Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-03-31
The Impotcnt Wall Of An
drew johnson.
An Independent Newspapers
Opinion of It.
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Seven wears ago to-day proceedings
for tho impeachment of Andre W
johnson were pending in the United
States Senate. To-day Andrew John.
son rehearsed ID the United States
Senate the speeches for which seven
years ago he was aFraigned. Long be.
fore the hour Of assembling the Capt.
tol was thronged by such crowds AZ
are only seen on tho greatest occasions.
Curious spectators and faithful adher-
ents Of the old regime were eager to
listen to the msn who, from village
Alderman, became tho greatest crimi.
nal Of the age Eligible positions al
ways reserved for privileged persons
were filed to their utmost. The din.
lomatic gallery was occupied By per.
SONS who knew little OF diplomacy !:
the reporters' gallery by many who
had no connection with newspapers,
except a. readers. The Senator and
visitors upon the floor suggested
CURIOUS HrsToRrcAL REcoLLEcT1oNs.
Two members OF the impeachment
trial were present as Senators,-Ioga
who In resting his case branded Andy
johnson as the greatest criminal Of
the age Boutwell,, from whose hole
in the sky Johnson has returned.-
Morton sat near johnson, apparently
regretting that Indiana had first NOM
mated the latter for the Vice.Presi-
dency. Conkling could not forget the
bitterness Of the old days enough to
remain to listen. Several members OF
the Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Con-
gresses who voted In the initial pro-
ceediugs Of Impeachment, were In At
tendance. The Senators who voted
guilty were interested and amazed
listeners. Fowler, ex-senator from
Tennessee, one Of the few Republican
Senstors who voted to acquit, sat
near listening to every word. Andy
STUDIED TO INCREASE THE DRAMATIC
EFFECT.
He varied his usual custom, tho gaycl
had fallen and prayer was offered,
when he entered the chamber, solemn.
digni6ed, and trim 90 . tailor. His
face had that expression Of earnest
ness and Badness which has character
ICED It since his arrival here. Two
deaks held his book, whitened by ref.
erfarence- marks, besides which glass
of water and . lemon. The Washing.
ton audience that listened to the 22d
Of February speech, and heard John
son % President denounce Senators
and Representatives In the slang of
the stump, could expect that Senstor
Andrew johnson might commit some
indiscretion. In this they were not
disappointed. tl2 10 A. H., he be-
gan - II he were again to
swIRG AROUND THE CIRCLE.
Five minutes were sufficient to show
that he could not divest himself Of the
impression that ho was speaking to Q
popular audience, and thAt.the parlia.
mentsry address Of Senators 10 not
"My Countrymen." He had himself
90 forgotten the past - to be willing
to become member Of what he used
to characterize the sic0 .ordinste branch
hanging on the verge of the Govern
ment, but he had not forgotten the
man at the other end Of the avenue
To him he addressed himself. The
speech had two psrts--a 1candalous
stack upon the President, and an ar.
rogant vindicstion Of my policy
The rules of both Houses Of Congress,
and parliamentary decorum every.
where, inhibit personalities, and for
bid references to the votes, acts, or
motives of any one connected with .
coordinate branch ofthe Government.
But Andrew Johnson's speech was
A BITTER cowARD1Y ATTACK
upon the Chief Executive of the
nation. There Wne sOs.. oSay : ~.-a ss
II that was within the bounds OF par
liamentary decorum. There were
few words that could stand against q
motion to expungc. No other mem
ber of the Senate could have used
such language without having been
ruled to his seat on point Of order.
Seven years ago Congress tried to i'm.
peach Andrew johnson for intemper-
ate, inflammatory, and scandalous
harangues, and on occount of bitter
menaces 40 we'll against Congress as
against the laws of the United States.
His harangue to-day, after this lapse
of years, was not less intemperate or
scandalous. There was noting more
bitter in any of the speeches In that
famous swing around tho circle than
IL contained In the speech delivered In
the Senate to-day. Tho Senator'S who
drew the nearest to the man, who ne.
cd to declare that treason must be
made odious and traitors must be pun.
ishcd and Impoverished, were the ex.
Confederate Gems. Cockerill, Gordon,
and Withers. but of all the Democratic
Senators who listened to his speech
there were but two who had the cour.
ago to congratulate him upon his bill.
lingsgate.
HIS GRAMMATICAL ERRORS
were frequent ridiculous, and humil-
iating. He took tho Consultation for
. guide, but disregsrded the language
in which 70 was written. He spoke
the dialect Of the village Alderman,
bogxled his tcnses, deHed account, and
laughed ct syntax. The whole pur.
pose OF his speech, his friends declare
was TO get even with Grant The
President was the central figure Of the
ex.P President's spite. At flrst johnson
spoke Of him % the Executive and the
Prssident Of the United States; but %
tho old quarrel was made fresh to his
memory, be characterized the Presideut
% Gen. Grant, and turned upon him
some Of the batteries Of the old days,
designating him with great scorn 90
the man Ct other end Of the avenue.
Johnson's old quarrel with Sheridan
at New Orleans could not be forgotten
and Phil Sheridan shared with Gen.
Grant the imprecations OF decade Of
Andy Johnson's hate.
THE GHOST OF THE THIRD TERM.
was made to do its duty. The old man
declared that We are living In . stra.
tooracy under the rule ofthe army.
Hs grew eloquent with the Jingle die.
tator, usnrper, iron-hand, mailed heel
Of power. In threatening pathos he
denounced the President % . tyrant
Cesar, whom the people In the old
days would have hurled from power.
He thought the liberties OF the coun.
try IN danger; saw an Empire ahead,
and when that time should como with
arrogance pictured himself standing
amid the ruins Of tho Capitol, gather
Ing mp the broken fragments Of the
Consultation. The ever-recurring re-
trains OF the speech were the old gilt