The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-05-16

OF .tn eYn faf$ 4 ii f.tt &.
didate gdinSt and flllIf M lcf,s,rse
viii date not sf,e mild Rsrs,l,s;.
caiisty but the Var De atcrncg. in fhAir SON.
port q ticket to wlich none but he, err
estI ad yocstes ef inpe chment can Object.
Ihis predsefion has caused scnie comment.
( and as general 81 accepted Dis conviucing eYi-.
5dence tf his determination 10 destroy the,
party Of freedom and progress andrew
johnson publicly anneancsd at the berin-
ming Of his Presidential career that such
vac his desire, and we see the result Of his
Vaccinations in the impending danger:
which disheartens our loyal people. 9
zmpeachment- Letter from Senator
Henderson,.
Senator Henderson has addressed the:
following letter TO the Missouri congress
sional delegation SO
WASHINGTON CRY, May IA, 1868.
Gentlemen, In an interview with you on
the day before yesterday yon suggested
that my position on the Impeachment ques-
ton was against the almost unanimous wish
OF the Union party Of our State, and that
Jon feared violence and bloodshed-might
follow the Preside 3 acqnittal q nasmncl
as Iowedsmy position here to that party,
and expected to support it's men and mea-i
isures, IN the coming canvass especially and
ash deprec ated the consequences you thought
might follow, though r did not anticipate
nor fear any such results, yet, in order to
place myself beyond the possible ceDsllrel
of those whom l knew to be my best friends
i at once proposed to forward tothe Governor;
my resignation as senator. To this you did
not consent, and then requested you,
as my friends, to consult together and de-
termine what you thought was proper for
me to do under the circumstances. You
did so, and the result was, that believing
"5the safety of the country and the inte-
rests of the loyal people of the United
States demand the removal of Andrew
johnson, " you ask me to withhold my vote
on any article Of impeachment upon which
you cannot vote afhrmatiyely. So soon
as / had time to read and consider this
paper, found could not comply with the
request without that degree of humiliation
and shame to which I was satisfied you, as
honorable men, would not wish to subject
me-, i had already spoken in the Senate,
and / thought conclusiyely, at least SO to
my mind, against eight of the articles, and
had informed you that was no less
decided in my judgment against the.
sufficiency of two others, leaving me.
in doubt only as to one. I, If, with these
clear convictions expressed in full in the
Senate, should sit silent, would forfeit
my own seH-respect and stand defenceless
before the world. You agreed toreconsider
your opinion as expressed; and although
you at first resolved to adhere to it, / am
gratifed that, upon further reflection, you
agreed with me that the request was quite
unreasonable, but you still insisted, as your
opinion, that my duty required my vote to
be so cast or withheld, as might seem neces-
sary, on some one article as to secure con-
riction. I at once mentioned the. difficulty
attending this suggestion. Senators had
been, and were still, so reticent on the sub
iect that could not ascertain their posi-
tions. / knew them to be greatly divided
on the several articles, and they were even.
liable to, change their minds at any moment
before the final vote should be taken.
But as you expressed o desire that l
should not resign unless it became abb
solutely necessary to have o successor
in my place favorable to conviction,
I promised to give you the result Of my
conclusions as soon as | could ascertain the
probable result on one or two of the arti-
cles. | have endeayored to ascertain that
result. / cannot, and now write you to
say, aad be assured that say it in that
spirit of friendship and Kindness which
you have always extended to me, and
which, now undiminished, | have ever en-
tertained for you, that your request on this
subject has placed me in the most difficult
and delicate possible position. lam salts
fed you do not realize it. have given it
the most serious consideration, both on your
and my account, and especially on account
of the gravity and Importance of the
subjects presented. The result Of that
consideration is, that having been COM
PEELED, as member Of the Senate, to
take an oath to try this case and to do I'M
partial justice according to the law and
the evidence, I cannot now honorably escape
the duties imposed by the obligation. 1t
was for the House of Representatives TO
prefer articles of impeachment. 1t is for
the Senate to try them, and the members OF
the House have no more right to dictate or
control the judgment Of the Senate in the
premises than members of o grand jury
presenting on Indictment have to dictate or
influence the verdict of the petit jury on
the trial of crime and do not thus speak
for the purpose oflrefecting on your action,
for I distinctly disclaim such purpose,
knowing as I do that what you have done
and said spring from the best of motives as
well as the kindest of feelings My duty
in the premises / cannot shirk nor can 1
divide It with others. If / resign before the
conclusion Of the trial, it strikes me that l
come short of the obligations of my oath,
and unnecessarily subject myself to the I'M
putations of weakness, or something worse.
If I remain and do my duty, my constitu-
entssat present may condemn me, but will
not when they hear my reasons; and the
people of Missouri have no reason, /
hope, to strike me down without hear
ing. If / stay and withhold my vote,
as requested, you are aware that the result
would be the same as if l voted adversely.
If / resign, and o successor should come,
perhaps proper sense of delicacy would
prevent him from violating every precedent
on this subject by casting q vote at all. Ii
he sat silent, it would be the same in result
as If. he voted adversely. If he voted af-
1frmatiyely, and thus secured conviction,
this manner Of obtaining conviction would
likely neutralize in the end every iadyan-
tage to be derived from impeachme nt.
Hence / have resolved oremain atsmy post
and discharge my duty as it is given me ''
to know it !. and appealing to Heaven forthe
rectitude of my intentions and the integ-
rity Of my conduct II shall follow the die
tates Of my conscience to the end OF this
= ~, =, mo al 1,,,fr Tho iuf1pmnnt