Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-04-03
LATEST KILOGRAMS.
MIDNIGHT DISPATCHES.
THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.


Senate.
WASHINGTON, April 2.-The Senate met
al u o'clock. The chair was Immediately
vacated for the Chief Justice, and the court
opened at 1910. The managers advanced
and took their places, and Immediately fo!-
lowing, about a dozen members of the
House. After the journal was read Mr..
Drake Immediately rose and said, Mr..
President, l send to the chair and ask the
adoption of an amendment to the rule, by
adding the following: Upon all questions
of evidence and incidental questions, the
votes shall be without a division, unless
the yeas and nays shall be demanded by
one-fifth of the members, as required by the
presiding officer, when the same shall be
taken under the rules. The amendment
lies over one day.
Mr. Stanbery said: Mr.. Chief Justice,
before the managers proceed with another;
witness, we wish to recall Mr.. Karsener.
Mr.. Butler: / submit if Karsener is to
be recalled, the examination and cross-ex-
animation having been finished on both
sides, he must be recalled as witness OF
the respondent, and the proper time will
| be when they begin their case.
Mr.. Stanbery: We will call him for a
moment.
Chief Justice to Mr.. Butler: Have you
any objection?
| Mr.. Butler: No, sir.
Mr.. Karsener took the stand.
| Mr.. Karsener testified that the night OF
| the 9th of March he was at the house oil
Mr.. Lamer, who was employed in the War
Department don't recollect that next
| morning | went with Tanner to the War
| Department to see Stanton in regard to my
| testimony. | saw Stanton in regard to
nothing in particular was introduced by
| Lanner; reference was made to General
Thomas received no memorandum from
Stanton, and received no instructions
Something was said regarding my testi-
mony.
Thomas NJ. Ferry, member of Congress-
form Michigan, called, and testified that
on the morning of the 22d of February
when General Thomas came to the War
Office | was present, and paid attention to
what occurred and made memorandum
have that memorandum now. Witness
here read from his memorandum an ac-
count of what was said in the interview re-
ferred to; was pretty much the same as tes-
titled to by other witnesses. Stanton asked
Thomas if he intended to use force, and
replied to by Thomas, that he did not care
to use force, and had made up his mind
as to what he should do. Witness was
briefly cross examined by Mr.. Stanbery and
discharged.
Gen. Emery, Commander Of the Post OF
Washington, testified Had a conversation
| nj Ali The DracIAopt IN aaxor1 10 he
ment of the troops of the Department OF
Washington ; the conversation occupied a
long time; l can only give substance OF
it; | told him what the strength of each
fort was We had some conversation as to
whether more troops should be brought
here, and l made some recommendation
accordingly; something was said about the
organization of a military force in Mary
land / said | did not see the object of it
Twas sent by the President, and again
aboutthe 22d February received anote from
Col. Moore; this note | read before the Re
construction Committee; / called on the
President about midday, and found him
alone l can't undertake to state the con-
versation exactly; the President asked me
if recollected the conversation | had
with him when l took command of the
department; told him l did; he asked
me what changes had taken place, and
told him no material change, and went OF
to state the changes; the President stated
he did not refer to those changes, but some
made within day or two; | assured him
DO recent changes had been made
and 1 told him under a law O
Congress all orders had now to be issued
l q ,so.I,
me what order it was / replied, order
No. IL, of the series of 1867. AT this time
a gentleman came in, and ! withdrew tt
the other end of the room. Meantime
messenger had given me a copy of the or
der. When the gentleman retired,
showed the order to the President who
read it, and remarked, this is not in con
formity with the Constitution of the United
States, which makes me COMMANDMENT.
Chief, or with the language of you com
mission. replied, that is the order you
have approved for the guidance of the
army. He said, am to understand that
cannot give an order except through the
General of the army? | replied such was
my opinion. l told him that there was
considerable discussion as to the meaning
of the order; had consulted lawyers and
was advised to obey the order. The law
yer | consulted is Robert j. Walker.
understand that other officers had consulted
with Reverdy johnson. l suppose John.
son was of the same opinion. The Presi
dent said the object of the law was evident
and there the conversation ended | did
not see Gen. Thomas that morning, so fal
as | can recollect.
| Mr. Butler here handed witness a copy
of the order referred to by witness, and
asked if it was the same.
Witness said, exactly.
Mr.. Butler said it was No. 10, not as
stated by witness.
The latter said his copy was number eG
| II. Some delay, therefore, occurred in
comparing the two copies, which were de-
MED to be the same.
| Witness continued his testimony, stating
| am still in command of the Department
Cross-examined by Mr.. Stanbery: When
order No. IL was sent to the officers of the
army there was discussion among them
with view to ascertain the obligations OIL
officers under this act. / received no in
structions from the War Department to
the effect of an order. Mr.. Walker ad-
vised me to obey only orders coming
through Gen. Grant. The question oil
whether it was constitutional or not did
not come up; we concluded we would have
to obey it until it was declared uneonsti-
tutional by the court. When | said 20 the
President he had opposed the order,
meant he had opposed the act, which was
all the order contained: Witness
here produced and read General Emery's
commission. Thomas Stevens took the
document afterwards and looked carefully
over it. The order under which Gen.
Thomas resumed his posistion as Adjutant
General of the army was produced, and
| the original letter of Gen. Grant was Of
fered, requesting the President To put in
writing the verbal order he gave the Gen
eral to disregard any orders from The War
Department assumed TO be issued by the
President. The next document produced
was a letter from the President, dated Feb.
10Th, 1868, addressed to Gen. Grant, in
| reply TO the latter's note asking for a writ
| ten copy of his instructions.
Mr. Stanbery said it appeared that this
was a letter purporting to be portion Of
the correspondence between Gen. Grant
and the President file would ask the
honorable managers if thew intended 10