Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-04-24
IMPEACHMENT.
ARGUMENT OF GEN. JOHN A. LOCAL

Hon. John A. Logan, one OF the Managers OF
the Impeachment Of the President on the part
OF the House of Representatives,. has fled. un.
DIR the order of the Senate. has argument In
favor Of conviction. 1t deals very fully and
thoroughly with the case. and from its length,
we can do no more than lay before our readers
a few OF its more important points. Mr.. Logan
commences by acknowledging his diffidenc,,
and soliciting the for bearance of the Senate for
the manner which he might perform his
part of the high and important duty devolved
upon the Managers in behalf OF the people
After expressing regret for the necessity which
had forced such a task upon them. Mr.. Logan
continued:
"And yet, sirs, this is our duty to-day. We
are here to show that President johnson, the
man whom this country once honored. Is IN
fitted for his place We are here to show that
in has person he has violated the honor anu
sanctity of his office. We are here to show that
he usurped the power of his position and the
emoluments of his patronage. We are here to
show that be has not only wilfully violated the
law, but has maliciously commanded ITS in
frlngs ment. We are here to show that he has
deliberately done those things which he ought
not to have done, and that he has criminaiIy
left undone those things which he ought to
He las betrayed his countrymen that be
might perpetuate his power, and has sacrifices
their interests that he might swell his authori-
~. He mas ma de the good of the people subor-
dInate TO his ambition, and the harmony of the
community second to his desires. He has
stood in the way which would have led the
the dismembered States back TO prosperity and
peace, and has instigated them to the path
which led to discord and strife. He has OBJ
structsd acts which were in tended to heal, and
has eounseied the course which was intended
TO parate. The differences which he might
have reconciled by his voice he has Simulated
by his example. The questions which might
have been amicably settled by his acquies-
eence have been aggravated by his insolence;
and In all those instances whereof in our arti-
cles we complain, he has made his prerogatives
burden 10 the commonw wealth instead of a
blessing to his constituents.
And II Is not alone that in his public course
he has been shameless and guilty, but that his
private conduct has been incendary and ma
hgnant. 1t is not only that he has VIGOROUSLY
broken the law. but that he has criminally
scoHed at the trainers of the law. By public
harangues and by political arts he has sought
TO cast odium upon Congress and to insure
credit for himself; and thus. in a Government
where equal respect and dignity should be OBJ
served III reference to the power and authority
conferred upon each Oft several departments,
ne las attempted 10 subyert their Just proper
tons and to arrOgate to himself their respective
jurisdictions. 1t is for these things, Senators.
that to-day he stands impeached; and it is be-
cause OF these that the people have bid US prJs-
ecute. That we regret il. have said; that they
regret II, l TepeaI; and though il tears away
the beautiful belief with which, like dra-
perry they had invested the altar, yet they
feel that the lime mas come when .hpy must
expose and eXpel the sacrIlegious priest In
order 10 protect and preserve the purity OF the
temple.
Ges, Senator'S, Andrew johnson. President
of the United States. now stands arraigned at
this bar 10 answer 10 the high crimes and ms
demeanOrs which an indignant and outraged
people have lat length alleged against him
Tins trial has gwen US many surprises, but no
one fact has given more surprise than the
tone of complaint which by his counsel he has
assumed. Of what should he complain Did
he think that he could proceed in his unwar-
ran'able course forever with impunity Did
he suppose that he could break down every
rfa md gf.ort flVA1 In, .
should say him nay Did he believe that be-
cause the people were for a time stricken into
silence by the audacity OF his acts they would
suffer in sadness and continue to be dumb,
Did he not know that they were Jealous of III .jr
liberties and rights, and in the end would pun
Ism BIN who attempted 10 tamper with ither;
and n, " That they are visiting upon him the in
evItabl' result OF his mlsdeeds Is II of this be
cOmplai : He should rather give them thanks
that they have spared him long, and b.
grateful tLai their magnanimIty has preserved
him 10 this hour. Is il of the articles ALLEGED
against that he complains
Sirs- the people have selected the --latest but
not the greatest instance of his dereliction.
They have hesltated. in the first instance, to
think that the actions which thy knew were
insidiOus Were intended to be revolutionary
Trey preferred 10 attribute to the fraIlty of his
mind what they should have ascribed to the
duphcity of his heart; and when, day after day,
the evidences Of his falsehOOd became stronger
and stronger, when month after month the
baSeness OF his purpose became more and more
palpable. and when session after session the
proof of his desertion became more and more
convincing, stiil they hesitated, until further
hesitation as to him would have been certain
destruction TO them, and they presented through
US, not his most fagrant ofenses, but only
his last oftendIngs. Should b. complain that
they denounce for the lesser when he is
equally guilty of the greater crimes! as
n of this tribunal thai he complains!
lou, Mr. President preside, and most wor-
thlly preside, over the Supreme Court, which
Is the court OF last resort in all Jhis land.
To you and your associates is left the final
arbltTament OF the most grave and important
controversies which concern our people. by
your education and habit you are fitted TO
pass upon serious issues. You are raised
by your jurisdiction above the ordinary pas
sIons and preIudices of the lesser courts: and
This of itself Is a guaranty of your impartalIty
in form like this. And you, Senators, by
the theory and structure of our Government.
are constituted Its most select and responsible
Legislators BY the arrangement and dispo-
sIrion of the functions of our Federal powers
yea occupy sphere the exact parallel TO
which l. found In no other Government of the
TOrld. You are of the Pr sident, and vet so
far separated from him that You are beyond
his fiatteTy and ABOVE his threats. You are of
the p ople, and yet so tar removed from them
that you are not affected by their local excite
meIts; you are not swayed by their passions,
nor Influenced by their tumults. When the
Cons ItutlO fixed the age of eligibility to the
Senate 1T was that your minds should BE- ma
tured and that your judgments should be
rlpened; IL was that you should have come to
that period when reason is not obScurcd by pas
sion ana WISDOM Is gathered OF experience. To
such an august body have the people commit
ted their grievances; and of this he certainly
should not cCmpl1in. Does he PLAIN of us!
SITs, 10 may be that he does; but yet feel that
he should NOT. What We have done we have
done promptly, but not the less reluctantly
We felt, as citizens, the irresistible viction
that this man was false 10 every citizen; and
We felt, as Managers, that we did not dare to
jeopardize, by unseemly delay or fatal favors,
the safety OF a nation. We thought
If il we're done when tits done, then I we're we'll
IL were d. ne quickly"
There had been TOO IN uch dallying with trea.
son already. II but a few short years ago trai.
tors had been quickly seized and speedily pun
ished there would never have been a shot fired
in rebellion. If plotters had been made to feel
the early grippe of the law there never would
have been a res ort to arms. When We looked
back and recalled the memories of our battle
helds: " hen We saw the carnage amid the
slain. the unutterable woe of the wounded:
when we remembered the shrek of the widow
and the sob Of the orphan; when we reflected
on the de yastaiion OF our land and the burdens
now on our people; when we turned US about
and saw IN every direction the misert and the
mlschiefs which follow every war. no matter
how Just, and when We remind ourselves that
all this would not have been had treason been
executed for its overt acts before yet its hands
Were red and when We felt, as we do all feel,
that 10 delay IN ght bring all this and more upoa
u, We could not and did not pause. We urged
this trial at " railroad speed" In view of such
results self preservation would have dictated
that we should ask for lightning speed
Ought he to complain IT he is guilty, then
there IL speed too great for his deserts If