Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1868-03-18


Of Representatives that the Senate was
sitting as "High Court Of Impeachment.
Immediately thereafter the Sergeant-at-
Arms announced the presence Of tho mana
gers on the part Of the House, (who, by the
way, came over without being sent for, and
they were escorted to seats at a table on the
left Of the sccrctary's desk. : After Messrs.
Edmunds, Patterson Of New Hampshire,
and Vickers, had been sworn as members of
the. High Court" the Secretary read the
return Of the Sergeant-at-Arms to the sum.
mons, announcing its delivery to the Presi.
dent, &C., which was sworn to in open
Court.
The Scrgcant-at-Arms then called Andrew
johnson, repeating tho name twice, Presi-
dent Of the United States, to appear and
answer the articles Of impeachment exhibit
cd against him. Senator johnson said the
President had retained counsel to appear
for him, and the Sergeant-at-Arms was d.
rected to notify the counsel, which was done,
and thcreupon Hon. Henry Stanbery, Judge
Benjamin r. Curtis, and Hon. Thomas A.
r. Nelson, Of Tennessee. appeared and took
seats at a.tablc on the righto the main aisle.
AT this point Mcssrs. Stevens and Butler,
Of the House Managers, entered the Cham.
Der and took seats with their associates
The members Of the House (not already in)
soon followed, accompanied by the Speaker,
Clerk and Doorkeeper, and were escorted to
the seats provided for them. All being in
readiness, Mr.. .Staubcry arose and announc-
cd that his brothers Curtis:and Nelson and
himself appeared for the President, and
read his (the Presidcnt's) response to the
summons asking forty days for. the prcpara-
tion Of his answer to the articles Of impeach-
ment. Mr.. Stanbery then moved tho Court
to grant the time asked for, and read paper
to that effect, signed by himself and Messrs.
Curtis, Clack, Nelson and Evarts, Of counsel
for the President. A discussion here arose
between Messrs. Stanbery and Curtis on one
side, and Messrs. Bingham and Wilson on
the other-the former contending for the
allowance Of time suggested, and. the. latter
opposing it on the ground that under the
eighth rule the trial must proceed at once.
Mr.. Senator Edmunds then submitted an
order requiring the President to file his an
swer on or before the first Of April next, and
the case stands for trial on the 9th Of that
month. Nh. Bingham raised q point Of
order on this proposition, as it conaictcd
with the rule above referred to.
The Chief Justice decided that it was in
the nature Of On amendment to the rule,
whereupon Mr.. Morton very adroitly moved
that the Senate retire for the purpose of con-
sultation on the question before them, which
was agreed to, and the Chief Justice and
Senators retired to one Of the rooms in the
rear Of the Chamber for the purpose afore.
said. A sort Of recess then occurred, but
the members Of the House who we're present
and the spectators in the galleries, for the
most part, held on to their seats, while the
managers Of the impeachment and the coun-
sci Of the President remained at their re-
spective tables, MI. Stevens INDUCED in o
plate Of raw oysters, while his associates
talked earnestly with one another. The
Presidents counsel kept entirely to temselves
occasionally recognizing some friend that
happened to pass by. This state Of sus.
pense continued until five minutes past four
o'clock, when the rustling in the galleries
and the moving about on the floor indicated
the return Of the Chief Justice and the
members Of the "High Court of Impeoch-
ment" As soon as order had been restored
the Chief Justice announced that the Sen.
ate had overruled the motion Of the Presi.
dents counsel for an allowance of forty days
and had ordered that he file his answer on
or before the 23d instant. The question
then arose as to when the trial should actu-
ally commence. Bingham submitted an
order that it should proceed Immediately
after the filing Of the replication to the
Presidents answer, and upon vote by yeas
and nays on the proposition it was rejected
by 25 to 20. All the known impeachers
voted in the affirmative, while the more
cautious Radicals voted in the negative
After the result had been announced, Butler
who was waiting under the turn affairs had
akcn, and the practical snubbing the House
managers had received, rose and proceeded
to make violent partisan harangue, which
disguised even some Of his own party
Hon. Mr.. Nelson, Of counsel for the Presi.
dent, replied in q calm, digni6ed and appro.
pirate manner, after which proposition,
submitted by Mr.. Conkling, ordering that,
unless otherwise ordered, for cause shown,
the trial shall proceed Immediately afler the
fling Of the replication to the Presidents
answer, was adopted by party vote, but
taken as compromise between ordering
the trial to proceed Internationally, after
the replication and fixing certain day for
its commencement. 1t cannot begin now.
at the earliest before the 25th or Goth Of