Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-03-12
THE GREAT TRIAL.
articles Of Impeachment Fer
mai'y Presented in the
Senate,
A Vivid Description Of a
Memorable Scene.
Communication from the
Chief Justice.
The Court of Impea ;hment
Fully Organized.
The Chief Justice and Sena-
tors subscribe TO The
Required Oath.
A Warrant Issued returnable
To-MOrrOyv.
A Warrant Issued returnabIe
To-MOrrOvv.


everybody this morning seemed to be that
a new chapter is 10 be written in American
history to-day at noon. There was no
precedent for such an act as occurred soon
after, nor any record of such a scence as
was then in preparation. Through all the
morning there was a state of expectancy
over the great crowd at the Capitol The
morning papers had announced that the
House Managers would certainly appear at
the barof the Senate, but long before either
House assembled, there were thick rumors
of delay, or other articles to consider, and
defeat. There came, too, report that
Chief Justice had sent to the Senate pro
test or opinion taking issue with the Senate
in regulating the trial, and this but increas-
ed the doub. and general perplexity of all
visitors as to what was really going on.
Those in the House galleries watched the
movements of the different Managers, as
from time to time they appeared at their
seats and moved off again 10 their commit
tee room, with such papers as they were
seeking.
The Senate galleries were well filled, and
great attention was paid to all that was
passing. Four large chairs moved in from
the marble room, and placed in the area in
Il l.
were the only indications that anything
unusual was TO occur. The routine OF
business during the morning hour was as
dull as ever, but at short intervals every
eye in the galleries turned 10 that row of ell
egant chairs as if they possessed the power
of fascination. Though an eighth of mile
apart, there seemed to be kind of tele-
graphing from the Senate to those of the
and ha ti.att tl,a 10,
of each were in a sense watched by both
audiences.
Soon after reading the journal, Mr.
Jenckes got the floor of the House TO read
and offer new article. The Managers
were in session, and the report of sharp
debate regarding the admission of more ar
ticles reached the floor, reached the gale
ries, few swiftly to the Senate, and delay
seemed almost certain.
In the meantime the communication of
Chief Justice Chase was read in the Senate.
1t seemed as if everybody heard it at once,
for in three minutes it was the theme of
general conversation and half dozen tele-
graph operators were announcing 10 all
parts Of the country almost before the Sen
ate had recovered from the surprise il
caused them. In ten minutes the building
was ringing with all sorts of versions of
the documents but as soon as it was dis
covered that it would not stop the pro-
ceediugs, ii was lost sight of for The time
being, as the central scene for which all
were waiting began to unfold itself.
The Managers CAME into the House just
as Mr.. Jenckes closed, when Mr.. Bingham
at once moved to refer the articles pre-
sented to the Committe of Managers, which
passed quickly, call for the yeas and nays
being refused. Mr.. Bingham then moved
that the House, as a Committee of the
Whole, attend the Managers to the bar OF
the Senate, whittier they were going to
present the articles of impeachment This
being agreed upon, the movement towards
the Senate began. The galleries of the
House were emptied in moment andpro-
jected toward the Senate.
Crowds in the corridors and in the ro-
tunda, who could not gain admission to the
Senate galleries, formed TO see the long
procession pass slowly and with due form,
as it fled through the halls. Mr.. Dawes,
Chairman of the Committee of the Whole,
with Mcpherson, Clerk, on his right, and
General Lippincott, the Doorkeeper, onh his
left, led the column. Behind them came
Speaker Colfax, with General Schenck and
Mr.. Welker, and next the Managers, walk
ing two by two ar.n-in arm. Messrs. Bing-
ham and Boutwell, walked first, the first on
the right; then Messrs. Williams and But
Ter; next Logan and Wilson, and last came
Hon. Thad. Stevens, unable to walk, and
carried in chair. Behind them followed
the Republican members, with three or
four Democrats. Most of the latter class
remained in the hall of the House. Tie
crowd in the building formed from one end
to the other on each side of the body thus
made up. There was an air of deep ear
nestness upon all faces, and all seemed to
Weld to the influence of the occasion. No
funeral cortege, moving through these cor
ridors, ever excited graver thoughts. II
was q column moving on in the name oi
all the people, and to the great thought
thus embodied all seemed to bow as to the
supreme power of the land--the people
moving on 10 accusation, and TO bid their
Senate sit in judgmen. upon the highest
officer in the land. Such thoughts throbbed
in all hearts to the measure of that march.
The crowd reached the Senate long before
the procession, and quick entrances into
the galleries caused general stir at the
knowledge thus obtained that the Mana
yers were on their way. The members of
the House, and those privileged 10 the
floor, began to drop in. The reporters
gallery was full ofthose whose fingers were
on keys that, ere an hour, would cause ev-
cry community in the land to vibIate in
response to their pictures of the Senate,
aid with them were those who would
spread it about to millions of eyes. not In
words, but through the illustrated papers
of the land. While all the galleries were
thus expectant the Senate was dragging on
with business as unimportant to the gen.
eral reader as Inscriptions upon burial ca
ses of Egyptian mammies- -.
Suddenly it ceased and what was felt to
be the most important scene IN the history
of our country stood out on the floor of
the Senate. Those at the Presidents desk
could see the officers Of the House Of Rep
resentatixes and Managers. and behind