Year: 1868

tor Johnson.


SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE HERALD.


WASHINGTON, April 10, 1858.


In the impeachment proceedings Of to-day por-
tion of the morning was consumed debating the
question OF admitting more than two speeches on
either side In the final argument. II was evident
from the manner In which the Senate received the
proposition, and by the vote cast on the motion Of
Senator Williams to lay the subject the table,
that there Is very little disposition to relax the
twenty.frst rule and crafty the ambition of those
members Of the immortal Board Of Managers who are
anxious that remote posterty should be acquainted
with the style OF their rhetoric. Another attempt
will probably be made tomorrow to modify the rule
but to all appearances it will hardly meet with any
better success than the effort of to-day.


When this matter was disposed Of Mr.. Stanbery
made another ineffectual attempt to put question
In as to the opinion Of the witness General Sher
man, whether he considered the good of the service
required that another man besides Mr.. Stanton
should be at the head of the War ONCE. Thereupon
long and lively debate ensued between Messrs
Butler and Bingham on the one side and Messrs
Evarts and Stanbery on the other. 1t was the most
skilfully conducted discussion on an nterlocutory
point that has yet occurred. Butler was adroi and
argumentative, Bingham plausible and declamatory,
Stanbery expostulatory and convincing, and Evarts
as usual, keen, terse and vigorous. Other questions
OF substantially similar import were ruled out In
turn and in despair the counsel for the President
surrendered their witness.


When the Court reassembed General Sherman was
recalled, on motion of Reverdy Johnson and the
question put to him by the Senator the purpose
OF the President In Offering him the appointment of
Secretary Of War ad interim. The vote ON admitting



six to twenty-fve-a remarkable and significant
change as the question was ntrinsicay the same as
had been ruled out four times Saturday and three
times to-day. There might have been feeling OF
compuncon, Of pity for the Presidents COUNSEL who
were, at the time General Sherman descended from
the witness stand, hopelessly embarrassed in their
efforts to place the President in the light in
which he was justly and properly entitled to be
represented. However, the ''s0ber second thought"
OF the Senate endorsed at last the competency of the
question so often put and as oftentlmes rejected;
and here came the entering wedge the counsel for
the defence gallany but unsuccessully struggled
to accomplish. The sealed book Of their testimony
was opened, and with this as a precedent of the
competency Of such evidence as throws light on
the motive and object of the accused. they are at
liberty now, perhaps to put forward other evidence
which had been threatened with exclusion, calcu-
lated to show that the Presidents intentions were
Numerically opposite to what the articles Of i'm
peachment charge him with-the contravention Of
law and the usurpaton OF power.


The question, being finally allowed, was put to
General Sherman amid profound silence in the
Senate Chamber. The General threw his head back
renectivey for o few moments, then glanced down
at slip Of paper before him. and proceeded with
cautious and measured accents to state the purpose
of his interview with President Johnson His inter-
viou xuifh ha
many subjects, and being confined by the question
TO give specific answer, he deemed 1t necessary TO
state few preliminary points to place the character
OF his reply in a clearer light. He began by stating
that the President said to him that the relations
which had grown up between himself and Secretary
Stanton were OF such q nature that he could no
longer transact Official business with the suspended
chief Of the War ONCE.


Here Mr.. Butler objected, and General Sherman
became irritated, replying rather sharply that IL was
essential for him to make or two preliminary re-
marks to come at the gist Of his answer.


The Chief Justice ruled in favor OF the witness, and
the General proceeded to relate the Presdent's re-
marks as to his purpose in offerng him the war
ONCE Every word Of the witness was carefully ut
tered and clearly heard throughout the chamber.
His statement was decidedly favorable to the Pres
dent It disclosed no other purpose on the part Of
the latter than desire to get rid Of q troublesome
and uncongenial Cabinet counsellor, and to make
him seek redress In the courts, where the consitu-
tiNnality of the law under which he sought to hold
once despite the wishes OF his superior might be
tested.


As the Presidents counsel did not recall the wit
ness they deemed 1t their right to put question to
him now, the door had been opened for just such
testimony as they had hitherto been seeking for
Mr.. Butler got up at this juncture and entered into
MT no Oht orp M ha
counsel for the President putting any additional ques
tions to the witness after having finally dismissed
him short time before; then, branching or to his
favore and characteristic style Of argument Butler,
covertly addressing himself to Reverdy johnson,
accused that Senator OF coming down from his posi-
ton as q judge and acting as counsel for the
President-of, In fact, sprostituting his charac-
Ter q man and Senator. This was too
much for human nature to stand but especially un.
bearable when coming from one OF Buffers antece-
dents. The Senator from Maryland rose promptly to
his feet, hts face than usually flushed and his
very hair brlstling his head. 'If the Honorable
Manager meant to impute TO me that have been
acting counsel for the President he does not know
the man whom he accuses.- These words were ut
tered with depth OF earnestness and peculiar and
unusual emotion Of voice that touched the feelings OF
thc entire auditory. He proceeded to say he was
ust as well acquainted with law the Man
aqer himself and after administering q well
deserved rebuke to his assaIlant sat down
amid the sympathy OF his hearers. 1t
was provoking indeed for alearned, venerable and
hightoned gentleman like Reverdy Johnson, OF
Maryland, to whom his very opponents accord ad-
mration and respect TO be dragged forward by But
ler and accused before the Senate and world OF
promising his honor and dignity and tamperng with
the case he has been to try Butler will hardly
venture on similar task in the same direction
again. He has already been allowed latitude Of
nippant abuse and pettfogging dodge which has
seriously detracted from the character Of the High
court OF impeachment


There s no question but that the Chief Justice has
rendered himself unpopular with good many radi-