The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1868-04-24
BHtfer and Thomas.
a SCENE IN THE IMPEACHMENT

SCENE IN THE IMPEACHMENT
The curiosity to go and hear Thomas
was great. The old man-absurdest
possible figure for any conceivable con-
spiracy-appeare in full uniform. and
under the influence Of one or two drinks
more than he should have taken, was
at first a trifie too laxative for the in
terests Of his own side. Mr.. Stanbery,
however, kept him pretty well in hand,
and when the cXaminatiOn-in-chie was
ended, the general feeling was that, after
all, neither the President nor Thomas
had intended anything so very bad. He
had received no instructions whatever
from the President save the written or
der to discharge the duties Of Secretary
Of War dd interim, had held no previous
consultation with him, had never been
authorized directly or indirectly to use
force in the matter, had at first been
asked by stanton whether he would
give him time to pack up his private
papers, had at Mr.. Stanton s solicitation
taken a drink with him, had reported
to the President, and been told, Every
We'll 90 on and discharge the duties Of
your Office The Delaware boys"
talk with him had been simply the fast
ening upon him Of bore whom ne had
tried TO get rid of, and to whom lac had
returned jOcOse answers. The whole
story seemed plain and straightforward
il was told with bluff frankness, very
well becoming his gray hairs his uni
form, and his forty years Of army ser
vice. Furthermore Mr. Butler had
made ole or two unwise efforts to pre-
vent the introduction Of parts Of this
testimony, and, on the submission Of
the question to the Senate had been
voted ou, of sight
At last, however, Ii came 20 De But
ler's lurD to erOss-eXamine: and the
poor, old, feebie-minded and slighUyin- /
toNicated soldier fell into the hands of
the spOiler.
Conceive the dumpy ungainly figure .
of the Manager balancing on the back .
Of chair with one hand, and with the .
other lowering over his bald crown. as +
il to rub up ideas by friction. His pug
naciou- face was held up at an angle Of
about lOrty-1iVe degrees, that the half
shut eyes might get the range now of
the s4uiTming witness. more often OF
the amused senators or the tittering
galleries; and the elect was 70 thrust
the chin toward the witness, and give
an air % tie finest inS0lence and most
powerful swa-ger 20 the whole figure
.'ff eAt-H4 tAaA d. AAN N tlhttt 0Nt LLlLf lA-t
area in front 81 -ecretary'- desk more
often with scowling face and threaten
ing gesture, he covered upon the Wit
ness from the ueighbOrhOod Of the Man
ayers table. Against him stood up. at
tie end furthest from him of the ~ocre-
tlry desk, the haple-s witness, now as
nis III luck would have it, passing from
thc eNhiiaatiOn to the stupefacti0n Of
tie extra drinks he had taken Adiu-
tut General Thomas j. an old man,
s.enderinfig figure, but erect and sOldieriy,
with thin gray hair, and q rubicund
face, wrinklci with the footprints Of
over sixty years. The features are thin
and long hook nose ami the
nigh forehead being the most promin-
ent; and the general air of the man is
such a. might very well warrant Mr..
StAntOns effort to get him placed on
the retired list. If we add to this that
his intellectual force was never great,
that his social standing has been good, .
and that his habits have been cOnvivial.
il may be the more readily understood
that, with an exterior polish of good
and steady phrases, the man
is at bottom half an imbecile.
There is no need to tell over he story
Of his discontinue. Probably there Is
no better lawyer in the country to break
down witness than Mr.. Butler. He
set out to break down Gen. Thomas, and
succeeded-entangled him in cOntradic-
tons, confused him As to places and
dates, made him swear To one statement
one minute, another the next He did
not get him TO this pass without cOnsid
cradle previous expenditure, however.
Of the most offensive hectoring and bull [
lying. an exhibition from which any [
gentleman might have shrunk in that O
presence, but in which Butler seemed /
rather TO take a delight. He sneered at =
Gen. Thomas. sneered az the President,
-neered AT the counsel, accused Mr..
Lvarts, in the most insOllcut tones Of I
But after all. two things are 10 be said ,
IF this performance Of Gen. Buffers. u
e was a wonderful exhibition of smart
lCss and skill. And it carried his point: I
len. Thomas left the stand a thorough q
y dcmoralizcd and br0ken-dOwn wit q
less. Butler had eXtOTted from him N
he admission that he construed the
residents order warranting him TO use
0rce IN gaining possession of the War I ,
Department.: had driven him 20 admit u
hat he swOTe to incorrect statements. =
u previous examination before Com L
littec Of the House had hOpelessly IL
ontused him in contradictions, which
Eft no doubt on the Court as to his de ID
ire to tell the truth, and very great al
Quit as to his capacity to do it, Il
Yet, as lac left the stand, one could To
OF repress a feeling of pity He was Il
Id and gray-headed. He was a soldier =
long service, not brilliant perhaps. m
ut never dishonOrable And he wore te
he uniform of the Army of the United II,
tates.- COrrcspOndeacc ofUe CiHcin- 20
pti gazette. i'm