts to have
been rs testified to by Messrs. Cox and Mer-
rick, the lawyers whom the President had
employed to secure judicial decision upon
the constitutionality of the Civil Office Tenure
bill When these lawyers told of their en-
plovmeut and of their efforts to secure legal
decision, aud how their purpose had been
thwarted by Chief Justice Cartier, acting in
the interest of the impeachers, decided i'm
preston upon the Senate was clearly percep-
tlble. But the testimony to-day is exposing
the whole transaction and shows how SANDER
Gus and absurd are all the charges made
against President johnson. 4 number of
witnesses from Cleveland and st. Louis testi-
fed that the President endeavored to avoid
speech making, and positively declined until
urged by the committees of arrangement at
the respective points, and after consenting to
appear it was only to make his bow and say
few words and that he was forced in self
defence to say what he did by the insulting
Interruptions of the Radicals who mingled
with the crowd. So far as the impeachment
of the President is concerned all this testi-
mony was uncalled for unless we have fallen
upon times when the liberty Of speech is not
only abridged, but men like Butler and Logan
to determine upon the propriety of Ian
guage to be used by others. Yet as part of
the record it was we'll to show the circum-
stances under which the Objectionable speech
es were called out.
The Hon. Gideon Weles being placed upon
the stand, intense interest was manifested
throughout the Senate chamber to hear his
evidence. The old gentleman spoke in clear,
distinct tones,and was heard in all parts of the
immense hall Having stated that he was
Secretary of the Navy, he made short work
Of the niuth article of impeachment and threw
it overheard as if it had been barrel of spoilt
pork. Old Thad. Steveus-whose pet article
this was-becoming disguised, left the mana
gers table and resumed a seat as high pri-
waite among the members of the House. The
charge that the President had attempted to
seduce General Emory, and engage him in
his grand conspiracy against the welfare Of
the country, was not only disproved by Secre-
tary Welics, but the fact established that
there were strong suspicious that Emory had
been seduced by the impeachers themselves.
The tables were completely turned The
President was notified by his Secretary that
suspicious movements were on foot; Emory
was sent for and questioned about them. This
was the extent OF the Presidents offence, and
for this he has been impeached. The mem
bers Of the Cabinet will each be called to state
all the facts as they occurred, and the country
will be astounded at the total absence OF any
foundation for the charges as concoctsd and
presented ~ the Radical Jacobins.