The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-01-24
THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.
of the Argument for tho
State by Judge Stuart.

Al L4ANlLNAAlENA = AbAAAs
Opening of the Argument for the
State by Judge Stuart.
The Senate as court OF impeachment
met ut the usual hour on Saturday morn
ing, and the defense having nothing fur
ther to offer in the way OF testimony,
Judge Stuart opened the argument on
the part Of the managers for the State.
He said that Notwithstanding the effort
OF the counsel for the respondent to put
the managers in the light Of willful prose.
cutors desiring the conviction OF the &c.
cused, and to make the impression upon
the mind OF the Senate that this trial was
pursued in u spirit Of persecution, moth
ing was further from the fact. For him
self, he did not appear in the case from
choice, and he had no desire to prosecute
the defendant further than in the strict
performance Of the duty assigned him.
He hoped that If his remarks should
prove somewhat disconnected and even
irksome, the Senate would bear with him
patiently. There were over one hundred
pages OF evidence in the case, and he had
hoped that the managers would have
some little time to read it over before
being called upon to open the argument.
He also suggested that II at noon the
Senate would adjourn until Monday it
would be for the best interest OF all con-
cerned.
The managers had not taken cxcep-
ton to the rather peculiar line OF ar
gument adopted by the counsel for the res
pondent, and he had certainly taken
wide range.
His argument had been n sort Of bio
graphical review Of the respondents priv
ate and publiclife. He STUART was proba
bly, as we'll acquainted with the history OF
the respondent as anyone, and could II he
had n mind, state some positions which
that gentleman had occupied, to which
his counsel had not alluded. But what
il the respondent had held high political
positions. Did his counsel esteem that
any reason why his case should not be
Judged by the law and the evidence ?
There was time when high political po-
sition was badge OF honor, but how sad
ly in these latter days things were chang
ed.
Now the honorable and the reputable
we're not as a rule the men who were
chosen to political position. On the 9TH
er hand il was oftener an evidence that
the successful candidates were those who
were willing to do the lowest and
dirtiest work Of party. Referring to
national politics, he said Oakes Ames
was an honorable man, yet he could not
Withstand strong temptation and he fell.
The respondent, Burdett, had not Just
once departed from the path OF rectitude,
hisdercliction Of duty was through years.
and his every act OF wrong doing had
been committed knowingly and intelli-
gently. His counsel referred to the fact
that the respondent had been candidate
for Congress but he stopped short OF tell
ing whether he had been elected or not.
He had even stated that the respondent
had enlisted In the army and would
seemingly draw the inference that he
could therefore do no wrong. The counsel
alluded to the fact that his client had been
Quartermaster. What an unfortunate
allusionl Where was the quartcrmaster
who had come of unscathed.
The Chair here took occasion to repre-
mand the audience for laughter, request
ing that there should be no demonstration
either Of applause or condemnation.
Manager Stuart continued and said
laughter was healthy. 1t was his custom
to laugh with those who laughed and to
weep with those who wept. Mr.. Burdett
may have had character OF spotless
purity, but he feared that it, like that Of
many others, had not survived the Quar-
termastership; there he had started on the
downward road to corruption and crime.
The Senators need not be told that many
men had entered thei Quartermaster's
office poor and had come out OF it rich;
had entered it with pure characters and
come out clouded with the blackness OF
midnight. The fact that the respondent
had been elected and reelected to the
Office OF Treasurer, viewed in the light
Of modern politics, counted for nothingGs
evidence Of his integrity, Notwithst1nd-
ing the high character imputed TO him
BY his counsel, will his counsel maintain
the proposition that il when renominated,
Burdett has disclosed 10 the people OF
this State that he had used the public
moneys for his own personal profit, and
told them that he sought reelection to
the Office for the enrichment and aggran-
dizement Of himself and family; that
he could have been reelected. Would
any of the honorable members OF this
body desire to see John s. Burdett again
elected to the office he now holds? He
would like to look upon the man who
would endorse such acts rs had been
proyen upon the respondent that he might
mark him we'll and avoid him as he would
a viper. These things, however, were
outside OF the law and the evidence, and
he should not have alluded to them ex-
cept in reply to the counsel for the re-
spondent. ,,
5AlIuding to Judge Raymond, Manager
Stuart said he was the first judicial officer
in Inc history Of hundred years Of the
old State and the New who had been called
upon to preside over q trial OF imPeach-
ment. II was fact that spoke volumes
for the official integrity that had charac-
terized the old State, and West Virginia
might with pride emulate the Mother
State.
Are the honorable Senators in accord
with tho rabble who say that the otIenses
charged and proven against the respond
cnt as Treasurer are no ofienses2 nthey
arc, he would say that they had departed
from that standard Of purity and integrity
which had dignifed their fathers. He
saw before him gentlemen who had held
high and honorable position under the
government OF the old State as we'll as the