The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1892-06-09
Impeachment Of Andrew Johnson.

SalCBlHRu 10 UOu dHu uuly. Es
AT. the holy shrine of truth.
Impeachment Of Andrew Johnson.
The tribunal before whose. Judicial
bar Andrew johnson was arraigned
10 Hial zfnr high crimes and mis-
tlemeanorsffn the office Of President
of the United States, was the most
! exalted body in the world-the
American Senate. 1t was an assem- :.
bly,, inferior perhaps, in pomp and
pageantry to the British Heuse Of
Lords, but possessing more Of true
dignity and nobility; inferior, pei
hap<, in official formality TO the az
istocratic Reichtag Of Germany. but
having more of thoughtful delibera-
ton; "a body as much superior to the
French Senate as the Council of III,
eurgus Iexcelled the war dances Of
the Barbarians. 1t wasan assembly
membership in which has left oh
the golden pages Of history sueh
names as Webster, Clay, Calhoun,
Choate, Benton and Summer. Bit
however dignifed and exalted this
body may be on ordinary occasions,
for this great trial it was rendered
doubly so. To each senator was ad-
ministerial a new oath. Its Presi
dent. pro tempore retired .apd' The
Ermine of the Supreme CourNin1 the
person of Chief Justice Chase, oc-
cupied the chair. Allsthings Of an
impressive character were brought
20 bear @ make this d most solemn
occasion j occasionin which iIfty-
four men sat deliberating whether
bg any constitutional power nas
tien 81 i've and thirty millions of
people could depose its highest ofs
aeer. Nothing ffkeit had ever trans
!; pired before. Rulers had been gset
up and pulled down on the; other
side of the sea, but the sword and
guillotine were the instruments by
which it was accomplished. The
trial of Charles the First was but
the mockerE Of a Court. 1t began
on the Doth of January, he was con-.
victed on the 28th and beheaded the
30th-the goth being Sunday. The
trial of Warren Hastings, memorable
for it's great length, the splendid
eloquence of Burke and the burning
denunciations Of Sheridan, was. rot
Commensurate with this. Hastings
was but an Indian sieegerent-Jehn
son was Chief magistrate OF, the
greatest republic the world has
ever known, / + r" +
The time at which this trial occur
red is a significant feature. The
War Of the Rebellion had just closed,
The blue smoke of battle had scarce
~ lifted itself from the field of con
testand yet hung a lowering cloud
in the southern horizon, whilst the
terrible lightnings of sectional hate
played round its ragged edges. The
people of the South were in thea7dis-
NAL gloom of humiliating6 defeat.
The golden sun of their cherished
confederacy had gone down in a
night which was declared to be eter-
nal Wealth and affiuence had given
place to poverty and Indulgence, and
this too, among the proudest people
in the world. The CORY arbitrament
of war had deprived them Of their
ideal government and closed the
doors Of the National Capitol against
them. If then the President began
to extend TO them the executive
band Of elemency is it any wonder
they were eager to grasp it? 1
At[the North it was far different.
All was rejoicing and glaauess which
that foul ASSASSINATION could not
long repress. The Present was full
of light and Joy; the Future, Of hap
Ply anticipation. But one thing gave
the North any apprehension; namely,
What relation does the South now
sustain to the North and how can
the union be established? Here
is where MI. johnson incurred the
displeasure Of his Congress and the
condemnation OF his party. His
plan differed SO widely from those
proposed by the law giyers at Wash
ington, was SO favorable to the
South and unpopular in the North,
that it called down upon his devoted
head the deadly walls Of their wrath.
He not only proposed his plan, but,
during the recess of Congress also
proceeded to carry it into effect.
His plan was This: For a state TO
be restored il had by its Ieeislarure.
10 acQuiesce IN the abolition Of slay..
cry "a repudiare rhe confederate
debf and repeal fhe ordinanees pf
Sscesslsn' This was called fes4or5
otiea II was readily &c cepTs Bile IA
the people Of the South. III adopted,
II could MOI have produced much
harm, bur, when upon proceeding to.
carry It into effect. the newly chosen