The Charlotte Democrat., 1889-09-13
Ross's Varying Fortune.
From Case to Senate and Back Again.


Republicans with long memories are dis
cussing, with evident relish, the fact that
Edmund G. Ross, late Governor of New
Mexico, is now common printer 10 the
Office of Santa Fe newspaper. Ross has
not been popular here since the time when,
as junior United States Senator from Kan
sas, he saved Andrew johnson from being
ousted from the presidency.
10 the impeachment trial only one vote
was needed to make the two-thirds neces-
sary to convict johnson. The Kansas
Repn blicans expected Ross to cast this
yot., but be failed to do so, and immedi-
ately incurred their deadly enmity. "Old
Jim Lane. had previously lost prestige
in Kansas through his friendship for John
son, and he committed suicide because he
realized that his political career was at an
end. Although hated by the majority of
bis constituents, Ross remained 10 the
senate until his term expired, and then
quietly resumed his former occupation Of
printer.
Most men would have been untitled by
congressional lite for this radical change,
but Ross regarded it as the most natural
thing in the world, and frequently told
his Washington associates that he would
be found at the case when his senatorial
duties were over. His career certainly
furnishes some very striking illustrations
of the ups aud downs of life. The secret
of this may be found in the fact that
money has no particular value to him.
He was born a spendthritt, and, up to
this time, has manifested the most su.
preme contempt for the almighty dollar.
This child of fkle fortune was born in
Ohio in 1926, and thirty years later when
he Joined the Kansas Free Soldiers"
was first class printer, with strong
journalistic tendencies. With his brother
William he soon established the Kansas
Tribune, and for two years it was the only
free State paper in the Territory, it's pre-
decessors having been destroyed by the
pro slavery men. The opportunity was a
grand one, aud the young Ohioan made
the most OF it. The files of the paper are
treasured by the State Historical Society,
and they furnish very interesting reading.
In those days to enunciate Abolition doc
trine was to court death at the hands OF
the border rufians who made this region
their headquarters
In 1853 Ross became editor OF the State
Record, of Topeka, and a year later was
member of the convention which framed
the present constitution of the State. The
State Record passed into other hands in
1862, and Ross entered the army as q
private. He came out a major in 1865,
with most credtable record, and took
up the printer'' "stick" again. The fol.
lowing year Senator Lane committed sui
eide at Fort Leavenworth, and Ross was
appointed by Governor Crawford to fill
the vacancy until the next session of the
State legislature January %, 1867, he
was elected to succeed Lane on the fourth
ballot. Pomeroy was at that time the
senior Kansas senator.
Although possessed of few statesman
like qualities and without training 10 de-
bate, the new senator was blessed with
plenty of hard sense, and had learned long
before that "silence is golden" So he
"sawed wood and looked wise, and soon
received credit for being a wise man. The
beginning of the impeachment trial found
Ross indisposed TO regard johnson as
guilty, although the Republicans after
ward claimed that he had promised to
vote for conviction. After the evidence
was ali in, 100 representative Kansas. Re
publicans, the noted Dan r. Anthony
among them, caused this dispatch to be
sent to Senator'S Pomeroy and Ross:
"Kansas has beard the evidence and
demands the conviction of the president"
Senator Ross replied to this as follows:
Cd. Il. Anthony and others: do not
recognize your right TO demand that |
shall vote either Tor or against conviction.
I have taken an oath TO do impartial jus
tice according to the constitution and laws,
and trust that | shall have the courage
Nd ho
dictates of my judgment and for the high.
est good of my country"
The supreme moment of the famous
trial came soon aflerward. and Ross's bal
lot was thrown for acquittal. The vote
ceived this dispatch, signed Cd. r. An
thony and others":
"Your vote was dictated by Tom Ew-
ing, not by your oath. Your motives are
Indian contract and greenbacks. Kansas
repudiates you as she does ell perjurers
and shunks."
L. W. Bailey, of Levenwo orth, telegraph
ed to Ross as follows:
"Probably the rope with which Judas
hanged himself is lost, but the pistol with
which Jim Lane committed suicide is at
your service"
Kansas, then as now, rapidly Republi-
can, went wild when the news OF John
sons acquit,al was received. Ross's
name was on every lip. Tuesday, May
| l9, 1868, the soldiers of the lth Kansas
the regiment to which Ross once belong
ed-burned him in eftigy in front OF the
State House in Topeka. The republican
newspapers used up their stock of epithets
in denouncing him. The Leavenworth
| Conservative, the leading paper of the
State at that time, edited by ID. w. Will
| der, once editor Of the Rochester Express,
said the morning after the news came:
"Johnson is acquitted because Kansas
is corrupt. The fate of the nation depend
ed on one vote. 1t was found and came
from Kansas. Edmund e. Ross, an old
settler of this State, free State man and
an anti slavery republican, cast that vote.
It was left for the State whose noblest
citizen was John Brown, the State whose
soil 10 hsllowed all over with the blood of
men, women and children, the State which
has only four words ON its banner, Equal
rights for ALL" to be betrayed and out
ragged by this creature Ross. He 10 dead
dead to honor, dead to liberty. dead to
Kansas. Let him 60 his own way. A
half civilized bush whacker would spit in