Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1868-03-19
FAYETTEVILLE, TENN:
Thursday Morning, March 10, 1868
The Impeachment Trial.

A~ - f%NfsN~S e~NN~t 49,
ting as court of impeachment,
with Chief-J ustice Chase presid-
ing, cited the President to appear
before it Friday, the 18th inst, to
answer the charges of the House
of Representatives. The charges
are, as our readers know, that
the President has committed 'high
crimes and misdemeanors," in de-
liyering certain speeches rejecting
upon Congress, in attempting TO
substitute Adj.-General Thomas
for Mr.. Stanton as Secretary of
War, and in desiring to issue army
orders through some medium be-
sides General Grant. This is the
substance of the impeachment
articles, which few impartial
minds consider anything but fri
voIous, and which quite as few
suppose would meet with seIi-
Gus consideration at the hands of
an impartial court having no
purpose to subserve except the
administration of justice. But it
is admitted by candid men that
the object of impeaching the Pres
ident is political one-that he is
regarded as an obstacle to the sue
cess of the Republican party IN
carrying out its peculiar policy,
and especially in securing the
electoral votes of the ''reconstrnc-
ted" States, and that his early re-
moval by some means, in order
that Senator Wade may assume
his place, is indispensable TO that
success. The course of the Sen
ate, therefore, sitting as a court,
awakens unusual public interest,
and its future movements, like Its
recent ones, will be watched by
the popular mind with no little
feeling of unavoidable excitement.
Of Chief-J ustice Chase, it must
be said that he has acted, so tar
in the premises, with DISCRETION.
He has evince no unseemly haste,
has exhibited no disposition to de-
prive the arraigned official OF an
impartial hearing, and has presided
with dignity and decorum. Both
Houses in Congress have manifest
ed O precipitancy, however, which
they have taken no pains to con-
cesl. and which the Chief-J ustice
has felt it a duty to respectfully
rebuke. Both have shown for
even the forms of justice con-
tempt significantly out of place In
such a crisis; while the House
itself has permitted some of the
leading members of Its majority to
exult indecently over the political
character of the movement, and
vindictively boast that the court
s'dare not" for political reasons,
acquit the accused. The Senate
has insisted upon a seat and
q vote In that court for Senator
Wade, who succeeds to the
White House if the Presi-
dent be convincedl It has also
adopted rules to abridge, as far as
possible, every privilege common
II accorded to the accused before
a tribunal of jnstice, and in all its
acts crop out determination to
convict him, no matter what may
be the character of the testimony.
Under these circumstances, there
would seem to be but a slight
chance Of procuring for the Prea-
dent what the constitution guaran-
tees to the humbles; citizen-vlz:
an equitable trial. The court is
prejudiced against him. The yer
dict is settled In advance
But there are twelve Senators,
II i said. who are too conscien-
tious 10 be driEen BY party clamor
into doing that at which their hon
est Judgment rebels They have
taken the additional oath which
H. l- =