The New York herald., 1868-03-13
The Impeachment Trial Of President john
son nnd the Probable consequences.

i
In answer to the summons served upon him
some days ago, in the name of the Senate OF
the United States. President Johnson. it is
understood, will. through his counsel, put in
his appearance before that high court to-day.
| upon the important matters Of his impeach-
ment by the House of Representatives, and his
trial upon the charges of "high crimes and
misdemeanors' preferred against him. His
counsel, it is believed, will be Hon. Henry
Stanbcry, who has resigned the Office of Attor-
ney General in order to be perfectly free to give
his undivided attention to this case), Mr.. Jere
Black, Of Pennsylvania, and perhaps Mr..
David Dudley Field, of New York, and one or
two others. The managers on the part of the
House, the counsel for the prosecution. are
Messrs. Bingham, of Ohio (chairman); Bout
well and Butler, of Massachusetts,; Stevens
and Williams, of Pennsylvania Wilson, Of
Iowa chairman of the House Judiciary Com
mittee), and Logan, of Illinois.
II is supposed that Mr.. Johnson will ask
some twenty days grace in which to prepare
his line of defence, and it is probable that this
uuy VIII Ne taheH up Will qucstiOH anu
other preliminaries and in fixing the time for
the regular opening of the trial 1t has been
limited somewhat pretentiously in one of the
Washington journals that Mr.. johnson will
first object tOthe incompleteness of the court
ten States being excluded; secondly, to every
Senator as juror who has expressed judg-
ment against him and that. failing upon these
points. the accused will protest against the tri-
bunal before which he is called. resign his
Office and appeal to the people for his vindica-
ton. We rather incline to the opinion, how
ever, from the latest information on the sub
ject, that Mr.. johnson has resolved upon the
policy of exhausting the prosecution by the de-
fensive eypedents of a regular siege, and that
he entertains lively hope that upon the con
sttution and the tcchnicalities Of the Tenure of
Office act his '.shrewd lawyers will bring
about his acquiital. The managers of the
prosecution WILL however, we are assured
watch every opportunity and enforce every
rule Of the court to make the trial
s'short. sharp and decisive" They have
already done much in collecting facts. hunting
in preparing their plan of action. Thus. it is
confidently said among the Washington ra di-
Gals outside the prosecution, that the House
managers will require only some three or four
days to make up their case before the court,
including the evidence and the law, the facts
and the arguments and radical contempo-
rary has ''the highest authority" for the an
nouncement that this trial will not last till the
dog days, but will be entirely over on or about
the first of May
thority that "Mr. Johnson is not to be allowed
the time he expects" that ''all patriots feel
that he has held possession of the governmen,
too long and are determined that he shall not
continue TO abuse his high Office an hour
longer than is absolutely demanded by
the interests of JUSTICE" and that lit
Is generally conceded that the New Hamp.
shire election has cut the last plank
from under the Presidents feet" Such beins
the case, we are again called to meet the ques
ton. Why should the President seek to prolonl
this trial in the hope Of an escape, or why con
sent to the prohtlcss Illumination OF trial
All that the radicals want of him is his Office
This they are resolved to have. Why, then, in
the loss Of his place should he invite the alter
native and the drawbacks Of a removal? A
resignation on his part will end the matter al
once, and his reasons for this step, presented
In stirring appeal to the people of the United
States, would be more effective in his behal
than all that his lawyers are likely to do with .
court from which he has no prospect of escape
Delay will not serve him, because within thu
next two months there will almost certainly b.
four, six or eight, and there may be ten, twelv'
or more radical members added to the Senat
from the Southern States now in process o
radical reconstruction. Within less than thrt,
days there may be two from Alabama added :
the radical majority. aud SO, IL Mr.. Johnso