The Sweetwater forerunner. [volume] (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1867-1869, 1868-04-30
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impeachment Trial.

counsel Tor the PRESIDENT rs desire to do
81, be permitted to file arguments or adj
dress TIE Senate orally. Chase ordered
that Boutwell, proceed. Mr.. Boutwell, said:
The Chief Magistrate of the principal
Republic in the world is on trial. The
object Of the proceedings is not punish
ment for offences, but the safety Il tho
State. The issues between the President
and the House of Representatives are
technical and limited, namely: Whether
Johnson violated the constitution and laws
in removing Stanton and appointing Gen.
Thomas.
Mr.. Boutwell, denies that the President
desired to bring the question before the
Court. His protext is fully exposed.
His object was to seize the offices of the
government, and by their influence to re-
construct the Union in the interest Of the
rebcllious State.
Boutwell, concludes - The House of
Representatives have presented this GRIM
inal at your bar with equal confidence in
his guilt and in your disposition to admin
lister exact justice between him and the
people of the United States. His conyic-
tion is the triumph Of law, of order, Of
justice. | do not contemplate his acquit-
tai. 1t is impossible. Therefore | do
not look beyond. But, Senators, the peo-
pie of America will never permit an usurp-
ing executive to break the securities for
liberty provided by the constitution. The
cause of the country is in your hands.
Your verdict of guilty is peace to our be-
loved land.
WASHINGTON, April 23--NTr Bout
we'll concluded and the Senate took recess.
Mr.. Nelson, Of Tennessee, spoke erie NJ
pore. He alluded to the magnitude of
the occasion and feared his own lack of
ability to properly treat it. The man
ayers charged johnson with evil nature
and wickedness, charactcrizng him as des-
titute in character, and accused the Pres
ident of everything from being great
political criminal to being a common scold.
Mr.. Nelson gave the Presidents bio
graphy in refutation of these charges and
aspersions. Those who, like Nelson, knew
the President best, sustained the Presi-
dent. Mr.. Nelson felt he was not address,
ing the Senators as politicians but as
Judges who would rise above prejudice or
party. lie was confident that outside
pressure would be Indignantly repealed. If
he believed conviction foregone conclu-
sion, humble as he was, he would scorn to
address them.
Nelson cited the resolutions offered by
johnson and adopted by Congress immc-
diately after the Bull Run disaster, declar-
ing the purposes of the war still unrepeal-
ed, ''to those resolutions Johnson was faith
full" Lincoln's policy after Lees surren-
der was based on those resolutions, which
johnson faithfully carried out.
WASHINGTON, April "a Just before
the Senate adjourned the Presidents Sec
rotary arrived with number of Messages
Immediately after adjournment, an excit-
ed crowd gathered round. The Messages
were opened amid apparently intense
anxiety, showing that the Presidents ac-
ton was still regarded of some moment.
The President withdrew the nomination
of Ewing and nominated j. III. Schofeld,
Secretary of War, vice Stanton, removed.
Customs for the week ending the 18th,
$3,l4l,000.
Mr.. Nelson spoke all day and kept Sem
ators and the galleries we'll seated and in
terested throughout, attention becoming
closer as his efforts drew to close. His
points were we'll made and in some cases
startling.
WASHINGTON, Apl. 25.-Mr. Groesbeck
opened for the defence. He asked wheth-
er the President was to be convicted and
deposed because he had acted on the in
depreciation sanctioned by his constitu-
tional advisers, by the SSth Congress, by
the Supreme Court, and by the uniform
practice of the government. The evidence
showing that the President acted in the
public interests in removing Stanton.
Groesbeck contended that the Presidents
acquiescence in the tenure-of-office bill as
long as possible, was a point in the Presi-
dents favor.
GAS Groesbeck proceeded he recovered
his voice and held the floor and galleries
spellbound."
Groesbeck concluding, expressed his
confidence in the final result, and charac-
terized the presidents of convictions re-
ferred to by the managers as rather beacon
lights Of warning than examples for gui-
dance. In conclusion he pronounced
glowing eulogium upon President john
sons life, character and services.
WAsHINeroN, April 27.-Gov. Brown
low has written letter saying that if