The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-04-04
THE PRESIDENTS TRIAL.
TUESDAYS PROCEEDINGS IN THE high
COURT OE IMPEACHMENT.
THE EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES.
AN EFFORT TO NTn1DArE CHIEF JUSTICE CHASE
AND ITS FAILURE.

The sun shone brightly on Tuesday both for
accusers and defendants in the grand impeach-
ment trial, comforting the former probably for
the damage wrought by the injudicious style
of General Buffers address. But the crowd in
the galleries had fallen off in marked degree,
and the attendance of members had also
slightly lessened
We copy the 'sIntelligencers" summary OF
the days progress in the trial:
The proceedings were begun by MIR. Wilson
continuing the subordinate task assigned him
OF reading documents with which the public
was already familiar. Among the documents
thus read was the commission of President
Lincoln appointing Edwin NJ. Stanton secre-
tary Of War during the pleasure Of the Presi-
dent. The filing Of this paper will save just
that much trouble to the Presidents counsel.
Some had apprehended this reading Of docu-
ments would consume the day; but, to the
great relief of everybody, it was soon stopped,
and the examination of witnesses begun. This
important office WAS undertaken by General
Butler, who in this, as IN all matters during
the day, completely overtopped his colleagues,
and took the reins Of the whole affair in his
own hands AS the trial proceeds MIR. Butler
looms up as the one managing brain, while
the unfortunate Mr.. Bingham and Mr.. Wilson
are proportionately dwarfed. They are gen.
tlemen who can make speeches when given
time for preparation, but at critical point or
unexpected turn would seem 10 have no re-
sources whatever. What use Messrs. Logan,
Boutwell,, Stevens and Williams are in this trial
We apprehepd future antiquarians will be at
some loss to discover.
MIR. Butler began with asking leave to bring
his Witnesses on the floor. As such proceed
ing hardly comported with the proceedings,
and was unfayorable to truth, the Chief Justice
refused the request, and suggested that they
had better stay IN the room assigned them.
MIR. Mcdonald, one Of the clerks Of the Sen
ate, was the first witness examined, but his
testimony was unimportant, as was also that
Of Mr.. J. W. Jones, who had served Senate
notice upon General Thomas while the latter
was amusing his children at o masquerade ball
on that awful night when every Radical soul in
Congress thought the city rested on sub
stratum Of nitro-glycerine, which, at moment,
the President might maliciously explode.
MIR. Creecy, clerk Of the Treasury Depart
ment, was called to prove that there had been
change in the form of commissions issued at
that Department after the passage of the ten
ure-of-ofice law. This witness speaking very
low, senators complained they could not hear
him, whereupon Mr.. Butler proposed to solve
the difficulty by himself repeating after the
witnesses their testimony. AS the General
had not been sworn TO perform the duty Of in
terpreter, and lay under some Guspicion of bias,
Mr.. Evarts objected to any such arrangement,
and this friendly offer was not press ed. By q
sensible suggestion Of Mr.. Trumbull, the wit
nesses we're removed to distance farther from
the managers, and after that they w~c heard
very well. None Of these witnesses we're CROSS
examined, and people listened in vain for points
of interest. The Documents meantime, were
read by the Secretary Of the Senate with his
usual excellent style.
The Hon. Burt Van Horn, member Of Con-
gress from New York, is next placed on the
stand. General Butler interrogates him. He
was present, it seems, at the interview between
General Thomas and Mr.. Stanton, ct the War
Department, on the 22d February last, and
''took notes" of the conversation, by most
lucky provision, that they might hereafter be
needed. When he had finished his somewhat
glib testimony, the honorable member was
taken in hand by Mr.. Stanbery, and subjected
to a searching cross-examination. He was
asked "what WAS his business OF the War De
partment," of which he seemed to be ashamed;
tor it took series Of questions to elicit that
he had been there by preconcert, and had there
served as sort of tool of Mr. Stanton. 1t had
not been habit of his to take notes of peo'
ple's conversations; but he had on this occa
sion pulled out an envelope and copied on this
small space the substance of continued
conversation-a very striking feat, when
we consider that he was not a stenographer,
was not in the habit of recording conversations
OF taking notes, and that the two parties to the
parley very inconsiderately failed to make
pauses so as to enable him to get all the con-
versation down. IF this gentleman would re-
sign his place in the House, and turn his AT
tention to reporting for the press, great glory
would await him. Nothing could be better
than the style of Mr.. Stanberys cross-exami-
nation. 1t was done quietly, but was as keen
as razor, and told on the voluble witness, so
that he at first declared that he had lost his
original manuscript, and then again, he did not
know whether he had il or not. The manu-
script notes had been transcribed like pa
limpsest of the old monks, and the effect ofthe
Interrogation was to saddle the testimony on O
memory not over good, and a judgment which
had rejected as s.immaterial' the remark OF
General Thomas to Stanton that he chopped
there would be no unpleasantness between
them" but had carefully put down all the "good
mornings everybody uttered.
The Hon. Mr.. Moorhead, of Pennsylvania
came next, and, after an examination in chief
by MIR. Butler, went through Like sad ex-
perience with MIR. Van Horn. Warned by the
fate of the latter, he did not seek to disguise
that he went to the War Department by pre-
concert to witness the interview between Gen.
eral Thomas and Mr.. Stanton. 1t seems that
half q dozen Congressman were on the watch
with Mr. Stanton, and that sentinel had been
posted to keep lookout for General Thomas
as he came from the Executive Mansion-the
honorable party having read and approved the
old story of Blue Beard-whose awful coming
was thus telegraphed to the party concerned
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