The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-05-19


The Saco Courier, speaking of the Republi-
can meeting in Portland Friday evening takes
occasion to sou. useless for the Press
or the leading Republicans of Portland to at
tempt to uphold Mr.. Fessenden if he,votes for
the acquttal of Johnson" We believe it is
quite useless for the Press or the Courier or
the Republicans of Portland or Saco, to at
tempt either to uphold or pull down Mr.. Fes
senden His future rests with himself alone
If he is to leave the Republican party it will
be by his own act, because he has ceased to
agree with US on matters of principle, and not
because he has differed with the majority of
his friends On a question of law. The Repub-
lican party has always been tolerant of differ
ences on non-essentials. When it ceases to be
thus tolerant it will cease to he party with
which high spirited men can act The speak
ers at the meeting here last week took this
view of the matter with singular .unanimity
sit is not my province" said one, ito pass
judgment upon these men," "The influence
and standing of a man of Fessenden's charac-
ter and record" said another, "are not to be
destroyed by single msstep." Senator Fes-
Senden," said third, twill be with us in the
IL,
believe these expressions of confidence will be
justified by the event. 1t is inconceivable that
the author of the report of the Reconstruction
Committee, which comprises the political creed
of the Republican party, should be unfaithful
to the policy which his own hand there traced
TIE VoTE IN THE SENATE.-"Dixon" of the
Boston Advertiser thus sketches the scene
when the vote was taken Saturday on the 18th
article of impeachment:
The eleventh article, confessedIy the strong
est in votes of any one in the series, was taken
up at twenty minutes past II o'clock. just at
that instant Mr.. Grimes was brought into the
chamber by the side door at the right of the
Chief Justice. He looked pale and thin, weak
and nervous, and was unable to stand without
support. He did not go to his own seat but
sat in great easy chair by the door at which
he entered. The calling OF the roll occupied
fifteen minutes. Mr.. Cameron was SO eager to
declare the Presidents Guilt that he answered
before the question was put; Mr.. Fessenden,
as he stood to give his response, was such a
persence OF true and firm and conscientious
manhood as one does not many times witness
in lifetime; Mr.. Fowler, who was rampant
impeachment man up to the middle of Febru-
airy, spoke low and shamefacedly; Mr.. Grimes
answered in clear tones from the chair where
he reclined; Mr.. Howard rose feebly, but re-
SiOuueu MT. I1enuerS0n maze Such q
full and selt-possessed answer that the whole
gallery heard; Mr.. Nye, who strangely enough
had been down on the Presidents list for ac-
quittal, gave his "Guilty" with tone of de-
fiant indignation. Mr.. Ross seemed to stand
with great difficulty and was hardly heard in
his "No5 guilty" by the clerk; Mr.. Trumbull
took the excitement of the time with provok-
ing GOODNESS; Mr.. Wade responded with his
usual careless and gruff information. Five hum
dred pencils had kept tally, and in twenty sec
onds after Mr.. Yates had answered to his name
nearly everybody in the galleries, to say moth
ins of the thousands in the Northern cities,
knew that by vote of So to 10, the President
had been acquitted of the high misdemeanor
charged in the eleventh article of impeach-
ment. There was nothing more to do but to
ratify the decision Of the caucus for an adj
journment to Tuesday next. Then the people
went home and made up their record of praise
or censure on each individual Senator.