Year: 1868

| altered after Ii was gwen TO the papers.


| Mr.. BUTLER-We never altered IL at all. The kind
OF paper IL which the Managers do not take and
do not patronze either by furnishing the matter OF
Can be no ' side issues ana all that e
plea OF mot guty,n with stump speech in the
belly. Q.augher) That is all. l am informed that
the paper to which the gentleman alludes is the Bal
timore american. thought it the Gazette, find
ing 1t in such suspicious company. The American Is


decent N paper and only wonde.
that the House will not receive any lectures or any
suggestions as to the proprety Of language or pro
yet under its censure for violation Of all parliar
mentary rules.


The hour OF twelve O'Clock having arrived the ses-
sion OF Monday closed and the session OF Tuesday


Mr. ELDRIpaE, tdem) of Wis, said it would seem
from the remarks OF the gentleman from Massachu-
setts ir. Butler) that this matter Is never to cease
President, from the beginning of the proceedings up
to this hour, has been treated not only as q mere
The gentleman from Massachuset Us tells that when
| the question was raised in England whether I'M
| peachment was In the name OF the people some one
/ exclaimed that it not and he said that person
was understood to be ranting Old woman. wei,
sir II Is not necessary for old women to come here
and rant for have plenty Of ranters in the House
OF Representatives.


Mr. ELDRIDGE-I suppose the gentleman knows;
| he is a very fair specimen himself. The gentleman
from Massachusetts undertook say that the repi-
understanding of the gentleman from Massachusetts,
and we have the statement of the leading Manager,
Mr.. Bingham, last evening, that, anticipating the
answer which has been presented by the President the
| Managers had prepared replication. There could
be other construction put upon his language than
| that the Managers before they heard word Of the
answer, had prepared q form OF replication to It.
not look upon the Presidents declaration and an
swer either specifically generally; but they prepare
what they suppose the answer Of the President will
be. said last evening that did not desire the Man.
ayers on the part OF the House, much as respect
| them as individuals ana much as have confidence
in them as gentlemen, to answer in my name on
their own discretion. Every one OF them was known
to have convicted the President, without regard to
the evidence and without regard to his answer, when
from Ohio tells us that the replication is short
traverse OF all the material allegations III the answer
and denial OF the matters and things set up. Is the
| impeachment OF the President so much matter Of
form that whatever he may answer the Managers are
prepared with general denial fitS Has the act OF
impeachment become so much matter OF form that
whatever may be said, whether 1t be confession or


denial Of the facts charged against him. il is to be
| denied by the Managers even before the answer
comes in? Is that the form and Is that the pro-
seeding BY which you are to remoye S9rnoae fse
the President had come in and confessed
| many OF the facts chargcd-and l understand
he does admit many-are the Managers prepared
| in advance with general denial OF all matters
| and things set up by the President? Are the Man.
gard to facts whatever the President may say9 do
| not want these gentlemen to file an answer Tor me-
do not want them to be authorized to , act IN my my
gentleman from Massachusetts, ranting old woman
SO far the President has undertaken to state facts
and TO give narration Of what has transpired be-


eve he has stated Gods truth, and believe that
majority OF the House to-day believe that what he
has stated Is Why, then, should not this House,,
with equal frankness and sincerity, come forward
| and admit the record whatever is true that the
President has stately Why should the House deny all
that he NAV haye stated whether true whether
itbe fase9 Why should we not come forward and meet
the case admitting such facts as are true ana DENYING
| such as we consider are not truey Why cannot We
consider the answer section by section, fact by fact,
| and whenever find that the President has stated
| the truth admit that in replicationY Why send
out TO the country false repcation-a replication
Why Should we tell the country that ali the President
has said is lie, when we Know that most oi IL ID
true2


| man to state as q lawyer who had looked into. the
precedents, whether he could pontsto any case or
irppeachment that had been tried except on the
general issue OF not guilty, whether any olher issue
Gould be made and whether in that case, any other
| replication could be filed than substantially that
| which had been prepared to.dayf


Mr.. ELDRDaE repeated that those portions Of the
| Presidents answer which were true, and which


could not be denied by witnesses, should be admtted


by this they would narrow down the issue and
. Mir. HTGBY lrep1 Of CAL, inquired whether the
gentleman was in hurry to have the President con-
Mr. ELDRIDGE remarked that the gentleman (Mr
Higby) continuing the same practice OF evity
through. lie iMr. Eldridge) cared not whether the
trial be hurried up delayed, far as he was ndi-
vidually concerned; but he would have just as few
facts to be controyerted by testimony as possible.
That would be good pleading; IL would be good prac-


Mr.. WILLIAMS, one OF the Managers, said the gen.
tleman from Wisconsin seems to be Of the opinion
this proceeding is to be tried technical rules
OF pleading are applicable In the tra Of in
| courts OF common law. beg leave 10 remind him
that It has been already openly confessed by the
counsel for the President that It Is not to be tried by
the rules that prevail In common law courts, but by
the aw OF Far an e nsye en


series OF answers very much OF the character OF an


answer in chancery. There is no plea, there Is no
/ 1anrr IN.


swer filed by them Is without precedent. What are


the Managers under these circumstances to do2


IL stands confessed by the counsel for the President


that demurrer in a case OF this kind does not ap.


pear. The gentleman from Wisconsin ADMITS that


the House with the idea and the hypothesis that


there Is but issue to be tried and that Is the


Mr. ELDRIDGE-My position is that tire President.
. having gone and stated the facts covering the


ground the charge against him specifically ought
TO meet him fairly, and admit such facts as we
, not dispr0ve, thereby narrowing the issue, saving


expense % ,me country ana savg e e.
facts which we cannot deny


! | follow the President In his In the way Of


special replication precisely as we should Try case
! Mr.. CHASLER made the point OF order that the


House had oficial knowledge OF the answer Of the


The SPEAKER overruled the point OF order on the
ground that the House OF Representatives was by its


own at the bar Of the Senate yesterday for the


specific purpose OF hearing the answer and II was to
| be presumed that the House had heard IT..


MIR. WILLIAMS went on TO- argue that no other
| character Of replication could be made to the an


swer OF the President. II the House were TO enter


on a long series OF special pleas II would be playing
| precisely into the hands OF the President ana his
COUNSEL whose object appeared to be nothing more
| nor less than delay. Did the gentleman from Wiscon-


sin want TO perpetuate the trial till the close OF the
Presidents terms That seemed to be the general
| feeling, and to have been the expectation OF the
President himself. He had had some special doubt
himself whether the Managers should not have gone
back to the Senate and compelled the defendant to
put In confession In form or plea Of mot gulty'
t,th ho ho1sI N
. | that they should take the. whole OF the answer
| substantially plea OF mot guilty."


Mr. ELDIRIDGE said that was the very point he had
enieavorcd to make; that the House having through


It's managers accepted the special answer put In by


the President. bound by that answer and that it
became the duty Of the Managers to reply to that
| special answer, specially admitting such facts as