Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-07-22
pp,aRRY AND THE IMPEACH-
MENT.

mENx. |
The additional report of the managers
of the impeachment, upon the means
used t o prevent the conviction of the
President, contains strong reasons for a
belief that money was used to bring
about the result. One Of the curious
matters connected with the affair is the
fact, now made very clear, that there
was n standing corruption fund in the
hands Of friends Of the President, de.
signed to be used in all cases of i'm
parchment, for the purpose of obtaining
the acquittal Of the Executive offender.
The history of this transaction goes
back a year ago, and relates to the ad-
tournament Of Congress in July, 1867,
the Committee Of the Judiciary of the
House then having in hand the Ashley
impeachment. Preparations were made
then to buy lawyers or Senators, as the
case might be, and the Custom House
and other officers were taxed to raise
the necessary sums. This willingness
Of his h~enchmen to stand by him had an
amazing effect in Strengthening the
backbone of the President. Its conse-
queuces in producing the removal Of
Secretary Stanton-all other means of
getting rid of him having failed-may
be inferred by any n who can study
cause and effect.
Tho failure of the Ashley impeach-
ment, by the report of the Committee
on the Judiciary against the measure,
was a substantial triumph for Mr.. john
son, and his success in that particular
must have emboldened him to the overt
act of February. He had two things to
rely upou. First, his corruption fund
ready for use, if corruption was feasible.
| Second, the abandonment on former
charges, which gave him a hope OF sue
cess in any future operation of defiance
which he might undertake. II cannot
be denied that with inducements like
these, and with his W passionate and
obstinate temper to spur him on, Mr..
johnson was almost invited to the per-
verse action which resulted in the abso-
lutte breach of the Tenure Of Office law.
Connected with the case is the singu-
lar knowledge Of what Senators were
weak, which was in the possession OF
the Presidents particular friends. This
is shown by the fact that one Of his 60
betweens was able as early as the Sd Of
April, six weeks before the vote upon
the impeachment was taken, and when
the treachery of the seven" was un-
suspected by the party with which they
were acting, was willing to bet that the
very men who were found t%reacherous
would be false. This was an allegation
so apparently unjustifiable at the time
when made, that he found no difficulty
in obtaining the wager. 1t is somewhat
remarkable that Mr.. Egan had such ac-
cura,e powers of foresight, that he was
able to write down the names Of Fes-
sender, Trumbull, Grimes, Henderson,
Fowler, Ross and Van Wrinkle, only
these, aud none others, as those who
would vote to acquit the President, on
or about the third Of April, aud that
these votes should bear out his bold
assertion on the 10th of May. 1t was a
remarkable coincidence, to say the least,
and as Mr.. Eagan protested to bet from
knowledge, scarcely a coincidence.
The revelations in regard to the at
tempts to bride some Senators, and the
incautious o~utgivings of some of the
agents of the President, prove very con-
clusiyely that the greater portion of the
conversation at the banquets at the
White House, at which the special lob
byists of the President and the members
Of the whisky ring were present,
was addressed to the great ques'
ton, What Senators could be
bribed, and what was the price
which they would demand for their
vote. upon the impeachment? This
circumstance alone is sufficient to justify
a belief that the whole thing was the
result of foul corruption; that the Pres
ident, afraid Of relying on the justice oil
his cause, was willing to attempt to buy
an acquittal, and that it was the belief
Of the corrupt and shameless set of men
who surrounded him that the thing
could be done. 1t was done by some
means, and although the rascals may
have covered up their tracks so deeply
that i. will be impossible to produce the
bill and receipt for every t%reacherous
| Senator, enough is shown to justify a
belief that some of the seven were
bough. and paid for. Let those who
pretend that they can fall back upon
their former good characters not f1at.er
themselves with the idea that the appeal
will be successful. Good character is
only valuable when it is constantly
illustrated by good deeds. Judas
Iscariot was once q trusted favorite Of
his master, and Benedict Arnold, as an
officer of the Continental army, lost a
leg at Saratoga.
A CORRESPONDENT Of the Oakland Tran
script, writing from San Francisco under
date Of July 18th, gives the following
sad picture of the poor neighborhood in
that city
PoypRrYI PoygRrY!-M Nv customary