Year: 1873

From the New York sun. 20th.l


The presence of Andrew Johnson IN


Washington recalls to mind the memo
rable Impeachment trial IN which he
was defendant, toward the close Of his
term Of Office as President OF the United
States. The late Cornelius Wendell,
who was familiar with the incidents Of
that trial, and an actor in some Of the
most important Of them, used TO say
that Mr.. JOhnsOn's acquittal was attribu-
table, not as many supposed, to the eio-


quence and ability Of the distinguished
counsel employed by him, but to the use
of money. We never understood that
Mr.. Johnson himself furnished any part
Of the sum paid; although the par


ties who advanced it unquestiOn-


ably counted upon personal advantages
to themselves to result from his ap-


probation and gratitude after the trial


should be over. Mr.. WeudelPs story


was as follows: The idea Of saving Mr..


johnson had been almost wholly relin-


quished by his friends; his conviction
seemed a foFegone conclusion, and was
almost universally spoken of as certain,


when, one Sunday, while Mr.. Wendell
was sitting in one Of the public rooms at


Browns hoteI--sinee changed to the
MetrOpolitan-he was accOsted by an
acquaintance, who asked: wendell,
do you want to bet hundred thousand
dollars that johnson will be convicted?
because, if you do, I will take
the bet." Mr.. Wendell said he at
once comprehended what the pro-
position meant, and, after a little
further conversation, requested q little
time in which to make up his mind,
and appointed later hour in the same
day for another meeting with the party
who had made it. ''I flew round, /" con-
tinued Mr.. Wendell, 'iand after seeing
several persons, found that could ralse1
sixty thousand dollars; so when this
man came back again, | said to him, l
will bet you sixty thousand dollar" 81
don't want to bet sixty thousand dol
lars" was the instantaneous reply, 81
offered to bet you Que hundred thousand
dollars; if you do not wish to take that
we will let the matter drop.
/ will bet that or nothing


no smaller sum- Wendell now per-
ceived that the man was unquesionably
in earnest, and that if he took the bet


the result would be one of two things:
johnson would be acquitted, or be would
win one hundred thousand dollars. He


equested further time, which was ac-
corded, with the understanding, how
ever, that at the next interview the
money was to be up or the negotiation
was TO be at an end. Mr.. Wendell knew
where and to whom to go to raise money
for such a purpose; no man in the coun-
try knew better; and although such q
sudden demand for so large
sum taxed his energies very Sc
verely, he succeeded in getting the
amount together within the time limi-
ted. The terms of the bet were fully
complied with, and the money was put
up. President Johnson, as we all know
to be a historical fact, was acquitted
but very few persons in the country
have hitherto understood how it was
done. Mr.. Wendell said that some Of
the money went to quarters which
would have been among the last to be
suspected; whereas certain senators
against whom suspicion was most rife,
never touched dollar Of the mon
ey. Mr.. Wendell also said that
they had several more votes Sc


cured to be given in favor of acquittal
in case they should be required to ac


eomplish that result: but if not needed
to acquit, then to be cast for conviction.


One of the most curious things about
the whole transaction was the manner
in which the money was paid over after
the acquittal had taken place. 1t was


not handed directly over, from one oil
the parties to the bet to the other, but
was lost by one to the other in play at
cards. Some of our readers will pIOba-


bly, recOllect a very strange account,


which got into print at the time,


of a well-known federal OfticehOlder


losing a very large sum OF money IN an


inexplicable manner at Browns hotel.


He did not execute his part of the pro-


gramme with the degree of skill which


was expected of him, and his perform


ance in the final act assumed most lu-


dicrous aspect. Our distinguished
townsInan, Mr. Evarts, came home big
with the glory of his achievement. A


sort of Ovation-a public dinner-Was
given him soon afterward at the Astor
house, and, although some of those who
were conspicuous in paying MIN the
compliment, took pains to state that
it had no connection with his defense
of the President, yet he insisted
in his speech at the dinner in taking
different view, and in treating it as


attributable to his triumph in the i'm


peachment trial. We presume that
from that day to this a suspicion of
how little his argument had to do with
the result of that trial has never entered
his head. The men who made and paid
the decisive bet did not consult him on


that subject. We have never enter


tanned any doubt that the acquittal of
President johnson would have been
right on the merits of the case; but we


believe that the truth Of history is that
Justice was bought in that instance.


80 !. Il