Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-05-01
THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL. 49,
CsncIusioa Of Yesserday's Prseeedinxs.

Constitution of the u nited Stafss never in tended
bring them in as judges on questions between
themselves and another department of the Gov
eminent, and ne asked them 70 look at the atti-
tude in which they Were placed. 1t was abhor-
rent TO the national sense of Justice that man
should be Judge in his own cause. 1t was
inconsistent that a man could be impartial in
trying cause where he had already formed his
opinion. When he showed from the records Of
the Senate that you yourselves have voted on
this law, the constltationalityo of which 10 % be
decided; YOU pronounced by resolution that the
removal of Mr.. Stanton and the appoi ntment of
General Thomas was IN violation of the Con-
stituton and the law. If you regarded this as
political action. then you cannot pass upon 1t
in your judicial capacity
When the removal Of Mr.. Duane by General
jackson took place, in the discussion which
followed IT was conceded that If impeachment
was 10 come the res olution must be suppressed
and no debate take place; but the action was
regarded as political, and as such was treated
So You Senator'S must have regarded the action
OF the present Executive as political when you
passed your resolution.
In the impeachment Of Judge Chase the two
articles OF impeachment which received the
highest votes was that he had gone into Penn
sylyania to try q case on which he had already
formed an opinion; another article was that he
had allowed q man at Richmond to take bis
place in the jury box who proclaimed that he
had formed an opinion. He would like to see
case on which he had already formed an opin-
ion. IL cannot be said that you have not
formed an opinion.
The forty thousand officers and the s2I 900 900
OF emoluments which had been brought in here
as the stake. Well, who of us would like to
he tried by judge who would take our thou
sands If we Were convicted and we would take
his if we were convicted You are taking the
crown of the peoples magistrate to place upon
the head of one Of your own number The
President of your body then adds to his duties
here the duty of acting as President He holds
the one Office by virtue Of the other; and if YOU
choose to elect new presiding officer of Your
own body every day. you also have new Ex-
ecutive every day. As a matter of evidence,
let US see how little this case is Certainly no
President Of the United States ever had such
trials before. Certainly no President ever had
such opposition. He had, for the last two
years, been sifted as wheat by one of the most
powerful winnowIng machines he (Mr. f. y had
ever heard-the House of Representatives The
unlimited power which they have to send for
persons and papers they can take so high an
officer as the Lieutenant General Of your ar
mics out OF this Court and in private can ex-
anime him thoroughly to know whether his
evidence here on cross examination will bene-
fit or lnjure them.
With all their power to search, what has their
testimony amounted to! Telegraphic dispatches
OF the President: of two years ago, had been
produced: but what was 1T alll Mr.. Manager
Wilson, from the Judi ciary Committee, n ad re-
ported upon this whole subject in an able re-
port, and II was all nothing but political. The
House of Representatives had voted down i'm
peachm, II on Decem Der 9, 1867 BY vote of los
to 81. Mr.. Manager Butler thinks that if there
Is nothing in the first article there nothing in
the eleventh. Mr.. Manager Stevens thinks that
If there is nothing in the eleventh article il is
no use to look at the other ten. Mr.. T.. here
read from the remarks of Mr.. Stevens in the
House. that if his l1th) article was not adopted
the counsel for the President would be greener
than he Mr. 81 thought, If they did not secure
the acqulttal of the President. All this is true
every word of II. There was nothing in these
charges against the President: if they were not
political there was certainly nothing criminal
in them.
Now, as to these charges, they were of
speeches made by the President in 1866 refer
ring to Congress which had gone out of ex.
istence, and which had already been declared
not an Improbable offence by The HOUSE of
Representatives. If there is one thing that Is
approved OF IN this country, IL is that a man
who can make speech should ALWAYS do il
The speeches of public men generally de-
seTIbed in the newspapers as eloquent He
bad seen the speeches OF some of the honorable
Managers described in advance as models of
eloquence. He had even that the speech
OF one of them made IS % ~ words naughteri
If the proclamation was 10 go out TO the peopIe
restricting speech TO proprIety and refinement
ne would say let him who among you is with
out sin cast the first stone and the people will
rise on tiptoe to see who 1T is. The task OF
commenting upon the language of the Presi-
dent had been entrusted to one of the Man
ayers (Mr. Butler as that gentleman Was a
model-first in peace. [laughter,l first in war,
renewed laughter and first in the hearts of
all his eouhTymen who admire intrepidity of
words
Mr.. +. then briefly reviewed the conspiracy
articles, and maintained that they had no foun-
datlon TO rest upon. He did not think that
AIs American Senate would discover any evil
dence OF war and commotIon in the language
OF General Thomas A statute which had been
enacted in time Of war to protect loyal men
and officers from intimidation by rebels had
been wrested from its purpose 10 help make
out the charge against the President There
was no expectation of force by the President
no authority for forCe-as he expected that his
ORDER could be executed through the usual
peaceful means: and falling in that, that he
should have the matter brought to such a STATE
az would assure a judicial decision
Senator Henderson moved to adjourn.
winch was agreed to- and the Senate ad-
Journed.
HOUsE.-After the members of the House 70
turned 10 the Hall, Mr.. Brooks, IN y. y in pur-
suance of the notice given in the morning in
troduced the following:
whereas II appears by the official reports of
the High Court of Impeachment that after the
House OF Repres entatives, on the 2lth of Feb
ruary, instituted the impeachment of the Pres
ldent OF the United States for high crimes and
nisdemeanors, and after the articles of i'm
parchment We're laid before the nate, March
ID, and after the summons was served upon
the President, March ., some of the MANAGERS
selected by the House to demand the con VIC
ton and eviction of that President for these
high crimes and misdemeanors, signed letter
and laid II before the accused counsellIng or
influencing him while thus accused to exert
the war power given him under the act of Au-
gNst 1-56, through the navy 10 seize the guano
island of Alta Vela. of the coast of St Do
mIngo, valued al over million of dollars And
whereas such action upon the part of these
managers IL, 10 say the least, extraordinary
and of character TO involve them in contro-
versy if not in suspicion: And whereas il is of
high importance that the dignity and purity of
the House be maintained through the managers
chosen from among US, especially to represent
us before the High Court of Impeachme mt to
accuse the President of these high crimes and
misdemeanors: Therefore, be IL
R>s0irtd That the aforesaid managers he di.
reeted forthwith TO appear before the House
and to explain TO that House the causes or rea-
sons which induced some of them pending a
trial threatening the deposition of the Presi-
dent, TO sign such a letter thus laid before the
President.
Mr.. Brooks insisted upon the immediate con.
slderatlon of the resolution, and upon the ques-
ton of considering demanded the yeas and
nays.
The roll was called, when IS voted in the af
frmative and 50 in the negative-no quorum
After an explanation by the Speaker that this
matter would come up as unfinished busine
the House ad journed.
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