The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-05-11
From the National Intelligencer,I
The Failure OF the Prezidenf-Mr
bingham.

Mr.. Bingham's speech Is qni'e char
acteristlc. Mr.. Bingham is one OF the
class of men who never get older or
wiser. A mind photograph OF the ONO
Manager taken three or live ears ago,
or twenty, is an exact likeness ot MT.
Bingham now. Nature made him up
lust as he is, and SO made him that he
can bold no more, and do ne more than
on the day or his starting in life. Mr..
Bingham ought not to appear as Il law
YER. He knows Very little of the pro-
fession, and doeS very little credit 10
himself in discussing legal topics. He
seems, indeed, to understand this pretty
we'll, as his speech is altogether
political. He dwellS largely dp-
OIL what the President Is
likely to do on the event OF his
acquittal; aud urges conviction without
cause, as the safest course. This Is all
political. To convict without CAUSE
worse than that, to convict in Gntcipd-
ton of the commission of an offence, to
punish as preventive, aud not AS
penalty--iS a new sort of criminal JuTIS-
prudence. The old theory, tnat every
person is presumed TO be- innocent till
proof of his guilt is iudicially deter
mined, finds little credit with Mr.. Bin%-
ham. Whenever that astuto lawyer
finds q person in a situation tavOra bic
to the commission of a crime, lie would
convict and punish him at once, that
he may be disabled.
Now, with respect TO the President,
Mr.. Bingham finds, in what he suppOses
the evaporation of that functionary,
arising out of the pending trial, 4 con-
trolling power to lead him on to acts OF
aggression and retaliation, and so
thinks it the part of wise precaution TO
remove him at once. 1t is certainly
difficult to deal with such logic and
morals, but it is not difficult to explain
to Mr.. Bingham, and those VINO see as
he sees, that they have entirely misap-
pretended the temper of tho President
in this matter. We can assure them
that the President is wholly without
excitement, passion, or bitterness.
BPersonally, we imagine he regards the
proceedings of the impeachment with
serene Indifference Public considera-
tions unqueStiOnably weigh heavily
upon him. Anchored IN solid cOnvic-
tiOns of constitutional duty. cOnscien-
tious in the opinion that lie is entirely
innocent of al offence, anxious only for
the welfare of the country, ho believes
that an adverse decision of the Senate
court will intlict deep wound upon the
institutions of the States, which will be
fatal to their maintenance.
Ii we have correctly stated the posi-
ton of the President, the thoughtful
will SEQ in it an assurance of modera-
ton aud Cancellation on his part when
the verdict of acquittal shall have been
rendered. What the pablo most needs
is accommodation of political differ
ences. The national character demands
it. The integrity of the constitutional
system demand it. Patriotism pleads
for it. We owe it to ourselves and all
our great national interests, to the
past and to the future, to compose our
differences and strifeS. We havea right
to speak for the President in the mat
ter, because be is the Chief Magistrate
of the nation, with but few short
months of service before him; and we
know that be would deem it the crown
ing glory of his life to DO able, on the
4th of March next, to transfer 10 his
successor an unimpaired Constitution,
in the keeping of MI united, happy and
prosperous people.