The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-05-15
From Washington.
IMPEACHMENT GOSSIP.


Washington special of the 18th to the Cincin-
Intense excitement prevails. The Senate has
been in secret session all day. In the discussion
on impeachment Mr.. Grimes led of dead against
II. u asttuif t1N4
Mr.. Sherman spoke against the first article, d
claiming the president had right to remove Mr.
stanton, but considered the appointment OF Mr..
Thomas unconstitutional The speech Is regarded i
as against conviction. Howe took the same
ground with Sherman. Henderson next followed,
and dsapproved the impeachment from beginning
TO end 'Fessenden ditto. Trumbull at last ac-
counts had reached the eighth article. and con-
demned them all. impeachment stock IL below
par and the Jacobins wear elongated faces. u wa
This has been a day of intense excitement at
the capitol The Senate assembled at ten o'clock
and Immediately went INTO secretsession. Never,
perhaps, has greater solictude been felt and man
Tested. .aiilng 9l a >
The most unreasonable reports had been circu-
lated and believed, relative TO the acts and utter
ances of doubtful senators. Now that these sena-
tors about to speak for themselves officially,
corps of newspaper correspondents crowded the
lobby, and these were untiring in their efforts to
penetrate the vail Of senatorial secresy. ~"
Sporting gentlemen who had staked money on
the result were as busy as badgers catching every
rumor, and seeking information from more expert
knights Of the quill" or- .sna. pu.9 glf .gB1
A senator rarely exposed himself outside the
chamber. When he did, he was Immediately
armed, button-holed. twisted and pulled until
ness proceeded within rumors were abuncant
without. Those last were discussed, sifted and
laid down in turn. Il was not until late In the
afternoon that the facts began to develop them
selves which fully accounted for the elongated
countenances of the Jacobins. Grimes had led
of with q speech in favor OF scquittal. This
startled the impeachers, but when Henderson fol-
lowed with powerful argument which caused
Van Wrinkle to exclaim, Impeachment can't
stand such blows several of the radical senator's
hurried oHt to communicate il to the House inn
peachers, who were anxiously waiting IN the
lobby to hear the first guns Msfortunes rarely
come single. Fessenden threw his whole force
against the impeachment fabric. attacking II from
beginning to eud. ll i.ia, ~ -.pi-i ~ y"
Trumbull followed with q fearful denuncistion
of the first and eighth articles, declaring that
! they would not be seriously regarded by magis-
| trate's court. His fifteen minutes expiring, he
| did not reach the other four articles. What he
| may think of these is not known, although his son
| remarked tonight: :" Pa will vote right on some
of the articles" ~ - t---y "a
| Mr.. Sherman made an unanswerable argument
in favor Of the president on the first article, show.
| ing il legal and constitutional right to remove
! Stanton. Then, as If eager to make amends to
his party, he condemned the dd interim appoint
! ment OF Gen. Thomas, and will vote 10 convict
1 the president on the third article.
! Mr. Howe followed Sher man, and assumed posi-
tiop condemning the first article. and disaPprov-
| ing the appointment of Thomas. His vote Is re-
garded certain of conviction on the third
| article. 49,. ..rr ...r
! Messrs. Stewart, Edmunds Williams and Nor
| rill (of MaiDe) defended all the articles, while
Messrs. Doolittle, johnson, Hendricks and Davis
| eenoI need them all. -.
| The senate is now holding night session. Fur
| Their developments are expected.
| As the affair now stands the president Is GER
tain of six radical votes, viz: Fessenden, Grimes,
| Henderson. Fowler, Trumbull and Van Wrinkle.
| Another vote is necessary to secure scquttaL
Anthony and Sprsgue have given no intimaton
how they intend TO vote. Anthony Is claimed BY
the conservatives. Ross Is also regarded as
doubtful, and the impeachers have almost given
up impeachment as a failure. The excitement In
the Senate completely upset the radical pro-
gramDe. fl-.a rsf tr'i ~
In the House Mr.. Stevens at once proposed to
postpone the consideration OF his bill for the adj
mission OF the Southern States, while the i'm.
peschers formed themselves into groups for con
sutation and discussion. fsss. ..l s.s. .f-' .its.
Mr.. Stevens expresses himself in uncomplimen-
tary terms of the Senate. Mr.. Washburne ex-
claimed Everything has gone to hell" Mr..
Butler was greatly excited, and said: 50 Messrs.
Feesenden and Trumbull are demorallzed to po-
ltical dsmnation.n He refused to oe comf0rted,
| ard left the capitol in q great passion.
4 A large party of Tennessee radicals arrived TO-
| day 10 manipulate Fowler. They hold q meet
ing 10 night to consider the situation.
| Grant held q long conference with Wade yes
terdsy by appointment, at Wade,s room in the
Washington House, at which several radical sens-
tors were present by invitation Wa1e's room ID
said to be in charge Of an extra Waterman, who
guards it night and day. i.h =
Its also rumored among the lady guests OF the
house that Mrs. Wade, since her late return from
| Ohio has cut many former acqusintanees, and ID
arranging for proper association for the White
| House. s.ssf 90 f-1s. sdftN rrr-fE 81
Rousseau, Seward and Q large number Of WHIT
ors are holding interviews with the president 70
day.---
The night session adjourned at II o'clock, after
speeches from hessrs.f Morton, Harlan, LConnes'
and Wilson for the conviction and Mr.. Backslev
for the scquittal of the president There were
! no developments as to the doubtful members, far
tber than were contained In my last dispatch
The seventh radical vote required 70 secure &C.
I quittal ID yet TO be found. Messrs. Anthony
Sprsgue, Ross and Wiley are yet TO be heard rom
The opinions are general that Proident Jonn
Republicans are freely given as voters against the
articles of impeachment to-morros: Grimes, hen