Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-04-28
THE IMPAIRMENT TRIAL.
Conclusion of YestrrdaY's Proceedin.

In the Senate. yesterday. after our repor.
cro=sd, Manager Williams proceeded with his
argument, saving:
This was no common quarrel between the
two en- DIS of the Avenue, as was seemed 10 be
imagined: II was she old struggle which had
long gone on between the Commons of Eng
land and the Crown. II was settled purpose
On the part of the Executive of this nation 70
assume TO himself royal prerogahves. The
master key to the W hole history of his admin
istraiion is to be found in the fact of an early
and persistent purpose of forcing the rebel
States INTO the Union, under the control of the
men who had lifted their parricidal hands
against the life of the nation, and on such
terms as be himself dictated. Instead of call
ing Congress together on so important an occa-
sion, he issued his royal proelamat ion he Gre
atlng offices unknown TO the law, he paid his
officers in defiance Of the law, he authorized
his satraps TO levy taxes without authority he
handed over the effects of the dead confedera-
ey 70 the rebels, he passed over millions of
yaded the constitutional rights of this Senate
he insists that he alone had the power If
reconstruction, and their duty was to
register his edicts. Because they refused
10 obey him, he arraigned them as a revo-
Iutonary assembly, and not Congress.
de has grossly abused the veto power. He has
placed rebels In the revenue Offices in direct
contrayention of the laws of Congress He has
brought the purity of his office into conflict
with the freedom Of the elections by allowing
his official retainers TO travel over the country
and address political meetings. He has not yet
played the role Of Crom we'll by coming in here
boldly and saying you are no longer a Con gress,
but he has done IL outside. He has called mem
beIs OF that body traitors, and proclaimed pub
ncIy that IL Is not Congress. II was to his
encouragement that the bloody riot at New
orleans occurred, where loyal men were not
permitted to assemble in convention. Every
breeze that comes from the South is laden
win the cries of suffering humanity. Through
him murder, not and rapine prevail all
over that section. But one act was yet to come,
the GROWING act by winch he endeav ored
10 gam control of the Department of War.
Il he great crime of Andrew johnson, as now
set forth, was his removal without color of
law of Edwin M. Stanton, his conspiracy to
keep possession of the War Department, to Sc
duce Offices of the army, to ignore the la WIS of
Congress, to set that body in contempt His
answer TO this is: First, that the case of Mr.
stanton rs not within the meaning of the Ten
ure-ofOffice act. second. IL il was, that the act
Is unconstitutional: and third, that his motive
was 10 obtain a judicial decision in the case
MT W. then reviewed the Tenure-o Office
law, confendlng that il applied 10 all the men,
hers OF Inc cabinet who were appointed by MI
Lincoln. II did not matter whether Mr. SIAN
tee approved ofthe law or not, that had MOTH
ing TO do with i..>
The President, in the most unexampled man.
ner- bad claimed the power of removing adj Ii
Cttsm all the officers of the Government and TO
appoint In their place. If there be any such
power he (Mr. W } had never heard of il. This
claim was reserved for the President who
founded Governments by proclamation who
levied taxes without Congress, and who
claimed a supervising power over the laws
Ihls was challenge to the Congress, and
they had been compelled TO meet il. Mr.. w.
then went on to argue for the conlont Eower
OF the President and the Senate in the matter
OF making removals. The tenure Of any office
fixed by law is no longer determinable by the
VIII OF any one, President or any one else
There Is no such power given to the President
IN the Constitution. Mr.. w. argued at length
as 10 Inc power of removal, and claiming that
u could only be exercised with the consent OF
the Senate. All the resources of the Pr esidenI
on this point have failed
At =. m. the Court ad journed
The Pres Ident pro TEN. res u med the chair for
legislative business.
The Chair laid before the Senate message
rom the Secretary of State relative to the natu-
raiizauon treaty recently made with the United
tafes of North Germany. Referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations
Also, message from the President, stating
that the division of the Atlantic and the De-
partment OF Alaska have been formed, and that
the tight OF the President to create military di-
visions has always been exercised and never
been questionsd
The Senate then ad iourned.