The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-07-21
WHEELING WEST VA WEDNESDAY MORNING, JULY 1869
How and Why President johnson
was Acnuitted:


was Acquitted:
From deeply interesting paper by
James Parton, in the last Atlantic.
about "The Strikers of the Washing
ton Lobby" we take the following:
THE IMPEACHMENT LOBBY.
The greatest triumph of the Wash-
ington lobby was the acquittal OF An
drew Johnson. 1t was wholly the lob
by's doing. His conviction was sure
until the lobby went to work In earn
from the burning. A person the least
credulous of evil can hardly resist the
Impression that three or orfourRepublican
votes were bought and paid for, cash
down, only few hours before the votes
were given. Some of the best informed
men in Washington-even the best in-
formed-are convinced of 1t. They
think they know who received S25. .00C
for vote, who $1,000. who Indian
contracts, and who railroad influences
more valuable than both those sums
united. They think they know at what
house. at what time of night, and by
what member OF the lobby, the money
was lost at cards to q Senator who
voted next day for acquitta1: All Of
which may be true. Much OF the val
liable testimony gathered by the Select
Committee of the Managers seems to
| confirm these copjectures. We know
that the Johnson lobby, utterly devoid
of principles and decency, had the
money in their hands with which to
buy the criminal off. We know that
money was raised in Custom Houses,
and subscribed by distlllers; and that q
million ofdollars could have been pro.
cured from those two sources aloneI II
It had been necessary. We know that
the compatibility of Senators was q
topic of conversation at the Presidents
table, and that one OF his conddents
correctly predicted, five weeks before
the test vote was taken, which seven
Republican Senators would vote for
acquittal. We know that two OF those
Senators, to within day or two OF the
| voting, continued to declare their In
tention to vote for conviction, and then
out any visible cause. We know that
the lobby was In the fullest activity
about Washington, rushing to and fro
between New York and the capital. and
| telegraphing In cipher. I know that
the strikers of the lobby were not Idle
but rose to the occasion, and offered to
sell to the managers votes enough to
convict for hundred and ten thousand
dollars-but the managers were up to
the game. We know that the heads oi
the Johuson lobby were as sure OF an
acuuittal before the vote was taken as
| they were after; and that they acted
upon their knowledge in the gold room
| and elsewhere.
Now tho simplest explanation OF all
this is, that the three or four votes SUPP
posed to have been given against the
| convictions of the Senators who gave
them, were bought with money; and
yet the probability is, that they were
not. wish they had been. Probably,
the crude, primitive wickedness OF sell
| fNV- q
shallower, more manageable, perVer-
sitY than that of which the testimony
ELECTED by the select committee gives
US glimpses. From that testimony we
may infer that there were several dis
tinct lobbies working for acquittal the
johnson lobby proper, who wanted to
get or keep places and chances under
the President; the Chase lobby, who
wished to face the President under such
signal obligations that he would drop
Gen. Hancock, and take up Mr.. Chase
for the succession; the Pendleton lobby,
whose aim was to secure the same
advantage for Mr.. Pendleton the
year OF impunity; and n conservative"
lobby, who had very lively sense OF
what would happen If Mr.. Wade should
change his quarters to the White House
and who did not like the prospect.
These lobbies would have been glad
enough, perhaps, to reduce the problem
to a simple purchase, but their task
was far more difficult.
Members of Congress, like member 6
Of the British Parliament, may be di :
Vided into two classes,-legislators and
puppets. There are members who go
to Congress, so hampered with obltga'
tions, that If you want their vote for
| ANYTHING with politics or money in It,
| YOU have to "see" the man or corpora
tion whu placed them there. 1t may
| pay q great railroad to send a Senator
| or two to Washington, or half dozen
| carpet-baggers. It may also suit the
| wealthy corporation to leave to the
members who serve 1t the barren glo'
ry of being pure; as great Tammany
often permits its creatures to veto Tam.
many jobs, because it must have res
pectable candidate, now and then, with
whom to go before the people. 1t may
| want its mayor to be candidate fol
Governor. It may be nursing its Cover
nor into acandidate for the Presidency
| It Is, therefore, not necessary to be-
l1eve that the Republican votes for ac-
| uhital were not sold for money. It was
TO Mr., George n. Pendleton, that VOL
| lev so triumphantly and elegantly .tele
praphed, four hours before the vote was
taken: 1--WE have beaten the Metho
| dist Episcopal Church NorthS hell. Ben
Butler, John Logan. George Wilkes.
and Inlpeachment. President johnson
viii viii be acquitted II q vote is had to-
day. Tell my wife," It were greatly
to be wished that the wickedness Of
that acquittal had been thing 80 little
complicated, 30 obvious, SO descrtbable
| as Tie giving of so much money for &c
many Votes. II the truth were known
we should probably find that much O.
the money in tho case was squandered
among the strikers, and that the votes
were paid for in commodities OF anoth'
er description. le Srta-f
TIE product Of the territory in Wes
Virginia and Ohio is reported to be in