The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1868-07-09
LETTER FROM SENATOR
FESSENDEN.
Defense or IIIs Course on Im-
peachmeut.

declining the honor with thanks, pro-
ceeds to say:
~ trust you will pardon me, there
fore, ii, while respectfully and CRATE
fully declining your invitation, ] allude
TO the circumstances referred to in your
letter as ofa somewhat peculiar char
actcr.
"The impeachment of the President
Of the United States for high crimes
and misdcmeanors was a most cxtraor-
dinary event, and will constitute re-
markablc chapter in our country's his
tory. The conduct Of the President
had, almost from the commencement
of his administration, been such as TO
render him obnoxious to the suspicion
ofdesigning to defeat the cherished OBJ
jects of those who elected him, and of
plunging the country back into a con-
dition which they considered to be
little better than that from which il
had recently been rescued at so vast
sacrifice. Having confidently and fond
" looked forward to the second term
Of President Lincoln to consummate the
great work Of complete and peaceful
restoration upon broad and durable
basis, IL was not only humiliating to
them, but irritating in the extreme, to
find in his successor an adversary and
stumbling-block. Such state of affairs
called for an amount Of patience not
to be reasonably expected from men
who had set their hearts upon the &c
complishment of q great purpose for
which they had long and earnestly
toiled, and but for the most unlocked
for obstruction seemed to have won.
an the state of public feeling arous-
cd 10y this condition of affairs, an op-
portunity of removing such an obstacle
to their hopesby constitutional means
seemed to present itself, and was seized
with avidity. / do not wonder that
the idea of impeachment was popular,
nor did IL surprise me that, under
such circumstances, but few could stop
to consider that the long catalogue Of
the Presidents alleged oficnses, prior
to the removal of Mr.. Stanton, had
for the most part, been under invcsti-
CATION by learned and able commit
tee of the House, had been reported
upon, and that the House, by large
majority, had voted against impeach-
mcnt for those offenses; and, accord
ingly, with the exception of the charge
in the tenth article, which WAS also
prior in date, they made no part in the
allegations against him upon which he
was finally tried. Again, by the public
at large it was taken for granted that,
in the removal Of Mr. Stanton, the
President had violated law passed ex-
prcssly with view to protect that Off
Ger from removal, unless with tho adj
vice and consent of the Senate. La
boring under the strong impressions
produced 10y disappointment and an
ger at the Presidents policy and con-
duct, the belief that he was on trial for
oil his acts of omission and commission,
and the fixed opinion that he had
willfully violated an act of Congress,
it is not strange that the great majority
of those who elected Mr.. johnson
could sea no reason why he should not
at once be removed from Office, nor any
good excuse for hesitation to pronounce
his sentence.
"Nor was this all. As the trial pro-
ceeded, and il became doubtful whoth.
or the result 10 much desired would
be accomplished, the public feeling,
already excited, was artiully and in
dustriously aggravated through the
press by appeals to party interests and
party prejudice. 1t was assumed that
the trial could have but one honest ter
mination; that the case was too clear
for argument; that the existence of the
Republican party was staked upon the
issue and that, consequently, every
Senator belonging to the party, who
should hesitate to convict, must ncces-
unritaf hn folan 10 l,ia Y,nietnir.laa
trolled by base ifnot criminal influen-
ces, and deserter of his flag. Re
course was accordingly had to the most
powerful enginery of party. The air
was filed with lying rumors, which
found their way TO the public ear
through the appropriate channels
Denunciation, vituperation, calumny,
threats of personal violence and life
long infamy, were profusely hurled at
all who might dare disobcy the public
sentiment. The most direful conse.
quences were predicted in case i'm,
peachment should fail. Union men,
white and colored, were TO be murder
ed or driven from their homes, and all
tho horrers Of another revolution,
bloodier than tho first, were to bo
let loose upon our devoted land.
"It IS not to be wondered at that
appliances like these should have
excited the public mind almost to
frenzy. The men who resorted to
them were accustomed to tho use Of
such weapons, and knew how to
WELD them. Unscrupulous, famll-
lar with detraction, believers neiLh
er in public or private virtue, or il
believers, considering both "a out
of place IN politics. thry could not
resist such a opportunity, or fail TO
improve tie occasion.
"The excitement elsewhere, how.
ever, WIS trifiing, whom compared
with that which prevailed at the
capital. Hero n change of admins
II alton had long been contempla-
ted, and was now counted on as
n certainty. That looked-for change
had it's usual attendants. Tho com
ing in of a new President could
hardly have warmed into life a more
numerous brood of expectants, or
stimulated more extensive hopes oI
honors and profits. The city was
filled with men ready TO jump into
places TO bo made vacant, as they
hoped and believed, for their bene.
fit. Gamblers thronged tho saloons
stalking more than they were able
TO pay upon conviction or acquital
As these hopes rose or feli with the
rumms ofthe hour, as impeachment
stock went up or down upon the
political exchange among the crowd