The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-05-23
The Impeachment Breakdown.


late day to be informed, that the senate of the
L. s., one week ago to-day, commenced voting
on the articles of impeachment against An
drew Johnson, the first vote being taken on
the 18th Article, which was regarded as the
test, and the loss of which would foreshadow
the inevitable defeat of the others, and that
the article was voted down, thus virtually ac-
quitting Andrew Johnson. This result was
brought about by seven republican Senators
voting with the conservatives against impeach-
ment, the seven being Senators Fessenden,
Fowler, Grimes, Ross, Trumbull and Van
Wrinkle y s-t t....
The arraignment of King or the indict-
ment Of a President on charge of high crimes
and misdemeanors, is u matter OF such gravity,
involves such great national interests, SO at
tracts to itself the eyes of the civilized world,
that flat failure in the prosecution to make
out a case rebounds to the confusion and dis
grace of those who have moved in the matter.
This shameful spectacle Of ignomineous de-
feat, in matter of such moment, now covers
the dominant party in Congress. They are
pilloried in history for all time, spectacle of
raving folly. ofweak and silly madness. A
consciousness of this, stealing over the minds
Of the people, is what awakens this almost
universal disgust. they feel, when you hear
them say, "They ought never to have begun
it," So
But the thing is done, and in due time the
disgrace will settle just where it belongs. The
House of Representatives will become stencil
in the nostrils, and the Senate will be looked
to as the bulwark of the nation. No raving
accusation against recreant Senators will help
the matter The mark of Cain is fixed on the
instigators of this trial, and ages will not re-
move it.
They have spent weeks Of time, many thous-
ands Of the peoples money, staked their wis
dom on the issue, and as the result, are
proved to lack competency to frame an indict-
ment This is where the failure hurts. It
shows the utter business incapacity Of the
same House ofRepresentatives. They freight
ed all their malice and partisan hate in one ter
rible thunderbolt and launched it at poor "a
J.," and stood in anxious expectation to see
him collapse-annihilated sunk into con-
tempuous nothingnessand infamy past res
direction, stopping all the nations work to
await the issue. And this is the brave result
Most men would rather be called knaves than
fools. A more contemplate failure of bitter
malignity has seldom been made before chris.
tendon. This is what hurts "thc brave de-
Tenders"
The readiness OF the leaders, in their dis
appointment and rage, now to turn and charge
their own men with corruption, is worthy of
note. OF course Judd, Cook, Ingersoll, Cul-
lon, and the leading radical editors Of the
state know Trumbull, Fcssenden and Grimes.
If these men are the first to charge leaders of
their own party with corruption, they know
why they do So The old proverb, at takes
thief to catch thief" is not without its signi-
ficance here. No man ought to know better
what the consciences of Illinois republican lea
ders are made of than their long political as.
sociates If, then, as these pure and patriotic
gentlemen say, Lyman Trumbulrs conscience
is not proof against bribery, they ought to
know. "Birds of feather" &c. They have
been together long time.
There is nothing more refreshing, in this
case, than to see this party Of great moral
ideas" scouting the idea of anybody having Il
conscience except those that happen to think
as they do. This Is specimen of the sort of
| conscience they are familiar with! Most of
these gentlemen are known by their constitu-
cnts to have conscicnces of this stripc-very
tender on one side and yet always to be kick
ed at and ridiculed on the other. This expo
sure of themselves, of their purity, their mutu-
al confidence and respect and their regard for
one anotllers' consciences, is what they are so
mad about
But can the raving of these baked and ezra
ged congressman and their venal presses, their
detractlons and aspersions, touch the charac-
ter of men like Crimes, Irumbull and Fessen-
den There is not one of them but knows that
ii money could have bought these senators,
millions would have been rendered by the par
ty in power to compass the degradation OF
Andrew johnson. The hue and cry raised
against these senators shows rather that the
corrupting power was tried on the etller side
and failed
Galveston editor, being accused OF having
served under Butler, repudiats the SANDER, and
says he 'never saw Ben. Butler, nor has he the
slightest objection to dying without the sight"