The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-05-12
Proceedings of the Court in Open
and Secret Session.
Speech Of Senator Grimes in
Favor Of the Respondent.
The Formula to be Observed i'm
Rendering the Verdict.
Reports and Speculations Re-
garding the Result.


EXCITING and Amusing Scenes and
,r,u Incidents.
:. WASHINGTON, May IL, 1865.
This has been day Of peculiar excitement in
Washington-an excitement blended Of the elements
whfch enter into the interest attending on great
Aorse where thousands Of dollars are ct stake
tho feeling on the eve Of Presidential election, the
nervous curiosity OF Q public execution and the
auttering anxiety which awaits the drawing In some
tremendous lottery. This commingled state Of feel
ing was Of course attributable to the varied issues at
stake, and was certainly very peculiar In its mani
festations. Seldom has day passed in which mems
minds have alternated SO much between delight
end dependency, between hope and grim dsap-
pontment. The contradictory reports, side by side,
On the same day Of great battle In the late war,
hardly produced more conflicting and bewildering
sensation than the bulletins which dew momentarly
IKE wdHre from the Capitol through the city Of the
varying status Of doubtful republican Senators on
We question Of impeachment. n ems faces showed
aksledoscopic grouping Of the various passions to
which human nature Is subject. Hope and fear,
love and hate, elation and depression, self
interest and patriot pride, were depicted in
rapidly shifting lines as one batch Of rumors sue
eeeded another. l0a
OF course all the newsmongers, betting men, once
seekers and anxious politicians went to the Capitol,
and In half hour after the Senate went into secret
session. considerable crowd had collected in the
corridors Of the Senate and In the Rotunds. good
many patronized Forney that oracular individual
was supposed to know something more precious than
gold ct that particular moment He endeavored to
make bis assurances as comforting possible and on
the strength Of his placid and oouler de repre-
sensations several enthusiastic middle aged gentlemen
were induced to perpelrate formidable bets ih hard
sash and champagne suppers.
The Court shut itself up at ten O'Clock after ex.
Gliding three or four solitary spectators from the
galleries. In the ample space in front OF the prin.
epal entrance to the Senate Chamber groups Of twos
and threes began to collect before noon eagerly
wasting the prospect Newspaper correspondents
came on the scene early, and made themselves busy
seeking for news or originating speculations. Some
twenty or thirty minutes after the Court retired
unfortunate Senator was injudicious enough to
answer card sent into him inviting an
interview with one Of his constituents, the
village editor Of some terrific impeachment organ
hardly had he made his appearance when he was
pounced upon by half Q dozen others, dragged into
corner and pumped dry Of everything his men,
ory was capable Of retaining, which was very little,
and gave small satisfaction to the crowd beyond the
pressed himself determened to vote for conviction
On the twelfth and thirteenth articles. Information
Of this character made fun, but gave no basis for
bets. Cards. notes and verbal messages soon became
IN the rage from the outsiders to the members OF the
Court. The pages, messengers and doorkeepen
were kept In q perfect nutter Of excite
ment and 90 o result the card or the
note intended for Senator found its way into the
hands Of another, and vtce uersd.
An hour elapsed after the closing of the doors and
The members Of the Court began to drop out ct more
frequent intervals, exchange few words with their
tormentors, and suddenly return. Two hours
elapsed and the outsiders became extravagantly i'm
patient to learn something ct all definite from with
n, something to hang q speculation or Q bet upon,
and their wishes. after much earnest solicitation,
we're to some degree gratined.
Il was just noon when Q wen known and jovial
Senator made his appearance In the corridor In re-
Spouse to the request OF some friend Of his whose Pc
cuniary interests to large amount were involved in
the fate Of impeachment. more than usually
lengthy interview followed, and the result was
known by everybody In the corridors, in the adjacent
rooms in the Rotunda, outside the Capitol, and away
up Pennsylvania avenue through the hotels and into
the very recesses Of the White House. Stewart the
Non Of Nevada, hath oped his mouth and pronounced
Andrew Johnson guilty Of high crimes and INSIDE
neanors. Pomeroy, OF Kansas upon whose shout
ders the tail end Of Jim Lanes mantle seems to have
fanen, followed In the same key. Edmunds, OF Yer
mont, and Sherman, untrue TO conservative an
ticpation, did also echo the impeachers' wrath.
Grimes, Of Iowa, alone stood up and pronounced Inn
parchment an unmitigated BORE nuisance, hum
bug, and he for one washed his hands out Of IT,
These not his exact words, OF course, but they
were what they meant.
But enough glory for two hours Straight way
the news was sent through every pore Of Washing
son. and by every electric pore leading therefrom,
that conviction was certainty, and that the
friends Of the President had better hide
their diminished heads. Betting became i'm
mediately very fierce on one side. Impeachers
pushed here and there, seeking for the advocates Of
scquittai, and holding out such inducements o. ten
to one to strike wager on the result. The conser
Natives began to look blue and felt mortified 1t being
tainted with such extravagant Odds without feeling
justified from the complexion OF the news In closing
with any bet whatever.
The Senators came out more frequently now, a II
was approaching lunch time, and each in turn was
pounced upon as vulture II supposed
70 pounce upon q gentle dove, without
much polifeness or ceremony. 'wbo spoke
last r'-"who Ia speaking owY'-"whst did he
sayY''-"what did you sayYr-"Iow viii ne vote ~
"How will you voter are few In the shower Of
questions that fell on the ears OF the unhappy men,
bers OF that bewfdered High Court. Some bore the
awful ordeal through which they were forced 70 pass
in q spirit OF Christian meekness, others frowned
ominousy, and must have wished in their souls Tor
one brief minute OF Hercules club that they might
slay their torturers on the spot
There was one however, who rose TO the level ofthe
OCCASION and who, though his politics are OF an infJ
and repuenant character, extorted admiration from
his enemies some Of whom looking on by the truly
magnificent style In which he shook OF the cloud OF
cormorants that fastened him and lowered around
him after he escaped from the confined air OF the
Senate chamber. This was Senator Drake. Draw
,hox. In hn