The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-04-01
The Leading Topic..

sand dollars. That's about the old
price for feld-hand
The Leading Topics.
"Mack's" last letter to the Cincinnati
Commercial contains the following para
graphs in relation to impeachment and
the Supreme Court Bill.
THE IMPEACHMENT.
The subject of impeachment and its
probable result offers prolific theme
for speculation in the newspapers, but
need not say that nothing is or can be
known on the subject until the final
vote is taken. Senators are very reti-
cent even among themselves. am told
that they abstain from discussing the
subject, and never mention it even in
private. There are those who pretend
to have positive assurances that certain
Republicans will vote in the negative
enough of them to acqult the Presi-
deut. But I doubt if they have any
thing more than guess-work to guide
them To the happy conclusion. The
outside pressure is nearly all in favor of
conviction, and comes exclusively from
men who expect office under Mr.. Wade
not only expect, but have been prom
ised. Mr.. Wade's friends, on the con-
trary, affect an extremely judicial air,
aud plastic condition OF mind and
conscience on the subject of the Presi-
dents guilt or innocence that is truly
wonderful. They want TO hear the tes-
timony, they say, and if Mr.. johnson is
Innocent he will be acquitted. All of
which must make A. J. feel hopeful.
The trial will begin in good earnest
on Monday next, and be continued un-
interInittingly to its close. Whatever
may be its result, it will he quietly ac-
quiesced in, and people of all political
parties will rejoice at its termination, if
not at its verdict The right or wrong
of tue verdict will be discussed before
the people next fall. The burden of
proof VIII be upon the Republicans,
and heavy burden they'll find it, too,
before they get through with it. They
will have to justify the establishment
of q precedent which will be faithfully
followed hereafter by every political
party that has the power To carry it
through. They will have to stand up
on the ground that the Senate has q
right to turn President, elected by the
people, out of Office because he will not
receive into his Cabinet COancil
a man neither elected by the
people nor appointed by him.
They will have to show that it
is an impeachable offence in the Presi-
dent to denounce Congress in a stump
speech, but entirely justifable in the
Vice President to denounce the Presi'
dent in indecent and profane language.
1t may be that the people who cast the
votes will care nothing for all these is
sues, which, though comparatively un-
important as affecting only Mr.. john
son, are of vital significance to the fu-
ture peace and welfare of the country.
But it seems te me that they who say,
as many do, that this great trial will be
altogether ignored in the approaching
canvass, discount very largely that
sense of justice and fair dealing which
has hitherto been one of the attribut es
of the American people, us it must be OF
any people who would worthily main
| tain q free Government in this or any
other country.
THE SUPREME COURT BILL.
1t is related of an Irishman who was
accused of sppropriating something
that was not legally his own, that when
| in response to the most vehement and
grief stricken protestatiOn OF his limo
cence, the magistrate before whom be
was about to be tried assured him that
"iustice would be done him"-the effect
of this assurance was the reverse OF
csnsolatory. 1t increased instead of rs.
suaging his sorrow, and caused him
to give vent to the additional burden
upon his mind in the exclamation
"Och, murther, your honor, sure that's
what. Pm afeer'd Of" | cannot refrain
from mentioning this little incident III
connection with the passage of the bill!
to deny the right of appeal to the Su
preme Court to test the validity of the
reconstruction acts. Whether inten'
tionally or not, Congress has by that ACT
placed itself before the country in con
dition very much like that of the unfor'
tunate Hibernian, who took the promise
| of Impartial justice in the light OF Ger
tain and speedy conviction. We are
| told that the reconstruction laws are
perfectly and strictly constitutional
| inst as the Irishman assured the mag
istrats that he was entirely innocent
Bnt when il is suggested that justice
will undoubtedly be done in the Su
prame Court-oh, says Mr.. Trumbull
that's inst what we're afraid of, ant
tbereupon the right of appeal is denied
inst as the Irishman, had he the power
would undoubtedly have rejected the
larceny laws.
Mr.. Stewar of Nevada, who was pu
forward as the champion of this bill
gave as one of tie reasons why it should
mass, the astonishing and statesmSnlik'
one of the great press of business al
ready in the Supreme Court-which on
ly shews that Lord Mansfeld's advice
to a Youthful judge may be followed t.
GOOD advantage in the United State:
Senate. make your decisions, but re-
servo your reasons" The practical ct
feet of this bill is to abolish the right o
trial by Jury in ten States of the Unior
to make military commissions the su
preme law over q territory half as Iarg'
"a continental Europe-to shake dowI
rights older than Runnymede or Dooms
day book. Did Mr.. Stewart and thos'
who voted with him yesterday ever hea'
l the compendious definition of the oo
iect and aim of the British Constitu
tion and Government, by enc OF tn
greatest jurists of modern timesi If not
lit may not be amiss to remind then
that it is in these words. "To get twelv'
honest men in = jury-box." But in tn
year 1868 the Congress of the Unitet
i States deliberately passes law to driv'
twelve honest men out of q jury-box
and replace them with twelve soldiers
behind general order from headquar
tsrs, consigning this, that, or the othe
man to j&il for An offence unknown !,
i the law or the Constitution Of the land
This, too, when there has been no wa
in the country for three years.