The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-03-17

preseuted at the bar Of the Senate, in the most
Solemn form, articles of impeachment agalns,
the chief ruler Of the nation, and they desre
your judgment upon it: That he ls wleio1ne
| bowers which do not belong to him; tnat ne ls
recreant to the best interests oi tne na.lpn; u
that he is acting in manner detrimental 70
the peace and safety Of the country, and that
be still purposes thus to act, We do not believe
can admit of any doubt, or do we. doubt our
ability to prove it; and we contend that the
necessities Of the occasion cau for an lmmedl-
| ate determination of this question.
| Sir, who is the criminal? beg pa1don-the
respondent? He is the Chief Magistrate OF
the nation. For the first time in the history OF
the world has people brought its ruler to the
bar Of it's highest court and, ther efore, al
precedents which may be cited fail 10 have any
proper bearing on the disposition Of the ques-
tion. He is the commander OF you armies
he controls, through his subordna3s, yoqr
treasury; be controls your navy; ne controls
all the elements OF your power as naa0n l.. ne ae
controls your foreign relations, and nay at any
time, if it so suits him. seriously comphcate
them, even while he is arraigned al your bar
for high crimes and misdemesnors; and, mark
me, sir, the great question at issue now-the
principal charge upon which he is arral9ned-
Is whether he shall be able Of his own Will to
control your armies against your wishes and IN
the great military arm Of the county to your
ruin, and to the ruin Of the country. Ee will not
now recognize the Secretary Of War. whom this
body and whom Congress has declared to be
the legal Secretary of War, and while he has
appointed o secretary ad inter1n1, h6 dare not
recognize him, and thus to-day the whole ma
chinery Of the War Department is stopped.
Large numbers Of the gallant officers Of your
army whom yoa have confirmed, canr OF receive
their commissions because he viii not issue
them through the proper channel Yet with
this chaotic state Of affairs-With the wheels Of
government clogged-you are askel to give
him forty days in which to answer tie charges
which have been laid against him. Forty ddysl
as long time as it took God to destroy the
whole world; and then, after the forty days is
granted. the learned and subtle counsel will,
By hn the means in their power, delay the
course Of justice as much longer az they are
able.
The pulse Of the nation beats inperturba-
ton at the course Of this constitutional but
anomalous proceeding. When Congress stops,
it's pulse beats feebly; when Congress goes on,
its pulse beats freer. Everything is at stand
still, the spring business is paralyznd, and no
confidence can be felt until this matter which
ia engaging the attention Of Congress is set
tied one way or the other. Still the anxious
hutterings Of the public pulse BY bringing this
respondent to justice, from which Goa send him
good deliverance, if he so deserTeH it, at the
earliest possible moment. Fi3 the trial at an
eariy dsY, and when he comes forward here and
under his oath urges that he cannot properly
prepare for his defence withouttime is given
him, then, in Gods name, give him sn the time
he Justly ought to have. But he (l[r. B. res
pecttully submitted, don't, il advance, give him
this time before be comes here and proves that
it is essential. God forbid that we should de-
prive him Of q single right, or OF single IN
diligence consistent with The public safety.
We ask thar no more should be :equired on
the part Of the respondent than was required OF
the managers. We are perfectly wiling our
selves to be guided by the same ruln.
The great act for which the respondent is
arraipped here was committed on the 21st of
February; the House of Representative dealt
with it on the 22d; on the 4th OF March We, as
managers, appeared here at your car and pre-
here. here ready s to proceed with the triaL We are
ready to emulate the example Of the righteous
Judge who, for the good Of his country, devoted
twenty-five hours day to the trial. God grv-
ing us strength, We stand here ready TO give
twenty-five out Of twenty-iour hours to this
trial, until it is brought to conclusion. he
knows all about this matter-knovf more than
We do now-and we ask that we BIZ allowed to
20 on with the trial.
Pardon one other simple sugf estion. he
hoped that hereafter no man would say that
the charges upon which the articles OF I'M
peschment we're brought are frivolous, unsub.
stantiated, and devoid Of respect ability. We
have the highest authority that th0y are other.
wise. Here We have the spectacle OF learned
counsel, eminent for their legal adumen, com.
ing IN here and ayerring on their word that
the charges are so grave and important that
it will require at least forty days to answer
them. SO grave, 80 serious are they, that this
able and eminent counsel confess tEeir inability
to properly reply to them in less than forty
days.
Fthe minds of the Senate were now put to
the true poise, justice must be go tisfed BY an
immediate trial. The country warts quiet, the
country needs quiet, and it can only be secured
by speedy termination Of this question If,
after q fair hearing Of the charges, the res
pondent is adjudged not guilty and goes free,
be it SO; the country will then have quiet; II ne
is. found guilty, let it so be; the country viii
then have quiet. Let us deal with this matter
as one in which the life Of tho nation hangs IN
the SCALE No such trial ever engaged the at
tention of the world before.
Nj. Nelson, as one of the counsel for the
President Of the United States, had in coming
here endeayored to divert his mini Of any idea
that he was about to engage in political dis
cussion, but that he was to appear before tn
bunal of men who are sworn as judges, not as
partisans. Having thus come here, ne was un-
der the impression that there was much force
in some Of the remarks of the honorable man.
ager (AIr. Butler) in reference to this tribunal:
It should not be guided by the ion and rigld
rules Of the lew, but should be disposed to al.
loT the largest liberty, not only u the counsel
for the defence, but 20 the managers OF the
House Of Representatives; that t should not
stand upon forms OF evidence or technical rules
that prevailed in other courts. Instead Of
this, every one would say that It was proper
and right that much more Liberty should be
allowed by the Senate OF the nation.
What do we ask for and on behalf Of the
President OF the United States? We ask Sim
DIV time for his defence, and in this matter
and upon all kindred questions, upon whose
Judgment must the President rely except upon
that of his counsel, who are best presumed to
know when be is ready to answe:, OF ready to
proceed to trial? Now, We have asserted here
upon our professional honor, IN the presence
OF this Senate, N the presence OF the House OF
Representatives, and in the presence OF the
whole world, that it will require the number OF
days OF preparation stated in the paper pre-
sented to the court. Are these charges against
the highest officer in tie land 20 be rushed
through with railroad speed, AMI without the
sema tine fer preparation that would De accord
ed to any criminal in the land? lie did rot be,
ieye the Senate would refuge the time asked
for. He Enew tia: this honorable Senate would,
in Justice to themselves and to the country they
represent, conduct this whole investigation II
such Tay as to stamp the impression Of honor
and Justice upon their memories for all time.
This is an exalted tribunal, and he felt IN IL
creased pride in his country that they were en-
abled TO assemble here for Ine purpose they
AID md N the way they did. II Is an unusual