The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-03-18
THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.

entered upon the trial of Andrew john
son for the high crime and misde-
meanor" of presuming to select his
own Cabinet Ministers as has been
done by bis predecessors from the
foundation of the government. TWAS
understood that the President would
answer to the charge on the 18th inst.
and that the trial would be Immediate
ly commenced.
It is given out by the Radical pro-
phets that the trial will be speedily
concluded and the sentence Of con-
viction speedily executed. And
well and safely may the Radicals
make such prediction. Long
before the impeachment movement was
commenced in the House, the Senate
had informed them in terms too plain
to be misunderstood that a conviction
should be had on the articles as soon
as they should be presented. By nu-
merous votes since, on preliminary
questions, it is plainly shown that the
necessary two-thirds Of the Senators
are fully committed to a decision
against the President, and it would
seem that only the form of trial is
necessary to give an apparent legality
to conclusion which has long since
been determined upon. So certain are
the Radicals of a speedy conviction
that they are already specializing on
the prospective members of old Ben
Wade's Cabinet, soon to be installed
in place Of those who now occupy the
offices.
For our own part we must confess
i that the chances of Mr.. Johnson's ac-
quittal are by nomeans fattering. He
ia in the hands of an unprincipled set
of politicians who are struggling to
retain their power in the government,
and their course of conduct for several
years past leaves no room for doubt
that they will leave no enormity una.-
tempted to accomplish their wicked
designs. The Radical party is now
engaged in life and death STRUGGLED ol
existence, and, finding the President
an obstacle to their unconstitutional
legislation, they will not scruple te
remove him regardless OF the opinions
of a majority Of the American people.
} They do not hold themselves amena'
BILE to the people, because they know
that fair expression Of the popular
will would forever consign them to thu
. oblivion they SO richly deserve.
On the other hand the President ant
| his friends will go into this trial pre-
pared to contest every inch of groun'
and determined, ifthey cannot succeed
at least to hold up the authors of thi
infamous plot to the execration of eve
ry impartial citizen in the land. A
the outset, it is expected that the Pres
ident will take exception to the Con
stitution of the Court which is to tr
. him. One third of it's members, an
those who would be favorable to &C
| quittal, are illegally excluded by th
party which set on foot the impeacf
> ment resolutions. Of those who al
present, and sworn to judge Impartial
ly, nearly every one has expressed
opinion on the questions involved
Q In the formation of jury to try I'll
humblest criminal for the smalle'
crime in the code, nojuror is permitte
!. to set on the case until lie shall swei
that he has neither formed or expresse
an opinion on the guilt or innocence I
the prisoner at the bar. And ye
when the highest officer in the land
on trial for "high crimes and misd'
: meanors," he must be tried by ajur
}, who have published in advance to Il
J, world, time and again, that the culpr
is guilty of the crimes for which the
are about to swear to try him impa
u TALLY according to the law and the e
II idence which shall be adduced on II
y trial of the case. Never in the histol
: of American jurisprudence was tile
. known such a mockery of JUSTICE
I But to what depths Of infamy will Il
Radical party not descend9
r If the Radicals should succeed with
le the next few weeks in their scheme
p conviction and removal, they will ha'
le full power to accomplish their revol
il tionary purposes between this and t
Presidential election in November.
They may be able to SO lay their pla
W as to secure their triumph, and lea
ct of power for another four years. B
1t, then, again, they may arouse agar
&c them the mass of the Conservati
er people, who constitute, we verify b
ur lieve, majority Of the legal voters
ut the Union, and thus be swept from t
C. seats which their crimes have too 10
nd disgraced. The minds of the peol
will therefore he on stretch of anx
ty while this unprecedented trial
~ going on.
If, A STHAiA, which is SO distressingat
its "a season can he relieved and cured