The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-09-09

main single DAY IN possession OF the
department. But he was not. The
two Houses, backed and supported by
the General-in-Chie had left him ut
terly powerless and incapable even OF
self f-protcction. If robber had en-
tered his mansion by night or day he
could not have expelled him, especially
if he hal been told to "stick" That
the General was in full accord with the
two houses, and that he had learned
something of their new system OF
morals, widely different from what is
taught in military schools, is proved by
his last letter to the President, in which
he tells him that he did not intend to
surrender to him the department pursu-
ant to the conditions on which he re-
ceived it, lest the President should so
use it as to defeat the action of the
Radicals in Congress. In truth, he not
only surrendered to q mere trespasser
the department, with its papers and
seals, and all the muniments of office,
which the President had confided to
him, but he gave the intruder n guard,
detailed for the purpose from the army
Of the United States, which was kept
up, day and night, for months, to pro-
tect him against q possible attempt, on
the part of the President, to recover
possession.
The seizing and holding possession of
Fort Sumter against the constitutional
authority of the United States, was an
overt act of treason. Is this less SO 7
Look ut it. Is it less sol The two acts
were done under pretense of rights.
They were equally illegal; both commit.
ted by military force, actual or menaced
the fort and the department each
held by an armed band against the law
tul authority Of the United States.
When the trial of the impeachment
was at length drawing toward n close,
it was ascertained that some of the Re-
publican Senators held their judicial
oath binding them to do impartial JUS
tice paramount to the party mandate to
convict, right or wrong. This caused
much excitement in the party; it
struck the leaders with amazement, and
most strenuous efforts were made, by
threats and entreaties. to compel or
persuade vote of conviction. Sen
ators who sat as judges were assailod by
members who had voted for the i'm.
parchment, and by constituents who
were waiting to get Office under the
new President. All sense of propriety,
all respect for the obligations
of judicial oath were lost
in their eagerness for suc-
cess; they had, indeed, rejected both in
their new system of political morality,
and held that pledge with the inevi-
table sanction, so help me caucus, was
paramount to an oath with the hack
neyed sanction, $50 help me God" The
latter was "played out" "an old mile
stone Oh an abandoned road" General
Scheuck, chairman of the Republican
committee, endeavored, by q circular,
and, as time pressed, by telegraph dis
patches, to avert the threatened evil.
They were all in the same spirit and all
in the same high tone of political and
judicial morality i'll which he seems to
have been sufficiently taught. The
following dispatch will serve as an ex-
ample:
"WAsHINGToN, d. c., May II, 1867.
"1o d. ". Wilder, or ID. Il. Anthoay:
"There is great danger of the peace of
the country and the Republican cause
if impeachment fails. Send TO your
Senator'S before Saturday, public Opin-
ion, by resolution, letters and delega
tiOns. ROBERT Z. SCHENCK,
Chairman"
This was responded to Immediately
by tho parties addressed; ia one in
stance in the following terms:
LEAvENwoRTH; KANSAS, May l3, 1858.
"To Robert c. Schenck:
"Wc hope and pray there will be no
division among the Senators on the
conviction of Andrew johnson, rs there
is none whatever among the Rcpubli-
cans Of Kansas. I'D. X. Anthony.
I'D. w. Wilder.
an. J. Parrot.
"Wm. H. Ralston."
General Schenck communicated this
telegram to Senator Ross, for whom it
was intended, who dispatched the fol-
lowing answer:
"WAsHINGToN, May lG, 1868.
"To d. X. Anthony and others:
"GENTLEMEN-Id do not recognize your
right to demand that shall vote for or
against conviction. / have taken an
oath to do impartial justice, according
to the Constitution and laws, aud trust
that shall have the courage and hon
esty to vote according to the dictates
of my Judgment, and for the highest
good of my country. E. G. Ross"
This was not to be endured. What I!
Hold his oath superior to n caucus man
date! His presumption elected many
sharp rebuke. Here is one of them {:
"TopEKA, May l6, 1863.
"To f. G.. Ross:
Probably the rope with which Judas
hung himself is lost, but the pistol with
which Jim Lane committed suicide il al
your service. l.. ID. BAILEY"
Such was tho Republican estimate Of
the sanctity of a judicial oath, and the
order and proprieties Of Judicial trial.
Six other Republican SenatOrs-seycn
in all-held the invocation, "So help me
God,' paramount to its opposite, 80
help me cancus' All had to pass
through q like ordeal with Ross, but none
of them except him gave to the public
any of the dispatches of their beseech-
crs and assailants. Something was
KNOWN as W ')cudbOh iiCuuOiSphb VI
Missouri. 4 friend of mine was riding
in the T street car ut the time
the excitement ran highest, and
there ehanced to be on board
an elderly gentleman of decent
appearance, who talked very loud.
He was declaiming against Henderson's
anticipated vote of acquittal, and if he
gave it he would be hanged, on his re-
turn to Missouri. A member from one
of the Eastern States, at home q judge,
who sat on the other side Of the car,
went and sat near the vehement gen.
tleman, and said something to him in
an undeit tone, to which he replied loud
ly and emphatically: "Oh, damn him, /
have told him so" Now, what says the
bench and bar of our country to this
mode of conducting a criminal trial in
this our highest tribunal, whose judg-
ments are irreversible, aud whose ac-
ton challenges the judgment of the civ
ilized worldl Would you wish that our
Minister in London should, in your
name, avow and defend il.