Middletown transcript., 1868-03-28
Progres. of impeachment.

precedence of every other topic in the
public mind. On Monday last, at /
o'clock, the Senate resumed the subject.
The defense of the President was read by
his counsel. The document is volumi-
nous and occupied an hour and a half in
the reading, 1t is a thorough aud com
plete viadication of the President, upon
all tho points upon which he has been ar
raigned, It's chief features are, an ad-
mission that he appointed Lorenzo Thomas
Secretary of War, ad interim, and with
out the consent Of the Senate, but denies
that he thereby committed any offence !;
that there was vacancy in the war Office,
and, although the Senate was in session,
he could authorize General Thomas to
act; and in reply to the allegations in ref
erence to his speeches, the President as
serts that he is not correctly reported, but
maintains his right as a citizen to form
opinions in reference to the Legislation of
Congress, and to give expression to them.
At the conclusion of the reading the coun-
sel for the President applied for an ex-
tension of time of thirty days after re-
plication to make preparation for defense.
This motion was resisted by the managers
of impeachment, and finally refused by
strict party vote
On Tuesday, the House managers re-
ported the replication to the Presidents
answer to the articles of impeachment,
and rescrving to themselves all adyan-
tage of exception to the insuficiency of
his answer" reiterate that he is guilty of
the high crimes and misdemeanors mem
toned, &c. The House, after debate.
adopted the replication by a vote of 115
yeas to 36 nays-a strict party vote. The
managers afterwards presented the paper
to the Senate in session as a court, and n
copy was ordered to be furnished to the
Presidents counsel.
The question on the previous days mo-
tion Of Senator johnson, of Maryland, to
grant ten days extension of time to pre-
pare for trial then came up, when Mr..
Sumner moved to amend so as to require
the trial to proceed at once. The Senate
then. by vote of 90 to %, retired for
consultation, and having thus spent the
time from d to 81 o'clock, returned, and
the Chief Justice announced that the SEN
ate had adopted an order to commence the
trial on Monday, the Both inst. So the
trial of Andrew johnson, President of the
United States, will regularly commence on
Monday next, at 12I o'clock.
The New York World is hopeful of an
acquittal. So is its Washington corres-
pondent. But we have come to different
conclusion, and we shall be very agreea-
bly, disappointed if he is. The follow
ing speculations upon the subject we
clip from the World of Tuesday:
The unblushing impudence of General
Butler in standing up as one of the mana
gers and advocating the conviction of the
President +" at railroad speed" was a fit
ting prelude to the mock trial which
opened yesterday. There il a foreeone
discrimination that the President shall not
have justice, and it is vain to expect for
him any indulgence. But we must bear
IN mind that those who control the pro-
eeedings during the trial, will not deter
mine the result. The House impeaches.
but 1t cannot condemn and the managers
appointed to carry out its wishes display,
In their role of prosecuting officers, a for
ward and nnrelenting hostility which
woald be nnbecoming in the court. We
are not warranted in inferring the result
from the relentless temper of the mana
gers. 1t would have been great mistake
to have inferred the condemnation of War
rem Hastings from the neadlong virulenee
displayed by Burke and his associates at
the beginning of the trial 1t would have
been equally q mistake to have Inferred
the condemnation of Judge Chase from
the temper in which John Randolph and
his associate managers conducted the pros
ecution. And SO, in the present trial,
We thus far see only the heat and venom
OF the prosecutors, and not the final state
OF mind in which the conclusion of the
trial will leave the judges.
II must also be recollected that the issue
does not depend upon the majority of the
Senate. but on its minority. All ques-
tons which arise in the course of the trial
are decided BY mere majority; but on
the final question of innocence or guilt,
one-third of the Senators are suf;c;ont 30
acquit. If, therefore, there should prove
70 be eight fair-minded and conscientious
Senators, the President will be safe in
spite of the partisan fury which is the
moving impulse of the prosecution. With |
20 just cause, and the necessity of con- |
vinclng but little more than one-ffth of
the Republican Senators of its justice, we
see no reason Why the friends Of the Pres
ident should lose eon6denee-at least not
In this early stage of the proceedings