The Portland daily press., 1868-04-15
The Impending Verdict.

SO quietly is the great trial proceeding III
the Senate chamber that very few people iui-
~ realize that it is drawing to a close, and
that the decision, fraught with so important
consequences to the country, will be rendered
within fortnight at longest. So far the spir-
it manifested within the walls of the capitol
apd outside of them, in all parts of the coun-
try, has been such as to furnish a glorious
vindicaiion of the advanced state of Ameri-
can civilization, and to bring it into favorable
contrast with the stormy turbulence attending
important political changes in other lands
No act of violence having reference to the i'm
parchment proceedings has been committed
and such attempts as have been reported need
authorization After the first gush of Dem
ocratic Indignation in February was over, the
quiet submission to the legal course of events
became at once the settled policy of the whole
people. The Vanderbilt and Drew litigation
in New York has been attended with more ex-
citement and passion than the most important
trial in judicial annas-the impeachment OF
the chief executive officer of great country
with view to his removal No commercial
or industrial panic has ensued and gold rules
little lower than when the House announc-
ed the intention OF accusing the President at
the bar of the Senate. Whatever may be the
verdict of the court the trial will at least have
have been of this service-it will demonstrate
that popular government can pass mistaken
through ordeals that would greatly imperl
governments resting on base more narrow
than the will of the whole people.
Nor can there be much doubt what the YER
dict will be. The great charge against the
President in the articles Of impeachment 10
his violation of the tenure-ot- Office act. An
Investigation of a few weeks before the Sem
ate would not in the ordinary course of events
change the views of the Presidents judges on
that point. They are for the most part law
yers and the action of the President had been
for months anticipated and considered in all
its bearings. The Senators know what the
meaning Of the law passed by themselves is
and what constitutes violation of it. When
Stanton was removed they expressed their
views of the nature of the act. The PROOF adj
duced by Mr.. Johnson'a counsel has no ten
dency to reverse that decision. If it be grant
ed that they have proved by Thomas that re-
sort to force was not needed, and by Sherman
and Thomas that the sole purpose of the Pres
ident was to test the constitutionality of the
law through the courts, these are only in the
nature of extenuating circumstances and are
not by any mean calculated to secure the ac-
quital of the accused. The resolution of the
Senate on the 21st of February was not found
ed on presumed intention of the President
to use force or anticipated neglect to resort TO
the courts.
But even the extenuating circumstances are
supported by slender evidence. Gen. Sher-
mans testimony, which was finally struggled
in on Monday through the interference of
Senator Revedy johnson, is rather favorable
to the prosecution. 1t appears that Sherman
suggested to the President, in January, that
instead of testing the law by breaking it, the
same end might be attained by bringing
feigned issue before the courts. The Presi-
dent dismissed this suggestion carelessly, re-
marking that it could not be done in that way,
while the best lawyers in the country are of
the opinion that it could be done in that way,
and that if Mr.. Stanton had been successfully
ousted, as the President intended, there would
have been no resort to the courts aohatever, for
Mr.. Stanton would not have been in stua-
ton to avail himself of their aid
1t follows, if the President is cleared, either
that there has been an alarming increase of
conservatism and timidity in the Senate, or
that the members of that body are so poor
lawyers as to be unable to give proper con-
struction to statute which they themselves
passed, changing their minds about it at the
instance of half dozen attorneys, whose at
tention has been especially called to the mat
ter within few weeks.