New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-04-29
WIN. VIGERS, Secretary



The Washington agent of the Associated
Press has had SO much to say laudatory of
the speech of Mr.. Nelson, one of the coun.
sci for the President in the impeach ment
trial, that public curiosity has become some.
what excited as to the forensic effort of
the Tennessee backwoodsman. The follow
ing from the Washington correspondent of
the Cincinnati Gazette shows with how
much judgment the press reporters criticise
when they make the attempt:
SPECIMEN OF TENNESSEE oRAroRY.s
Governor Boutwell, finished his argument
/ at one o'clock to-day, and after a recess.
Mr.. Nelson, of the Presidents counsel,
began what proved to be one of the most
| ludicrous speeches ever delivered in the
Senate-ln the manner of the speaker, in
some OF the matter, in gestures, in earnest.
ness, and IN effect upon the Senators. 1t
was fully equal to hard-shell sermon. 1t
more than overbalanced the worst that has
been charged upon the matter or bear
ing of any OF the managers. Judge
Curtis and Mr.. Evarts could not by any
effort conceal their disgust, and Curtis with.
drew att early hour, but EyGrts and Groes-
beck sat 1t through. By turns the Senators
were disguised and amused, and these feel
/ ings were displayed without regard to party.
]
| Of his own professional career, from which
1t appeared that he had been a lawyer for
/ thirty years, and had tried cases involving
/ life, liberty, and character. The following
is fair specimen Of the first portion of the
/ speech:
1.-THE charges had been made that the
Il President was an unworthy successor to
those who had filed his high office; that he
was ribald and wantOn, and that he
DanGled lests, etc., with the crowd. These
charges had been made and reiterated, and
until now no reply had been made to them,
and he proposed now before entering on a
review of the articles of impeachment to
answer them. If the President was such a
man as had been painted, then he (Mr.
/ Nelson) would have said he was indeed a
| monster of such trightful mien as to be
hated needed but to be seen; that a whip
shoulC be placed in the hands of every man
to lash him naked through the world; that
his name should be used to frighten chill.
dren with; that the memory OF mis- crimes
would cause each particular hair to stand
on end like quills upon the fretful porcu'
pine.u
He then read from Writ paragraph, for
the benefit of the managers, and went on
with what appeared to be parody on the
old schOol-book speech, beginning "Who
instead OF the above, the words who Ii
Andrew johnson ~ Then he traced him
from the time he was a small boy, In Green
vile, where he soon after engaged in what
Mr.. Nelson termed 8 humble mechanical
pursuit, up through his whole career, omit
ting, however, his service of alderman, to
the Presidency. This, and his service in the
Senate as Union man, was Mr.. J0hnson'c
usual speech on that subject. almost word
for word, bad grammar and all. In ex
planning who Andrew Johnson was, he de
clared he was an old Democrat, had SC
announced himself in his letter accept
ing the Republican nomination, and
had been true to his early views.
He had followed Mr.. Lincoln's policy,
and, according to Mr.. Nelson, had retained
Mr.. Lincoln's Cabinet, which was thought
i to be quite an admission by the managers.
He next defended at length, with great
warmth, the right and duty of the Chief
Justice to assume and exercise judicial
powers, and the earnestness with which he
demanded that the Chief Justice should
assert his right In these respects was re-
garded b. an as utterly out of place. He
however announced that he did not know
as he was expressing the views Of any other
gentlemen Of the counsel. The whole speech
i bore evident marks of being directly in
spired BY the Presldeht, and is universally
laughed at by beth parties tonight. Mr..
Nelson did not hnish. but viii, unless coun
sci succeed in restraining hin, occupy fully
nalf the session tomorrow.