The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-04-23
IMPEACHMENT.
THE PROBABLE VERDICT.
GREAT PRESSURE FOR CONVICTION.

As the impeachment trial draws to a close,
the probable verdict of the judges and jurors
gives rise to considerable discussion. The
exact power Of the Senate is debated, and par
ticularly with regard to the point whether, if
they convict, they must necessarily inhict the
penalty of removal and future disqualification
to hold Office. The weight Of the opinion
seems to be in favor Of the view that the pen
atty is not an inevitable sequuur of conviction
under fair construction of the seventh clause
of the third section. article first Of the consti-
tuition, and therefore that the Senate is at lib
erty to find the accused guilty without pro-
ceeding to the extremity of removal from
Office. The development of this new point has
given rise TO divers rumors, among which is
one to the effect that the Senate will avail itself
of this liberal construction, and, though it
will find him guilty, still will not remove Pres
ident Johnson. 1t is hardly probable that any
such policy will be adopted, and far more
likely that the Senate, if it halts at all, will
conclude to acquit the President entirely. Our
Washington kilograms this morning would
seem to indicate that the result of the trial
will hardly be reached before the latter pat Of
next week. The correspondent of the balti-
more Gazette, alluding to the closing speeches
Of the counsel, says "A number of the friends
of the President have abandoned all hope OF
his acquittal and regard the anticipated argu-
ment as only a waste of time and mockery,
as has been the whole trial.
,r,r arsrrr M r,rpr pr.cuNENT-possTpI, F. FAIL
URE OF THE RADICAL GAME-oNLY oNE-THIRD
OF THE SENATORS THICK AND THIN RADICALS
CHASE GONE OVER TO THE coPPERHEADs-sTAN-
TON AS A COWARD.
MACK" writes from Washington to the Gin
cinnati Commercial under date Of the 18th in
slant:
After talking with a considerable number Of
persons. well informed from the high est
sources Of intelligence, and looking upon one
davis proceedings of the Court of Impeach-
ment, T am not quite sure that the President
will be convicted. Most persons say ne Will IN
questionably be convicted. All violent parel-
sans assert it without qualification. The Cop
perheads desire that we should understand that
the Radicals will commit any outrage, ana that
all Republicans are Radicals. The Radicals
themselves assume that the Presidents guilt
has been proven absolutely, and that the SEN
ete would be stultifed if it did not convict him,
remove him from Office, and disquallfy him
from holding Office. There are moderate men,
however, who do not hold that the conviction
Of the President is demanded by an !mperlouss
public necessity, or that his conviction would
be an unpardonable public outrage, and who
do not think that his conviction is predeter-
mined fact.
THICK AND THIN RADICALS.
Not mora than on ne-third of the senators are
thorough thick and thin Radicals. A larger
number than had supposed Of the RepublI-
cans have declined to class themselves, by all
their votes, as implacable impeachers. And l
believe tho President would be acquitted II II
we're not for the fear that, if turned loose, ne
would be guilty OF some dangerous Teak. f.. ne
IS supposed to be capable of anything but an
act of timely discretion, and If he is turned
out Of Office he will owe it to his reputation as
an uncertain quantity and O quarrelsome per-
son. If it were believed that the President
would quit his foolery with Lorenzo Thomas
and Withdraw the appointment CT Ihomas
Ewing, Sr., as Secretary of War, and appoint
General Banks or Governor COX, or some otneT
competent and reliable man to that position,
am as sure as one can be without the proof
that he would be acquitted. AS the case
stands, he has chance Of acquittal. That
the impeachment business has been overdone
here, is the opinion Of the judicious. That
the evidence presented by the managers was
the reverse Of strong and conclusive, all be-
side the impeachers themselves admit. That
the country is no. enamored OF the lmpeach-
ment business, and not excited about it, is not
only known here. but felt That the impeach-
ment of johnson will prove winning card for
the Republicans in the approaching Presiden-
tial campaign, is not believed by those best
able to calculate the influences and the
chances.