Year: 1868

AhS DShfhO AAAAsI hUNVo"to FNoiiShtr
the following letter: ma


WASHINGTON, May 20-GoYernor q,
Koerner-MY DEAR SIR: Your telegram,
and also your letter Of the 18th, were duly
received. thank you for the letter and
the kind spirit in whichit is written. No
words can tell You how panied am to be
compelled to differ from you and other life
long friends. This will be my first letter
in reply TO numerous ones received on the
subject of impeachment AT first, nearly
all my letters were in condemnation, but
within the last few days, perhaps, half are
in approval Of my course. In the midst of
the storm Of abuse and misrepresentation
poured forth by rash, reckless, and in
many instances, unprincipled politicians, l
thought it idle to attempt to reason with
them. feel sure / am right, and when
the passion Of the hour subsidies, that /
shall be able to satisfy all reasonable and
fair minded men that it was my duty to
decide according to my convictions, whether
they agreed with my political friends or
not. / was just as well aware before voting
as now that Andrew johnson was odious to
the country, and that probably ninety nine
hundredlhs Of the Republicans desired his
removal, but TO have convicted him of
high crimes and misdemeauors because the
party demanded il, when in my opinion he
was not shown to be gnilty of them, would
have been monslrous. II the prosecutors
have the right TO dictate the verdict and
Judgment, the trial is a farce. No President
who disagrees with Congress will hereafter
be permitted TO remain in Office, il such
principle is to obtain-or to state the case
more accurately, a majority ofthe House Of
Representatives, when two-thirds of The Sen
ate agree with, them politically, may at any
time remove a President. That the Republi


can party has right TO demand the convic


tiOn of the President is horrible, and the
sense of Justice of the nation will revolt at
such an idea when the passion of the hour
subsides aud yet / have received numer-
ous letters and kilograms telling me that
the Republican party demands the re-
moyal of the President do not believe
it, unless the tribunal appointed by the
Constitution 10 try him believe him guilty
of some crime or misdemeanor with which
he stands charged. think i am right in
coming to the conclusion that no crime or
misdemeanor justifying impeachment was
made out in the case but If mistaken in
this must, of course, take the conse-
quence Of my error of Judgment, but to
| charge il as a betrayal of the party is
cruelty unjust. What is the administra-
tion Of Justice worth when decisions are
10 be made, not according to law and JUS
tice, but at the dictahon Of political par
ty, or even of the whole people, In new
| ly-seitled countries mobs and parties of
regulation sometimes take the admiuistra-
/ tion Of justice into their own hands, but
who ever heard Of mobs even requiring
courts TO execute their DEGREES. The
stories about corruption or improper mo-
tives influencing sny Republican to vote
against conviction are, Of course, false. All
the pressure, and il was very great-more
! than you know of-was on the other side,
as an investigation, if one is ever had, will
show. But for outside pressure l think DO
such vote as thirty-Gye could have been
obtained for conviction ON the eleventh
article. i inclose a copy Of my opinion.
Very truly, LYMAN TRUMBUEL.