The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1868-03-27
THE IMPEACHMENT

Court of impeachment, Chief Justice
Chase presiding, the business of the day
wassopened by an order offered by Mr..
Davis TO the effect that all the States /
were not represented, and that, there /
fore, the Senate could not sit to try |
this cause. This led to good deal of |
feeling on the part of Mr.. Howard and |
others. who wanted to exclude its re-
ception. This last was overruled. and |
then the order rejected, only two vot-
ing Automatically. -
Judge Curtis, then, after stating the
very brief time that had been allowed |
the Presidents counsel in which to pre-
pare their answer, proceeded to read |
the formal answer of the President to
the arfaignment of the House manag-
ers- The document was long, but it |
was weIghty, compact. and marching
up to the points made by the eleven ar
ticles. The Senate, generally. gave 1t
very close attention, especially those
who rank among the ablest of the body
The President makes his answer at
length to the first article, reciting the
date OF Stanton's original commission,
and the law of 1879 creating the office;
that he never appointed Mr.. Stanton,
and about the fifth of August, 1867 be-
ing unable to hold consultation with
said Stanton, or to trust him with the
public business. sent. him letter re-
questing his resignation. The corres-
dondence and subsequent steps in the
matter are detailed, and also this Presi-
dents message, and the motives by
which he has been guided. 1t appears
from these hat the President maintains
that underline Constitution he has the
~ t,-n,. RI ,a,,,oxrn. fhat tb5c on,,y
FULLY be taken away by Congress, and
that 1t was not taken away In respect
to Cabinet officers by the first section OF
the tenure of-otfice law. Anxious not
to have conflict with the Senate, the
President gave his reasons to the SEN
ate for the suspension of Stanton, but
ia making the suspension he had acted
under his constitutional power AS Presi-
dent. In appointing Gen. Thomas he
| had only aimed to obtain judicial de-
cision By the u. $, Supreme Court.
The answers to the eight articles fol-
lowing we're read by Mr.. Stanbery, in
order 10 relieve Judge Curtis. These
answers denvAll vic lation of law--deny
the charge of threats, intimidation, or
conspiracy. In answer to the ninth ar
! ticle, the President says he did not at
| tempt to induce Gen. Emory to DISC
| bey any law; but that when the Gen.
called his attention to the order OF Gen.
g rant, he expressed the opinion that it
was contrary to the Constitution, which
makes the President commander in
chief of the army and navy, and con-
trary to his gen. Emory's) commits
sion. a5i Hiiia8 Y tzIgaa lzffsa 6 81
Mr.. Evarts read the answer to the IA
nous Butler article. The President
denies the correctness of the reports of
his speeches, aud insists that proof be
made. He denies any attempt to set
aside tn rightflll authority of ongress;
thinks, and ha> contended, that various
States have been wrongfniiy denied
representation and that this il not a
Congress OF all the States but only
| part of the States, but has, neverthe-
less, signed all bills not clearly uncon-
stitutional or inexpedient. Finally,
| the President claims the right, both as
private citizen and in his political ca
paeity, to discuss the measures and
| policy OF Congress before the people,
subject only to the same limitations as
those affecting any other citizen or Off
| cial in the land. The language of this
| part of the answer is nervous and EN-
! phatic; and the whole answer, will
commend itself to the popular judg-
ment. Its tone is respectful, but firm.
| the argument is solid, and, while there
Is no counter assault, the unquestiona-
Tile effect is to put Congress itself on
| the defensive, and to call attention to
the alarming train of lusurpations by
which the present climax has been
reached, where the wrongdoer brings
his victim into court, with his own ae-
COMPLIES for Jurors zf 58 10 s#ss.
| Mr.. Boutwell, announced that the re-
plication would be ready by to-day at
one o'clock. He asked for a copy OF the
answer. ts H5Ata
Mr.. Evarts asked for reasonable time
for preparation of the case. SO Tar
their whole time had been taken up in
preparing the questions oflaw involved,
The rules of evidence, &C., they desired
thirty days.
At this point Mr.. Sumner became
greatly alarmed for fear the thirty days
were to be allowed mem. con. He pro-
posed to hear the House managers first
/. palpable suggestion to .hose modest
gentlemen to speak quickly. But Mr..
/ Sumner had in his partisan zeal gone
off half-cocked. The application for
copy had to be first acted on, and was
granted, of course.
Gen. Logan, rose to enlighten the
| honorable Court as to time. Even
! Radical Senators grew listless, aud
| could not see why the manager should
| travel so YEARLY over and over again
| the same ground. The contrast was
marked indeed-not merely as to man
ner and style of speaking but as to mat
ter, between Gen. Logan and Mr..
| Eyarts. who followed him-close logi-
cal, incisive-with touch of irony and
sarcasm as fine as Damascus blade
He said among other things, that it was
no answer to the point that there would
be haste and pressure put upon them in
preparing to reply, that there would be
equal haste and pressure upon the
House managers. Mr.. Wilson came
next, something ofan Improvement mp
on Logan, but falling in dignity and
elevation far below his former speeches
against impeachment in the House.
| Mr.. nStanbery made very candid,
cegept appeal tor time, remarking that
only eight working days had been al
lowed them to prepare their answer; its
/ preparation had consumed every hour
they could spare day and night, and he
was sorry to say that they had been
| forced to work even upon Sunday
They had no time to summon or ar
| range for witnesses. On the contrary,
the managers had been preparing their
witnesses while the President's counsel
were preparing their answer.
Mr.. Bingham here claimed the right
to open and close the debate for the
managers on all questions, and then
! proceeded to deliver himself of one of
his usual violent harangues abusing
| Mr.. johnson roundly. 1t was obvious