North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1870-01-05
McGREGOR, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 5, 1870

Special Despatch to the Chicago Tribune
New YoRK, Dec. "a.
FACTS RELATIVE TO THE JOHNSON INPEACH'
MENT TRIAL.
The Sun reporters have interviewed
Cornelius Wendell at Washington yester,
day, and General Butler at the Astor
House to-day, in reference to the use Of
money in the impeachment trial. Wen.
dell says he disbursed no money for John
son to secure his acquittal. He was alb
sent from the city during the greater part
of the trial, down in New England and
out in the West. He says:
~ was summoned back by the friends
of the President to secure his acquittal
II seemed . fsregone conclusion that he
should be convicted, and 1 had given it up
as sure, and I thought it would bs better
for our party if they would convict him,
therefore, had stayed away and let
events take their course. still believe
that if they had convicted and renewed
johnson we would have elected our Peesi-
dent last year. Johnson's friends thought
l could manage certain Senators who were
committed for impeachment, and sent for
me accordingly. don't remember who !
first saw, but had conversations with Nc
Culloch, Randall, Seward and others.
They seemed to think the matter could be
got over easily. / told them it was des'
perate. They wanted to know how much
it would cost to secure an acquittal.
told them it would cost good deal OF
money couldn't say exactly, but proba-
ably $l5O,OOO. distinctly said l would
have nothing whatever to do with the
money, nor did have. / told them that
there would be an investigation if John
son was acquitted and that it would not
do for me to handle the money. ! don't
know who received the money. under
stand Randall raised some and McCulloch
some. A good deal was raised BY out
siders. Henry B. Smythe raised quite a
sum. A good deal that was raised never
was used for the purpose for which it was
given. People raised money, and report
ed that it had been expended by the coun-
sci. but doubt if the counsel we're ever
paid penny directly. The money went
into the pockets Of those who raised it. !
told them it would cost Sl5O,OOO We
knew that there were three Republican
Senators who would vote for acquittal
from conscientious motives. With these
we wanted four more to secure acquittal.
l looked over the roll Of the Senate, and
checked off twelve that might be ap.
preached. calculated that out Of the
twelve We could certainly find four that
would stick. We secured the four that we
wanted, hut did not handle the money.
/ generally knew where 1t was to be had.
The Senators received between Sl5O,0O0
and 100000. l can't say exactly. The
money was not paid to the Senators di.
rectly, but to the third parties who were
supposed to control the votes Of individ-
ual Senators. In one case $4,000 was
paid to certain man. He returned few
days after and said that his Senator was
too strongly committed for impeachment,
aui did not see how he could explain his
vot, if he should suddenly vote for nc.
qui.tal. We argued the case with him
told him that Trumbull, Grimes and Fes-
senden would vote for acquittal from con-
s,ientious convictions, and that his Sena.
tor had only to say that ADLER minds than
his were convinced of the justice of nc,
quittal under the evidence adduced, and
that after mature deliberation and care.
fa' examination of the testimony he fel,
that regard for his oath would not permit
him to vote for conviction. lie insisted
that it would kill him politically in his
own State to vote fer acquittal, and he
wouldn't do it. We had no trouble in
getting what votes We wanted. Mr.. Pom,
eroy offered himselfe to Us in a long let
ter long before, and We knew we could
hold him if we wanted him, and when we
found how cheap he was we let him 70 ms
not worth trying to get. The President
knew nothing about it. His friends were
frightened to death when they saw how
the case was going, and were anxious to
do something to avert the threatened con-
viction. Mr.. McCulloch was ut first op.
posed to using money, but he gave in
when he saw the danger of losing his ef.
fce. Mr.. Randall was ready, from the
first, for whatever was necessary. Mr..
Seward also looked at matters in bust
nesslike way. / guess the rest of the ad-
ninistration were kept in the dark. l
know the President, and am satisfied he
would not have allowed any money to be
used if he had known it. I knew of the
proposition to acquit Mr.. johnson, which
came in the form Of a wager, and our
folks were fools not to take the bet. l
tried to urge them to raise the money
($5O .OOO), accept the bet, which fully
understood to be direct proposition to
acquit the President for that amount, but
McCulloch and Seward were afraid there
was some catch in it. No money was
raised to accept that wager that l know Of.
There was money raised all over the coun-
try ostensibly to secure Mr.. Johnson's ac>
quittal, but only q very small portion Of
it was ever used for the purposes for
which it was given. That raised by Hen
ry B. Smythe, in New York, never reach>
ed Washington. Webster, the Baltimore
Gollactor raised lof uhiah Lo s,roro axa @