The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-05-02

law treason feonya Could any case have been made
against the President under an article alleging trea
son. short OF actual evyng OF war or giving AID and
brSery e woad anything short Of actual bribery
nave suiiced2 Would an attempt To DriDe-an act ale
most equal to bribery, yet just short oft Certainly
Burke, not Of FORM but Of essence. You cannot call
that q high crime and misdemeanor which, in the
cunning manufacture here. If legislative act
should undertake TO declare that the commences
demeanor under the constitution, that would not
ch 1s,g its essence or make It the high onence
all the correlative provisions OF the consttus
i ;nal. ON the subject, as to trial. convictions
and last Of all, to that provision that he trial d
all crimes, except In cases OF impeachment, shall be
ton on mpeacSment He pary ' Convicted SHAH
nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment
You are not yet sased BYZANTINE the proeeednes
Of the convention that framed this article and see
ment for @isbehavor in ONCE, and how p stead.
lily they adhered to the requsition that nothing
% ae then reeed to he pros OF as
Managers that they would show that the President
had made no attempt to carry the nen%re Of ONE law
Where is there even feeble attempt TO show IT.
But look now the proof on the part OF the Presi
dent Cabined. cribbed and confined have
been by the rulings OF the Senate upon this
Snsss ns yet great ~n ast
attention that this was no subterfuge Of
the President no afterthOught to escape the cOnse-
quences of act. but, on the contrary, that this
wholesome and lawful purpose Of q resort to the
proper 70 sete .1e nd hs prnsdent
from the very beginning They proved 1t by his own
declarations introduced by themselves In his letter
to General Grant dated February 10, $685. which may
be found on page pa Of the printed record One ex.
tract from that letter will sunlce. The President
says:-'YOu knew the President was unwilling to
trust the office with any one who would not, by
holding compel Mr. Stanton to resort to the courts.
some time after you accepted the office, the Presi-
dent, not content with your silence, desired an
Mr.. Stanton would have to appeal to the courts" II
this Is not enough, Senators, remember the testi.
Mr.. Cox, Of Mr.. Merrick, and see throughout the
purpose Of the President declared at all times from
ment After ali this, what shocking perverson
Of testimony 1t is to pronounce IL an AFTER
or o Sa trial ana Of @ o%
the Managers be bold enough to say that they will
'shOw you that he has taken no step to submit the
matter to any court, although more than year has
elapsed since the passage of the act" Senators, IL
not at all necessary for the defence of the Presi
dent that, in the exercise OF that discretion which
the law allows to him. he should be put to prove thai
his intentions were all right. He has gone lar
beyond the necessities Of his case. Never were
good intentions and honest motives more thoroughly
proved than they have been proved IN TINS case. l
against him, this great exc1lpatory TACT must abb
solve him from all criminal Liability. Ana now sena.
tors, have done with the law and tne lacs OF t1e
be perfOrmed-one Of solemn import ana oDlieation-
duty to my client, to my former Chief to my friend
There may be those among yOu Senators, VINO can
not find case Of guilt against the President:
There may be those among you who, not satisfied
that case for Impeachment has yet arisen are fear
full OF the consequences Of an acquittal. You may
entertain vague apprehensOns that, flushed with the
success Of acquitta, the President will proceed TO
acts OF violence and revolution. Senator'S, you do
not know understand the man. cannot say that
you wilfuly misunderstood him; for ], too, though
never an extreme party man, have felt more than
once in the heat Of party conflicts the same bitter ana
ne e Sas See p When enai ooked
Jackson as the most dangerous OF tyrants Inc umS
has been when day after day expected 70 see MN
tration crowned with success and sustained ~
the people, lived to see him gracefully sur
conferred them, and under the softening In
nuences Of time came to regard him, not as 8
| men. Now listen for q moment to one who perhaps
understands Andrew Johnson better than most Oh
YOU for his opportunities have been greater. When
nearly two, years ago he called me from tne
pursuits of professional life to take seat
sense ms of paSc duy came here almost
stranger to him and to every member Of his
Cabinet except Mr. stanton we had peen I6en a
| my tendencies are conservative You; MT. Cnei
Justice, who have known me for the third OF CEN
| fury, can bear witness. Law, not arms 1s my
profession. From the moment that was h0n0red
with seat in the Cabinet of Mr.. johnson not step
was taken that did not under my observatory
not word was said that escaped my attention.
regarded him closely in Cabinet and In still more
often tempted with bad advice; knew that evn
counsellOrs were more than once around MN; l
observed him with the most intense anxiety ouG
never In word, I'm deed in thought, in action did
discover in that man anything but loyalty to the con-
| stitutiOn and the laws He stood hrm as rock
against all temptation to abuse his own powers or 10
exercise those which were not conferred upon MIN.
Steadfast and sefreant In the midst or all am.
culties, when dangers threatened, when temptations
were strong, he looked only to the constitution OF his
country and to the people Yes senators S , have
| have seen his confidence abused. have seen him
endure day after day provocations such as lew men
| have met them with more sublime patience. sooner
| or later, however, knew the explosion must nus.
| wonder was that 1t had been SO long delayed.
Yes Senators, with all his faults, the President mas
| been more snned against than SHINING. Fear noS
then, to acqut The constitution VI the country
| Is safe In his hands from Violence, a. ~ was
| in the hands OF Washington. But n senator's
condemn cd him rou you aesrad P him him to the
| utmost stretch Of your power, mark the prophesy
| The strong arm OF the people win be about him.
They will ind way TO raise n nd 'rU a sha ,yc 70
| see him redeemed and to near the males'
| tic voice Of the people: Well DONE 1aitn.
| But n senators as l cannot believe, but AZ has
| been boldly said with almost official sanction, your
votes have been canvassed and the doom OF tne
President sealed, then let that judgment not be
pronounced in this Senate chamber; not here where
our Camus In the hour OF greatest peril, SINGLE
handed, met and baied the enemies Of the republics
not here, where he fought the good hght Tor the
Union and the constitutions; not In this chamber
whose walls echo with that clarion voice that
hope and comfort TO many responding
heart strong an army with banners. No, not
chamber in the subterranean recesses of this capital
where the cheerful light OF day never enters There
erect the altar and immediate the victim.