New-York tribune., 1868-05-11
W1TTJyG FOR THE VERDICT,

consider Andrew johnson, President of the
United States, to be guilty or not guilty of the
crimes for which he stands impeached. The
duty is judicial as well as extra-udicial. In
the minds of the American people the President
stands condemned. We feel sure this will
be the Judgment of the Senators, Judging as
they will according to the law and the evil
dence.
These are possibly the last words we shall
speak to the Senate before the verdict. So far
as our influence has gone, we have argued the
duty of removing Mr. Johnson from the Presi-
dency Possibly we have urged it with We
hemence. 1t was our right and duty, more es-
pecially as our Counsels were always against
Impeachment until it became a question OF ma
tional honor. Those who accuse us of reckless
clamor forget that, upon former occasions, when
Impeachment was open to the charge of being
merely political expedent, we counsecd its
defeat. Treachery to the Republican party was
only just cause for condemnation by Rcpubli-
can Convention, and so long as Mr.. Johnson con-
fined his malice and revenge to the removal Of
our friends from Office, and impeding just laws
with his veto, and dcnOunclng our statesmen
in bitter speeches, we felt that the only reply
should be the Ballot. The time came in its
scason-we felt it was coming swiftly-when he
laid his profane hands upon the law and
claimed to override the Legislature with the
imperial tramp of Bonaparte. The issue was
made and we either had to confirm Andrew
Johnson in his usurpation, or to visit him with
a severe punishment. 1t is due to the Senators
to say that they have conducted this trial with
been restive under what seemed to be unnc-
cessary and enervating delay. We are content
TO regard il as all for the best The great
trial will be memorable for its patience, care,
forethought, and Judgment. 1t cannot he said
that we have Judged the President with PIE
ciptancy.
We recall no time when the popular anxiety
has been so intense. IL is indeed a solemn
matter to depose the President of the United
States Rulers have been removed, but in no
other country without commotiOn and civil
war, and after long years of oppression. Tho
head of Charles only fell after centuries of
royal tyranny. The life of the gentle Louis
atoned ten thousand crimes of the House of
Bourbon. France was rocked To its fOunda-
tions; society was rent asunder; the church
was overturned There were mighty wars ;
the bravest and best of her sons were driven to
the scaffold she closed her brief and
giddy dream of Freedom. Before king could
be removed, the nation itself was brought to the
verge of ruin. The removal of Mr.. johnson
will be an event as important in its conse-
quenccs as the execution of Louis. This dis
tincton exists that, by the formal operation
of the law, with scarcely n ripple upon the
surface of our social and political life, we
change in an hour the whole character of our
Executive, and condemn to ignominious retire
ment man who has used power to thwart the
will of the people. One idea will be forever
craven upon our history that in free America
the voice of the people will be the supreme
law
Therefore we await this verdict with hope
and confidence. Every business and national
interest waits. The feeling that removal could
not be avoided has given the nation COM
fort, and we see no danger but that of ac-
quittal. If there we're any vagueness in the
issue, if it were merely technical and Incl
dental proceeding, if we claimed to remove
Mr. Johnson for infdelity TO the party that
elected him, we might well trembe at the pre-
cedent The issue is plainly this; Andrew
johnson is either q Criminal or he is n King
His acquttal admits that any President
may take judicial cogDizance of the
laws. The Constitution gives him now
the Veto. The Senate, by his release, would
make his construction Of law as absolute and
whimsical as that of an emperor. He may
remove Grant, decline to recognize Congress-
cease the collection Of revenues suspend the
tariffs, do whatever pleased his fancy
and say in defense, 81 regard these laws as
unconstitutional, and | cannot execute them.p
A tyrant wants nothing but pretext, and
pretext any time may convert Democracy into
a Monarchy. This is the danger of the future,
but we are sure that Senators will not be in
sensible to the record of the past. The
Republican Senator who rises i'll his seat
tomorrow and votes mot guilty" virtually
says 81 am the same as Andrew Johnson
81 am his defender and apologst. i go
"ntO history as his companion. His deeds
care my deeds-his speeches are my speeches.
81 give to his past career my approval. accept
" the responsibility Of anything he may do in
"times to come. The pardons Of unre-
"pentant Rebels, the massacres in New-0r-
"leans and Memphis, the unpunlshed muir
" ders in the South, the frauds in the
revenues, the anarchy in many parts of the
"SOuth, his indecent and incOherent speeches,
" 50 Justly called even by his counsel Mr.. Evarts,
"'the voice of the beaten rebellion now receive
"my cOmmendatiOn." For remember that Sena-
tors are not merely jurors but Statesmen! If
this were charge against Mr.. Johnson
affecting his own personal safety and
comfort, and of consequence to no one else,
we might pardon verdict of release. The
nation is on trial as well as Andrew Johnson.
To be sure, under any circumstances, he has
only few months TO serve; but the verdict