Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-12-28
IMPEACHMENT.
Ex-Presldent IohnsoR's High Integrity and
Honesty.
Highly important Disclosures by Cornelius
Wendell.
Twelve Weak SenstOrs---FOur of Then
BFibed.


ington, on Friday, in reference to the
use of money in the impeachment
trial. Wendell says he disburSed no
money Tor johnson to secure his ac-
ouittal. He was absent from the city
during the greater part of the trial,
down in New England and out in the
West, Hancocking. He says:
was summoned by the friends Of the
President TO secure his acquittal. 1t
seemed a fOregOne conclusion that he
would be convicted, and | had given
it up as sure, and l thought
it would be better for our party
if they would convict him.
Therefore, had staid away
aud let events take their course.
still believe that if they had convicted
and removed Johnson, we would have
elected our President last year. John
sons friends thought 1 could manage
certain Senators who were committed
for Impeachment, and sent for me ac-
cordingly. l don't remember who l
first saw, but l had conversation
with McCullOch, Randall, Seward and
Others. They seemed to think the
matter could be got over easily. l
told them it was desperate. They
wanted TO know how much 1t would
cost to secure an acquittal. told
them it would cost a good deal OF
money. Couldn't say exactly, but
probably one hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars. / distinctly said |
would have nothing whatever TO do
with the money, nor did l have.
told them that there would be an in
yeStigatiOn if johnson was acquitted,
and that il would not do for me TO
handle the money. l don't know who
received the money. l understand
Randall raised some, and McCuliOch
some. A good deal was raised by
outsiders. Henry b. Smythe raised
quite a sum.
A good deal that was raised never
was used for the purpose for which II
was given. People raised money, and
reported that il had been expended
for counsel, but / doubt if counsel
we're ever paid a penny directly. The
money went into the pockets Of those
who raised ii. / told them il would
cost one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars. Ne knew that there were
three Republican Senators who would
vote for acquittal from conscientious
motives. With these we wanted
fon- more to secure acquittal. /
IookeG OUer the roll Of the ,SegGte and
cbgcJs5 an tlretce lCbO might be Op
DJ0gcbe9- Tcutc1Aated thGt ont Of the
tlceLre ere could cgyJtfiRky EHd Jour mat
trOuid stick. ITe secured ne Jour mdJ
are iCnuted, but | did not hG9dle the
money, but / generally knew where
il was to be had. The Senator's re- /
ceiref bettreeu one hundred and Jyty
and t,rO hundred thousand dollars. !
Ic9Rt Sgy erUctly. The money was
not paid to the Senators directly, but
to third parties, who were supposed
TO control the votes of individual Sen
ators. In one ease, thirty thousand
dollars lUuS paid to q certain man. lie
returned a few days after ana said
that his Senator was too strongly
committed for Orss@impeachment, and
didn't see how he could explain his
vote if he should suddenly 60 for
acQuittal. We argued the case with
him, told him that Trumbull, Grimes
and Fessenden would vote for acqult-
igl from conscientious convictions,
and that his Senator had only 10 say
that ADLER minds than his were con-
WINGED of the justice of acquittal, un-
der the evidence adduced, and that az
ter mature deliberatiOn and careful
examination of testimony he felt that
a regard for his oath would not per-
init him to vote for conviction He
insisted that it would kill him pOllti-
callv in his own State TO vote for ac-
uuittal. and he wouldn't do II. We
had no trouble i5l getting lChOt UOteS zee
arqnted. PomcrOy offered himself 10 us
ig the LegGte letter Tong before, and zoe
EaeJC JCe could hOld him ii ace IgaRted
him, and iCheH IRE found hOlC cheap he
qray, lce let him 90 Us not lcOrh trying
10 0et. HE PRESIDENT KNEW MOTH
ING ABOUT IT. His. friends We're
frightened 10 death when they saw
how The case was going, and were
anxious TO do something 10 avert the
threatened conviction. Mr.. McCul-
lOch was at first opposed to using
money, but he gave in when he saw
fhe danger of losing his Office. Mr..
Randall was ready from the first,
EYhateveF was necessary. Mr.. Sew
ard also looked at matters in
busiDess-like way. l guess the
rest Of the administration were
lett in the dark. / kROiC the
President lrus, and am satisfied he
qrOUld not hare diiOCed any money TO
be zlsed If he had gnOlrR Il. I know
abogt the proposition to acqUit Mr..
Johnson, which came in the form of
wager. anu, our folks were fools not to
take the bet. ] tried 10 urge them to
raise the money, $4,000, and accept
the bet, which / fully understood TO
be direct proposition TO acquit the
President for that amOut, but McCul-
ioqb and Seward were afraid there
was some catch in il. No money was
raised TO accept that wager that know
OF. There vas money raised over all
the country, osICnsibly to secure Mr..
Johnson's acquital, but only a very
small portion Of il was ever used for
the purpose for which it was given.
That raised by Henry B. Smythe IN
New York, never reached Washing
TOM Webster, the Baltimore collec-
tor. raised a lot which he swore was
Daid TO counsel. l would like to know
10 what counsel. None of those en-
ployed in the case ever received it
i. ID. Webster, Of New York, had
nothing to do with il, and l do not
thinS Woolley had any connection
with il ] think that the money that
Woollev hat. was a pool which he held
with Speed, Hook and Others,
to influence WHISKY legislation.
That money was taken by Rams
Van Nalkenburg from Woolley, when
they were all on a big spree together
up at Willard's. Rams deposited il
with Shelley. at the Metropolitan,
and il was lying there when the vote
was taken. 1t could not have been
intended for use in securing the ac-
ouittal. and certainly was never so
used. aud l aflerward saw Van Walk
enburg withdraw and count the
money from Shelley's hands. There
was SILL 900 of it. Where il came
from / never knew nor what it was
for. Gen. Butler never reported the
testimony he took on the inVestiga-
fion. aud therefore l don't know posi-
tiyelv what facts were brought out.
The investigation was about as square
as ANYTHING Of the kind usually Is.
Rutler knew how matters stood. He
Didn't care a pin for the acquittal, or
Co. what Johnson's friends had done.
Tg;s orme was to get at the tel-
Ioy,s that fered that $50, 900 bet. He
fSil,.d in that and so he smothered
the whole matter. PomerOy's Legate
letter was genuine; 1 cy9ied ana GER
tilted it for Randall. There can De no
doubt the lciler was WElllcu bg VI
eroy. and was a bid from him 10 get
into favor with the administration, but
the administration distrusted him.
He was too ready and overshot the
mark. don't remember that ever
had an offer from Butler TO sell inform
alton TO the Radicals, nor any offer OF
100000. 1 am quite certain that
Trumbull, Grimes and Fessenden
voted from conscientious motives.
I don't 6eIieUe the President had any
oo1fersgces lcith Senators about UotiIlg,
- \ = -, III Ln1.e haoll eoufrHr.N To HlS