Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-22
IMPEACHING A. j.
Secret History of the Movement.
The Attempt at Corruption.
The Game of the Impeachers
and How it was FOiled.
The Farce of the House nves'
tigatiOn.
Correspondence of the Cincinnati Gazette.


WAsHINaroN, Dec. Ito write the
real history of the failure of impeach-
ment is to reopen chapter which the
nation closed a year ago with the uni
versal feeling that it had been unable to
fathom its mysteries.
1t matters little of whom, when or
where the facts which follow were OBJ
tanned. Together, it is believed, they
present the full outlines of the principal
forces which were used TO acquit Mr..
johnson. With these once published and
established, it will yet be possible to ascer-
tain the details.
There were three distinct movements
which had in view the use of money.
The first involved $4,000, the second
$165, 600, and the third 500, 900. Two
of these, the first and last, were set on
foot by those publicly fayoring conviction,
and each of them had ramifications which
extended into the Senate. The third was
the plot which the House attempted to
have investigated, but which was allowed
to 90 no further than the farce in which
Mr.. Woolley figured. Aside from any OF
these corrupt schemes, involving the use
of money, there was a well defined po-
litical bargain, to which the President
himself was a party on the one side, and
some of the seven Senators who voted Tor
acquittal on the other. Upon his the
verdict turned. When the main drama
was played through, there followed the
hideous farce of Mr. Buffers investiga-
ton.
Each of the points mentioned above
will receive attention in their order.
THE SCHEMES INVOLVING MONEY.
The first attempt to use money, in the
matter come to the knowledge of MIR.
Johnson's friends, in the form of apropo-
siIiOn to bet $50, 900 that he would be ac-
Quilted. The offer came from persons
known to be in the confidence of promi-
nent Radicals, who stood before the
country as strong impeachment men. 1t
was made soon after the first steps had
been taken by the House, and before
there were any very marked indication as
TO the feeling of the Senate. 1t was
brought to the attention of Mr.. Randall,
Mr. McCulloch, and Mr.. Seward by the
person to whom it was submitted, and
this latter, who is very well-knOwn ex-
pert in all such matters, urged the officials
named to take measures to raise the funds
to cover the bet. His belief was that the
money, which had been laid down when
the bet was made, belonged, In part at
least, TO the Senate, and to those sup
posed by the public to be impeachment
men. Ills theory was that those putting
ND the money would see that they did not
lose it by securing the acquittal of the
| President. Mr.. McCullOch did not desire
to enter into such scheme. Mr.. Sew
ard and Mr.. Randall were disposed to
| countenance the raising of the amount.
But before it could be done, matters had
drifted so far as TO cause the plan to be
dropped. 1t is to this day considered by
those fricnds~ofi Mr.. johnson who were
privy to the affair, as a direct offer to
| acquit the President for $50, 900.
While this affair seems of little ConSe'
| quence, it served to convince those who
| had been approached that votes could be
obtained in the Senate for money.
Meantime, aboj:t half dozen of the
! Presidents friends, prominent among
| them being Mr.. Randall, and MIR. Cooper,
the private secretary, began to work to
/ gether as a sort of Committee OF way
1 and Means TO devise measures to detua
conviction. At length they became con
WINGED of what at first they would no
believe, namely, that the case was desper
ate. In considering who they should cal
into their councils, they found that the,
needed Cornelius Wendell. He was ab
sent from the city. Half a dozen tcle
grams were sent after him, and at lengt
one reached him in Maine, to which h
responded by returning to Washington
| He attended meeting of those who ha
summoned him, and heard them eXplai
the situation. When asked his opinion G
the way out of the trouble, he reptile
emphaticaly: 'Buy your way out. "
GLOW much will it cost 2"
1.-TWO hundred thousand dollars
eve can't raise it. "
''Then you can't acquit.
After Mr. Wendell's proposition Ia
been under consideration for a few day
| he was called TO another meeting and Il
| formed that they had decided to try al
raise the money. Said Wendell:
'eRaise your money. Appoint ms
to hand it over. l don't want anythil
to do with you You understand. G
your money. And let me alone. ="
Under this arrangement $685. W
| raised. New York operators furnish
e the most of it. New York city furnish
+ the man TO handle it, or part of it, in t
pcrson of Z. d. Webster, whose como
i | ton with Thurlow Weed is known.
NAV be supposed, Mr.. Wendell did L
approach any Senator. Whatever tran
actions were carried on were with p,
e sons believed to be middle men. WhetE
: these latter had any dealings with Senate
n is matter of conjecture. But the Q
fact remains, that $l65, 900 was raised
,e defeat impeachment, and that it pass
a through the hands of Mr.. Wendell
: II was while the operations with t
i fund were in progress that Buffers Diet
tives developed some features of the
If TEMPTED corruption. After consulate
d il was determined by some of the
scrupulous advocates of conviction
meet money with money; and having
/ isfied themselves that Wendell was
\, chief depositary of the secrets of tn
~ seeking to use corruption, an attempt '
made to buy the information he had,
nose the plot in the Senate, and so TO
ne conviction from the necessity which S
ct ators would feel to clear themselves tr
IS the suspicion of being bribed.
. For a time Wendell pretended to.
10 willing TO sell out. An attempt to h
~ y, him meet and confer with Butler was |
~ sisted in for some time. He put th
.? who approached him off, however, "
the remark that Butler was too smart,
- he would not trust himself in Butt
10 hands.
All this time, Wendell and his asst
ates were straining every nerve to
Cd Butler, with direct proposition from
:, side to buy off JOhnson's friends, mad
:, such shape, and with such witnesses
- would enable Senator johnson or
~ Hendricks to rise in the Senate, eXT
. the whole affair and so force acquit
- The last conference between these pai
80 was held at Wendcll's house on f. str
He had agreed to meet Butler at p
near at hand. Butler was driven
CO.. close carriage into a street back OF
w Patent Office and was there in waiting
n | Wendell, as those who came to the h'
~, of the latter asserted. A direct offer
- made Wendell of check of 100000
bear the Endorsement of wealthy, fl
!. Impeachment Senator. The confer
o ~ lasted two hours, but the chief obi
D. that of inducing Wendell TO go arOun
- where Buffers carriage was, have al
ny teryiew with him, tell him the plans
Randall, Cooper and others and the
80, they.were making of money, failed
an tirely. Wendell had no witnesses W
-. would enable him 10 present n case W
a., could not he broken down, and it was
'iiO deemed advisable to use the matter in
orc Senate.
O In the subsequent House investiga
az AZ however, it came into full play, and
VI believed, enabled those whose con
'"'0 was the subject of inquiry to escape