Year: 1868




WASHINGTON, May 27.-The following is
the personal explanation by Senator Ross:


Mr. President~~Sinoe the vote was taken
in, this chamber on the 10th inst, which re-
suited in the acquittal of the President Of
the charge of high nIisdcmeanor in office,
set out in the eleventh article Of imp"ach-
ment, the whole country has been filled
with rumors of bribery and corruption on
the part. of members Of this body, Were
these rumors certified to street or har.roo
gossip they might not be worthy of notice,
but the House of Representatives have
deemed them Of sufficient Importance to
predicate official action on them, and since
the date Of that vote the Board Of Mama
gers has been in daily session, prosecuting
investigations on this subject. These charges
are calculated to, affect the honor Of the
Senate. As they have received IRON the
House of Representatives such marked and,
protracted attention, it is becoming the
Senate to take notice of them. =, An innesti
cation is due from the Senate, from its high
character, AMI to its accused members, as
well as to the American people. If there
be on this floor a Senator who has offered or
agleed to take a bribe of any nature to con
vict or acquit the President, let him be
proven guilty before committee of his
peers, and expelled. If there be one who
has yielded his convictions to threats, let us
expose the coward to the merited contempt
and scorn of courageous people. If there
is one who has attempted to bully or bribe
fellow ow-Senator, let us knew the fact and
determine whether he is, Fit. associate tor
us in this High Council Chamber. But if
none of these oicnscs have mawed the
dignity of this great trial, let the calumnies
which the tongues of ten thousand SLAM
derers have scattered over the land
be dispelled, and let the purity and dignity
Of the American Senate. and OF the hum
blest, as well as the highest, plembers be
indicated by it's own act. have borne IN
silence until now the assaults on my own
character and motive7 as q member OF the
Court, such as few o. my associates have
endured. | do not allude to the first storm
of the rarity denunciation, which burst over
the house Of the seven Republicans who
voted mot guilty." for that was anticipat-
ed, and | Yves prepared for it. The pclting
of that storm [ have borne with equanimi-
ty, conscious that had performed Just
and worthy act, aud confident that the
developements of time would bring an am.
pie vindication of my conduct against the
charge of infidelity to my party and the
country. | alude to the charge Of bribery
in its various forms now being examined by
the Managers of Impeachment in secret
session. | allnda to the scandals which have
been deliberately cilculted by those urging
the cause of impeachment, ard repeated
threats of assassination, all brought together
wi h view of affecting my action in favor
q IL. H. IL ali
ing the trial would soon end, have, thus
far submitted in silence to these accusations
and assaults, rather than provoke a contro-
verSy in the Senate as to matters then pend
ing before the Court. But the trial is now
ended, and have something to say in
vindicaton of my conduct during it, which
it is my right and duty to say, AT the
beginning of the trial OF this cause, | was
sworn by the Chiet-justice Of the Supreme
Court Of the United States, as u member
Of the Court of Impeachment to do impair
tial justice to Andrew johnson, President
by Constitution and laws. | had been. and
still was an earnest opponent OF the recon;
strrction policy Of his administration. |
thought, as | still think, that policy III
many of the most important particulars was
unwise 10 the Dest interests of the country.


| longed and still .ong, for such charges in
the administration of the Government as
would conform it TO the views of the
dominant party of the country and the
reconstruction policy of Congress. But |
could not with the light before me declare
the President guilty Of high crimes and


misdemeanora on mere differences as to
Government policy. ! sought to divest my


mind of all party prejudices and hear the
accusations and evidence endeavor to cast


my vote in the cause with all the candor
and courage of an honest judge. In this
spirit discharged my duty as member Of
the Court CT Impeachment, and hoped to
admit all the evidence offered by the pro-
secution aud defense, so that the Senate,


sitting as d Court and jury--as Judges in


law and fact-might sift all and determine


the case, with not one fact shut out by a


technical rule which bore on the guilt or in


nocence of the accused; and when | voted
on the several articles of impeachment L
cast out of the scale, as far as l was able,
all mere party considerations, and weighed
the cause as the Constitution and laws and


nv oath demanded. | do not claim the at


tention of the Senate in order to indicate
| the wisdom of my vote, as the law and evi


dence applicable to the several articles have


been ably discussed by tie managers on the
part of the House, by the counsel for the
| President and the lawyers OF the Senate,
and any arguments from me would be
eeotisic, superAuous, and now out Of time.
1 ask the attention of the Senate to assert
the integrity of my conduct as one OF the
Il IL AL Il.