Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-05-21
HOW THE DOUBTFUL sENA TORS STOOL
THE FEELING IN WASHINGTON,
&C., &c. &c. . ...


THE FEELING IN WASHINGTON,
&C., &c. &c. ......... ....
WASHINGTON, Saturday, May l6-l P. NJ
The Capitol was again thronged this morning, long
before the hour at which the High Court was to
meet. There was less excitement, however, than
on Tuesday last, owing to the impression generally
prevalent that the Radicals intended to dodge a
vote by postponng the further consideration of the
impeachment case until after the Chicago Conyen.
determined upon different line of tactics. ,,-
Immediately after the High Court was called to
order by Chief Justice Chase, Senator Williams
moved that the sense of the court should be first
taken on the eleventh article Of impeachment. -
This motion developed the cunning programme
which had been determined on in secret caucus
of the impeachers. They had ascertained that the
eleventh article, though intrinsicaly the weakest
u. ALL was likely to rally more votes in favor Of con-
victon than any other; hence their resolve to test
their strength on that article FIRST and in case Of
failure to convict to adjourn the case and thus to
hold their verdict on the remaining ten articles IN
terroren, over the President, besides taking the
chances of any accessions of strength that the ad
mission of Radical senators from the reconstructed
States may bring to their ranks. The large major
ity which the Radicals hold in the Senate enabled
them easily to carry out this scheme.
The vote was taken upon Senator Williams mo-
ton and resulted Yeas "a, nays 80; Mr.. Wade
voting in the affirmative. ~.
The eleventh article upon which the vote was
thus ordered to be taken reads as follows So
- ARTICLE N ~
That said Andrew johnson, President of the
United States unmindful of the high duties of his
Office and of his oath of Office and in disregard Of
the Constitution and laws Of the United States,
did heretofore, to wit on the 18th day Of August,
of Columbia, by public speech, declare and affirm
in substance that the Thirty ninth Congress of the
United States was not a Congress Of the United
States authorized by the Constitution to exercise
legislative power under the same but on the con.
trary, was a Congress of only part of the States,
thereby denying and intending to deny that the
legislation of said Congress was valid or obligatory
upon him, the said Andrew johnson, except in SC
far as he saw fit to approve the same, and also
thereby denying and intending to deny the power
of the said Thirty.ninth Congress to propose a:
mendments to the Constitution Of the United
States and in pursuance of said declaration, the
said Andrew johnson, President Of the United
States, afterward to wit: on the 2lst day Of Feb,
District of Columbia, did unlawfully and in disre-
gard of the requirements of the Constitution that
he should take care that the laws be faithfulyexe.
cuted, attempt to prevent the execution Of an act
entitled IAN act regulating the tenure Of certain
civil Offices, passed March 2, 1867, by unlawfuly
devising and contriving, and attempting to devise
and contrive means by which he should prevent
Edwin NJ. Stanton from forthwith resuming the
functions of the Office of Secretary for the Depart
ment of War, notwithstanding the refusal of the
Senate to concur in the suspension therefore made
by the said Andrew johnson, Of said Edwin NJ.
Stanton, from said Office of Secretary for the De-
partment Of War, and also by further unlawfully
devising and contriving, and attempting to devise
and contrive means then and there to prevent the
execution of an act entitled An act making ap-
fiscal year ending June 80, 1868, andfor other pur
poses" approved March 2, 1867, and also to pre-
vent the execution of an act entitled "An act to
provide for the more efficient government Of the
rebel States" passed March 2, 1867 |; whereby the
said Andrew johnson, President of the United
States, did then to wit: on the 2lst day Of Febru
ary, 1867, at the City of Washington, commit and
was guilty of high nisdemeanor in Office.
The President, in his answer to this article, it
will be remembered, denied that he had declared
or affirmed that the Thirty-ninth Congress was an
illegal Congress- or that he had made any of the
allegations charged in the article BE had said
nothing OF the competency OF SAID congress 10 pass
laws while Southern States were unrepresented.
Lastly, he denied that he had attempted to defeat
the operation Of the Reconstruction laws, or any
other law of Congress.
Chief Justice Chase announced that, in accord
ance with the order of thecourt he would now pro-
ceed to take the sense of its members upon the
eleventh article Of impeachment. The clerk was
directed to report the article and the names Of the
several senators were then called out in alphabet
cal order the Chief Justice addressing to each the
question: ....
Mr. Senator, how say you, is the respondent,
Andrew johnson, President of the United States,
guilty of high misdemeanor or crime, as charged
in this article?
AS the members of the High Court severally re-
sponded guilty or not guilty, breathless silence
prevailed in the hall, and thousand pencils anx-
iously recorded the character of each vote. The
result of the vote was as follows: .4.
uorrNn r1Trrr