Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-04-01
Progress of impeachment {.


serious opposition.
Progress of impeachment.
The House adopted Tuesday, and the Mana
gers presented to the Court of impea chuent
the following REPLICATION.
Replication by the House of Representatives Of
the United States, 10 the dns,0er of Andrea
Johnson, President of the United States, TO
the Articles of Impeachment exhibited against
HIM By the House of Representatives..
The House of Representatives of the Uui-
ted States has considered the several answers
of Andrew johnson, President of the United
States to the several articles of impeachment
against him, by them exhibited in the name
of themselves, and of all the people of the
United States, and reserving to themselves
all advantage of exception to the lnsuthcIency
of his answer to each and all of the several
articles of Impeachment exhibited against
said Andrew johnson, President of the Uni
ted States do deny each and every averment
in said several answers, or either of them,
which denies or traverses the acts, intents,
crimes, misdemeanors charged against
said Andrew johnson in said articles of i'm
parchment, or either of them, and for repll-
cation to the said answer, do say that the
said Andrew johnson, President of the Uni
ted States, is guilty of the high crimes and
msdemeanors mentioned in the said articles,
and that the said House of Representatives
are ready to prove the same.
After the replication had been read, the
Senate retired to consult in respect to the ap-
plication by the Presidents counsel for more
time, and on returning into the Senate Cham
Der promulgated the following order
Ordered, That the Senate commence the
trial of the President of the United States
upon the Articles of Impeachment exhibited
against him, on Monday, the 3Uth of March
instant, and proceed thereon with all con
venent dispatch under the rules of the Sen
ate sitting for the trial of the impeachment
We copy below from the Boston Journa
the account of the progress Monday in the
matter of Impeachment
At twenty minutes past twelve. Mr. Ihao
Stevens was carried through the rotunda il
a chair. looking grim and defiant as h
passed to the scene of the future humiliation
of his opponent.
Close behind him Mr. Chief JUSTICE Chas,
strobe along. wearing his robes of Office ant
escorted by Senator Pomeroy.
As on previous days the President sus
pended the regular business of the Senate a
! II 30 o'clock, announcing that the Senat
would 20 into session for the trial of the I'm
parchment of the President of the Unitet
States. The Chief Justice then took hi
I place within the desk of the presiding officer
The Managers at about the same instan
appeared at the door of the Senate, whcl
/ they were announced, and filing in as upol
previous occasions, took seats at their table
The members of the House followed in regu
lar order. Messrs. Stanbery, Evarts. Groes
beck, Nelson and Curtis took the seat
previously occupied by them.
The short hand reporter attached to thu
Attorney Generals Office was seated at tn
table of the counsel, busily writing durin
the reading of the journal of the last sessio
by Mr.. Forney
Mr.. Stevens did not occupy seat wit
the other Managers, but sat two or thre
yards in the rear of the table, behind Nh
Buffers secretary. At 10 so the readn
was finished when the journal was approved
GEN. BUFFERS ARGUMENT.
Gen. Butler at once rose amid great still
ness and proceeded to address the Senate
| The following is abstract of his address
Gen. Butler commenced his speech by say
ing that it had fallen to his lot to present tn
general propositions of fact and the law upo
which the House of Representatives VII
endeavor to sustain the cause of the peopl
against the President of the United States
now pending at the bar of the Senate Now
for the first time in the history of the world
| has nation brought before its hiches
| tribunal its chief executive magistrate 70
trial and possible deposition from Office, upo
charges of INSTRUMENTATION of the power
and duties of that office. Other nation
have found it difficult to rid themselves fror
tyrannical, imbecile or faithless rulers, bu
our fathers in founding our government pro
vided a conservative, effectual and practica
remedy for such and similar exigencies Tn
House of Representatives shall solely in
peach, the Senate shall only try, and in cas-
Of conviction the Judgment shall alone b
removal from office and disqualification from
Office, one or both
The Constitution has left the offenses 70
which impeachment may be resorted to to b
defined, and an improbable high crime O
misdemeanor may be thus defined 1t is on
IN Its nature or consequences subversive O
some fundamental or essential principle Q
government, or highly prejudicial to tn
public interest, and this may consist of
violation of the Constitution, of law, of al
official oath. or of duty, by an act committee
or omitted, or, without violating a rositiv
law, by the abuse of discretionary power
from improper motives. or for any imprope
purpose.
After some citations explanatory of thi
definition of an impeachable offense, Mr.
Butler proceeded to argue the question
whether the body now sitting to determine
the accusation of the House of Representa-
tives against the President of the Unite,
States is the Senate of the United States O
Court. He introduced references TO nrc
vious State trials, both in England and tbi
country, to show that the body now sittint
in judgment is the Senate of the Unite,
States, convened as a constitutional tribunal
to inquire into and determine whether An
drew johnson, because of malversation i,
office, is longer tit to retain the Office O
President of the United States, or hereafte
to hold any office of honor or profit. One o
the points principally dwelt upon to estab
lish this position was that there is 10 rich
of challenge by either party to any of tn,
Senator'S for favor. or malice, affinity or in
terest. The proceeding being an INQUEST O
office. and almost always partaking more o.
less of political considerations, it would b,
impossible that senators should not have
opinions or convictions upon the sui beet mat
ter more or less decidedly formed before tn,
case reaches them. And if challenges could