New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-02-25

constitutional right to pitcha Secretary of War out
of Office sight, and snaps refusal to Washburne,
who lies back in his lair waiting for n spring at
the official malefactors whom with his whole honest
soul he hates and would destroy Woodbridge
| OF Vermont, interesting as an original ana
Interchangeable opponent of impeachment followed
Woodward after that legal luminary had flung out
the bright light that the House had no right TO I'M
peach anybody, and the Senate no right to try any
impeachment. The Vermont member saidIwltn deep
feeling that the repeated crimes of Andrew Johnson
demanded that at last all feeling Of reluctance should
be laid aside and that he should be prosecuted at the
| bar of the Senate Ben Butler the Apostle John OF
this salvation by impeachment, followed Mr. Wood
bridge in a speech which wish l could insert here
bodily. Keen, logical, Astounding in precedents
drawn from the law and the history Of our own and
other Governments, it went to the buls-eye of the
case at every sentence. 1t was mastery effort
| of a mastery lawyer. This speech and the
preceding one Of Wasbbumes had magnetized the
| House into unrest. The members moved from
one side of the hall to the other to get near the adj
verse speakers and drink the whole of the debate.
Now was seen new evidence of the strength and
popularity of impeachment. The general anxiety to
get into the recorded history of it, and the ambition
TO be historically associated with this act of justice
upon wicked President, time being utterly insult
iicient for even speechmaking to the extent OF
sample paragraphs members in companies sought
liberty to print and by companies their names were
announced by Mr.. COfaX, who hurried through the
forms of the order in such cases made and
required. Fernando Wood followed Ben Butler, and
the closest scrutiny Of his face of political brass and
the searching of his cold voice, yielded not the
slightest evidence that he was oppressed by recol-
lection of his coparnershp with Maryine or abashed
to stand in the presence of honorable uen whom he
knew had read through the scOundrelsm Of the case
Of Mmvine agt. Wood, and been Mortified by the de-
PENDANTS plea Of the Statute Of Limitations TO bar
debt in law and honor due. To Wood succeeded j.
" L. Pruyn, known in politics and in Albany as tho
"alphabeticalD He gave feeble birth 10 the feeble
fruit of the unmatched intercourse Of an ambitious
idler with a tempting Of law library.
Eldridee Of Wisconsin, the leader Of the
Democracy of the House, does the best that can be
done for the hopeless and ndefensible case Of the
President but he does it without passion. is this
bad President so utterly bankrupt that his nominal
political associates and heretofore supporters cannot
warm in Their defense of him, which policy requires
them to make in their resistance TO precedent
which should have terTOrs for them so long as
the Democratic party shall be what 1t Is
now, the organized ignorance, prejudice, and
brutality Of the nation But IL Is true. These
men don't care for johnson. They don't fight
impeachment their hearts are not in their work
Mr. Carey of Ohio, uncomfortable, ont OF place.
had nearly said ashamed Of himsclf-succeeded Ed
ridge; and after him came lIaight, Niblack' and
Broomall and Benton. and then that admirable ora
tor and much-lOved man, Boutwell, OF Massachusetts,
Ills opening sentence magnctically drew about him
every member of the House whose seat was too dis
tant for certain hearing. To the group which had
gathered all round his deck and ycinage and TO the
In Oa1lo he
Andrew Johnson which alone presented 10 the
American people would have kindled and enforced q
demand for his impeachment and removal. His pic
ture OF the happy influences which would follow upon
the act Of justice statesmanlke in its predic
tons as il was beautiful and Christian in its utter
anee. Kerr (CoppeIbeadl, Demas Barnes and Mar
shall Of Kentucky were the final defenders Of the
pro-Slavery traitor and Rebel maeiactor his
swift way to indictment and trial.
Then up rose 1had. Stevens, pale, feeble thin. and
he mounts TO the Speakers desk in profound ~
lence and takes a chair at the left Of Mr.. Coiax and
below Water is brought the old man. he rises TO
make the closing speech. Not yet IT'S half-past
four; at FIVE the vote must be taken. Mr.. Bingham
makes motion to extend the time of debate aud his
obecti Il evidently not understood. Members flock TO
the front Of the Speakers stand, and indicate by
their actions and words that there must be no delay
or violation of the agreement 4 division is bad on
Mr. Bingham'e motion, but it is voted down, and he
withdraws the motion to save time motion IS
made for unanimous consent TO extend bis time over
the hour The Democrats refuse TO grant IT, and
threaten to libuseT to escape from the punishment
of an hours speech from the dying but awful old
commoner. He is tied up to the unexpircd 20 min
utes To his feet the old man rises, and scades him
self against the marble desk. Down the alleys,
between the seats, pour Democrats and Republicans
l;a he Votar
tors voice is low and husky and oft is lost in weak
ness. He beginsthat old familiar tone thrilling TO
all Of us from its association with the trumphs, the
struggles, the wit, the sarcasm, the goodness, the
popularity the power Of the ablest Representative
in Congress since John Quincy Adams sank down on
its floor in death but the voice ceasesthe veteran
is UNEQUAL to the effort. Prudcntly distrustful
Of his strength, lie had written what he
wished TO say. The House gave him permission TO
read il by the Clerk, McPhorson IL was a great
speech, of which no mention viii suffice, and which
summary would mar. Immediately after Mr.. Nc
Pherson had finished its reading and almost the
minute of o'clock, the resolution of impeachment
was read and the House was called upon by Mr..
Colfax to vote.
1t had been showing heavily all day, and the hall
began TO look quite dark. As the time for the vote
had arrived the vast assemblage became restless
with anxiety. The multitudes that lounged around
the entrances of the crowded galleries. impatient to
hear and see, began clambenng over each other. AT
about this time the gas was lighted and the Clerk
began to call the roll the was brilliant aud i'm
pressive beyond description. Everything was as
quiet and still as a church meeting and the answer
of each member to the call of his name could
be heard distinctly by the vast multitude
throughout the great hall. The result was
anticinated II was strict party vote. Fifteen