Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-04-14
IMPEACHMENT GOSSIP.

Savage Cross Examination by ButIel
-seven- YeaFs-Oid Malice UnbedIIea
The Presidents Purpose In Ten
deFiDg iIae War once 20 sherman
The Presidents Counsel Confident
of AcquEftal. Ht
Correspondence Of the Cincinnati Commercial
WAsHISeToN, April lO.-fhere wa
great curiosity 90 see the General and heal
what he had 10 say. He had been seer
around the Senate chamber every day since
the trial began, and had come down to-day
promptly at twelve, as usual. The objecI
Of The defense in calling him was to prove
that the President never authorized him 70
use force 70 get Stanton ont OF the War De
partment, and this was done by a direct
| question and answer. He positively de-
MED that the President had ever limited TO
him in any way that he should use force
i in the matter. The admission of Thomas
testimony as TO what the President said to
him after he had commissioned him Secre-
tary Of War od interim, was objected 10 by
Butler, and the point was srgued at con-
| siderable length by the counsel on both
sides, but finally decided against Butler by
vote Of forty-two to ten. Even Sum
ner voted to admit it. II was also
proven by Thomas that the order
issued by him, on the 10Th Of February,
for the closing Of the War Department on
the following day, came originally from
Stanten. This upsets part Of the theory
attempted TO be established by Butler, who
has cited Thomas action in the matter re-
ferred 10 az part of the conspiracy, and as
proof that Thomas tried 70 take entire con-
troll Of the clerical force of the department.
On the cross-examination, Butler was
very severe on Thomas, and did his best
to make him contradict himself, or 10 get
from him some admission that be contem-
plated the forcible expulsion of Stsnton.
Thomas admitted having talked TO two
persons of using force, but said that he
spoke in Jest TO one Of them, and very soon
repented of what he had said to the other
During the eross-examination the sympa-
thies Of the Senate and Of the galleries
we're entirely with Thomas, because it
was felt that Butler was unnecessarily
spiteful and ostentatious. Those who
knew the history Of the two men might
have accounted for it by the fact that the
two have been personal enemies since an
early time in the war Butler and Banks
were commissioned as Major Generals on
the same day in 1861. Thomas was Adj
lutant General at that time, and in making
the entry of the two appointments in his
otiine books gave the precedence TO Banks
over Butler. This greatly enraged Butler,
who called at the Adiutant Generals office
10 demand an explanation. While there
he called Thomas traitor, and Thomas
instantly returned the compliment by call
ing Butler a liar, and intimating desire
for fight, which Bntler did not crafty.
This little unpleasantness has never been
reconciled, and Bntler took advantage of
his position to-day to pay off the cid score
in part This explains the severity Of the.
cross-examinatiOn.
Correspondence Of the Louisville Courier.
WASHINGTON, April 1l.-No progress
was made 10 the trial to-day, the time be-
ing consumed in discussion of the admissi-
bility Of Gen. Sherman's testimony. The
court overruled the Chief Justice, who
thought II admissible. The purpose of the
Presidents counsel was to prove that the
President rendered the appointment Of Seq
Fetary of War al interim 10 Sherman ia
order 10 test iudicially Sianton's Iight TO
Office and show that the Executive had no
other object 10 view.
Butler was 30 insolent in his bearing,
Mr.. Stanbery Indignantly demanded that
he should deslst. In the course of the die
cussion Mr.. Butler accused the counsel of
dishonorable practice, but they treated his
remarks with contempt.
The ruling of the court to-day will ex-
clude nearly all the evidence by which the
Presidenfs counsel could clearly have ex-
culpated him. The rejection of his evidence
by the court confirms the impression that
his conviction is a foregone conclusion.
Sumner denies the statement that he said
it was doubtful how six Senators would
vote. Ny authority was a member of Con-
gress whose character for veracity is quite
az good as Summers.
WASHINGTON, April 12.-The Presi.
dents counsel profess that their confidence
is unabated in the acquittal of the Presi-
dent, but the opinion Of the public is alto
gether different. IL the court continues to
rule out all testimony concerning the dec
iaration of the President, he fails 10 es-
tablish his intent in removing Stanton.
But the counsel of the President insist
that the court cannot reject the evidence
Ol ntlnoSfa VI TIE NhDlntlt WHOse pIoOl lS
Car more important than Sherman's.
The pitiable exhibition Gen. Thomas
made on the stand yesterday, together with
Buffers impudence, and the pliancy of the
court, seemed to dumbfound the Presidents
counsel and created an impression unfavor-
able TO the cause.
The Radicals express doubts that Wiley,
Van Winkle, Anthony, Trumbull and Ross
will vote for conviction, but il will be sur
prising il il is not carried by a party vote.
Sprague, hitherto supposed against it, has
changed base, and will vote for conviction.
Radicals say johnson has Just one weeks
lease of the Executive mansion, and no
matter what evidence he may adduce he
il lost