Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1868-05-23
1.-THE End of Impeachment"


From the Erie Dispatch.
While it is very true that, according
to the appearance of things, the odds
are against US, and there is a possibility
that no further effort to impeach may
be made, deliberate review Of the case,
together with a look at the elements
which at present govern it, should con-
vince any one that impeachment is i'm
possible to be arrived at, because it is
the easiest and simplest method of dis
posing of the question.
Has not Andrew Johnson already
been impeached by the people? Has
not the testimony against him been clear
and convincing beyond the shadow of a
doubt. And has not his guilt been unques
tionably established? What then is the
deduction ? Simply this, that if the ad-
jOurnment has not been made to add
strength to impeachment argument, 1t
was made for the benefit of lot of mis-
cradle aspirants to positions who desire
to use the Chicago Convention for their
purposes. The most significant part of
the proceedings, or the result on the
eleventh article, is seen in the position
taken by Fessenden, Henderson, Fowler,
Trumbull, Grimes, NanWinkle and Ross.
Every one OF these men, at some stage
OF the proceedings, pronounced against
johnson. But at the stage which was
thought TO be the most important and
decisive, they pronounce i'll his favor.
Have they acted honea:ly? Are the
Republican news papers to give up the
fight and the question, relinquish their
moral conviction of right, because these
men have proved recreant to the trust
reposed in them, and betrayed the faith
which they by their own words and ac-
tions built up? Not a bit of it. A
journal which does so has been deficient
in strengeb, faith and ability from the
beginning, and now deserts the stand
point with the same facility which has
characterized the action of the Senators
who ct the eleventh hour fail to make
good the work which they have pledged
to their people.
These men have falsifed their records
and dishonored themselves and their
party. If governed by that high sense
| OF Justice which we are told should con-
troi man when he is trying fellow
for crimes against the government, why
did they not before annouce that they
had censclences & feelings which would
enable them to discriminate between
right and wrong, and dcmounce tbs inn
peachment business as III outrage and
an act of political chicrnery? But, on
the contrary they led the world to be-
lI9V0 that fhny Inhncnn
ought to be removed, and their copvic-
tions' We're that, regardless of party ad.
vantage, the good of the country, de-
manded his removal. But the facts are
there are other reasons for their conduct
The suspicion that coreupt means were
used to bring about an acquittal are not
without foundation,' and no one can be
made to donbt that some degree of po-
litical prcferment or gain is at the bot
tom of it.
How then can genuine Republican
newspaper regard this thing as failure
and at once sing doxology as if the
services were closed. "That Andrew
johnson has not been convicted by the
votes of two-thirds of the Senate will
not in the least shake the popular belief
that Andrew johnson is guilty. The
terms of the constitution and the misfor-
tune of the Republic have made the re-
moval of Mr.. johnson depend upon the
changing moods of whiting nonentity
like Ross, who was for conviction at
night and for acquittal in the morning,
and upon the good faith of the perfdi-
ous Henderson, who pledged himself to
vote for the eleventh article or else to
resign, and then voted against it. But
the success of the trial in the minds of
the people and in view of posterity is
not affected by such contingencies as
:hese. Its triumph is already past per-
adventure. The people will ratify it
and. history will justify it.'