Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-18
..STRIKE. RTTHEAu.v

Tie most important proceeding oil
imilar kind that has ever taken place.
The elected ruler of the people is brought
o Judgment before the appointed tribu-
nal to answer for his official life lie
Dbeys the summons without resistance |
and proposes to make defense. Ii is
proper that something more than news
synopsis should be given of the course of |
this great State trial, and we therefore
append the following abstract of the first
days events in the court:
MIR. Stanbery then rose and said: Mr..
Chief Justice, my brothers Curtis, Nelson
and myself are here this morning as coun-
sci for the President. have his suthori-
ty to enter his plea. By your leave l will
proceed to read
Mr. Stanbery read as follows:
In the matter Of the impeachment Of
Andrew johnson, President Of the United
States Mr. Chief Jstice, /, Andrew John
son, President of the United States, having
been served with a summons to appear be-
fore this honorable court, sitting as a Court
OF Impeachment, to answer certain articles
of impeachment found and presented
against me by the honorable the House of
Representatives of the United States, do
hereby enter my appearance by my counsel,
Henry Stanberv, BENJAMIN Il. Curtis, Jere-
miah S. Black, VIM. NJ. Evarts and Thos.
A. R. Nelson, who have my warrant and
authority therefor, and who are instructed
by me to ask Of this honorable court for a
reasonable time for the preparation of my
answer 70 said articles. After careful ex-
animation of the articles of impeachment,
and consultation with my counsel, am
Satisfied that at least forty days will be ne
cessary for the preparation of my answer,
and respectfully ask that it be allowed.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
Mr.. Stanbery-I have also a profess
sional statement in support Of the applica-
ton. Whether it is in order to offer it
now the chair will decide
The Chief Jnstice-The appearance will
be considered as entered. YOu can pro-
coed.
Mr.. Slanbery again read as follows:
In the matter of the impeachment of
Andrew johnson, President of the United
States Henry Stanbery, Benjamin Il.
NufiiS, JtTelnldu w lllldL1 NJ
Evarts and Thomas A. r. Nelson, of coun-
sci for the respondent, move the court for
the allowance of forty days for the prepare
ton Of the answer to the articles of i'm
parchment, and in support Of the motion
make the following statement: The ar
ticles are eleven in number, involving
questions of law and fact. We have, du-
ring the limited time and opportunity
| offered us, considered as far as possible the
| field of investigation which must be ex-
| plored in the preparation of an answer :;
| and the conclusion at which we have ar
rived is that, with the utmost diligence,
| the time we have asked is reasonable and
necessary. The precedents az to time for
| answer upon impeachment before the SEN
ate, TO which we have had opportunity to
refer, are those of Judge Chase and Judge
| Peck. In the case of Judge Chase time
was allowed from the Sd of January until
the 18th of February next succeeding to
put in his answer, period of thirty-two
days but in the case of Judge Peck there
was but a single article. Judge Peck
asked for time from the 10th to the 25th
of May 20 put in his answer and it was
granted. 1t appears that Judge Peck had
been long cognizant of the ground laid
for his Impeachment, and had been pre-
sent before the committee of the House
upon the examination of the witnesses, and
had been permitted by the House of Repre-
sentatives to present to that body an elabo-
rate answer to the charges. Ii is apparent
that the President is fairly entitled to more
time than was allowed in either of the
foregoing cases, and it ia proper to add that
the respondents in those cases were lawyers,
fully capable Of preparing their own an
swers, and that no pressing official duties
interfered with their attention to that bust
ness whereas, the President, not being a
lawyer, must rely on his counsel. The
charges involved his acts, declarations and
intentions, as to all of which his counsel
must be fully advised, upon consultation
with him, step by step, in the preparation
of his defense. 1t is seldom that a case
requires such constant communication be-
tween client and counsel as this, aad yet
such communication can only be had al
such intervals az are allowed TO the Presi-
dent from the usual hours that must be de-
voted to his high official duties. We fur
ther beg leave TO suggest for the cOnsidera-
ton of this honorable court that as Coun-
eel, careful as well of their own reputation
az of the interests of their clients in a case
of such magnitude as this, 80 ont of the
ordinary range of professional experience
where so much responsibility is felt, they
submit to the candid consideration of the
court that they have a right to ask for
themselves such opportunity to discharge
their duty as seems to them to be absolute
ly necessary.
HENRY STANBERY,
BENZ. r. CURTIS,
| / = RIACK