Year: 1875

the commencement of the impeachment
trial gentleman in New York had sent him


check for ten thousand dollars TO help him


out OF bis troubles, but that he had returned


1t immediately, for, said he, ''of course If a


man gives me ten thousand dollars, it's be.


cause he thinks / have something worth


more than ten Thousand dollars 10 give
him; and although / suppose / make a great
many very foolish appointments don't want


to have it said that make any corrupt ones"
There has been great deal of. talk about


the use OF money as a means to secure the
acquittsl of Johnson. Without making any
valuable addition to the fund of informa-


ton on this subject, 1 will state what 1
think know to be q fact, that Mr.. johnson
not only never consented to the use OF
money, but often said in my hearing that


II he could be acquitted for five dollars he
would not pay that sum, nor let anybody
else pay 1t for him. / am borne out in this
assertion by the well-known fact that he
allowed Jere Black to withdraw from bis
defense rather than give his Official sanction
to corrupt land trade in which Black was
interested. He told Black that he would
rather be convicted ten times over than
purchase not only defense, but even
acqa,ttal. q at such a price; Black evi-
power, and 1t looked like a bad piece of
business for such man TO withdraw from 9
case on the eve of trial; put Johnson was
not the kind of man TO be iptimidated, and
besides, as have already said, he did net
look upon conviction as an uumixed evil to


him. Undoubtedly money was used in q
variety Of ways TO defeat the scheme of con-
viction; and. what is more, there was a good
deal more money re ady to be used in case of
necessity. There were votes csst for con-
viction that could have been persuade
| III the other direction in case of an emerg-
ency.


THE GREAT CONSIDERATION


| with the anti-im peachers was to make sure
| OF nineteen votes-I believe there were fifty
+ ur men in the Senate then-and they were
| cautious enough to get q few ''alteruates, I"
as they do in convention.


There were dark ways and vain tricks con-
| nected with both sides of the Impeachment


struggle, which would take volume, ir-
stead of an article, to relate. / can not.
however, refrain from telling one of them.
| Mr.. Willard Salisbury was democratic


senator from Delaware, with good in
/ tsntions, but very decided weak
ness for toddy. He would stay sober
for months sometimes, but the mere smell
| OF liquor would start him on spree that


might last for weeks. He had been quite


steady tor long time, and had promised to
| abstain en- tirely from liquor while the i'm
l peschment trial lasted. One evening a
young man called at his room and desired


an interview, which was granted. He rep
| resented himself as the agent OF a wine and
liquor importing house in New York, who


had come to Washington to have the tariff
| amended with respect to these articles and
he would like to interest the senator in his


cause. He concluded his remarks by saying


that he had brought some samples OF wine
and brandy with him, and asking the sena-


tors permission to send a few


bottles TO his room. Salisbury


Immediately saw in this proposition
| a plot to get him drunk, so that he Nigh!


be either absent from the Senate when the
| vote of impeachment was taken, or that
going to the Senate in q state of intoxica-


tion he might be expelled, as had often been
| threatened in his case. Indeed, resolution


for bis expulsion bad once been offered and
| was then on the calendar of the Senate. II
| looked then, on a close calculation. as If one


vote substracted from the democratic side
would secure Johnson's conviction. Ssuls-
bury ordered the bogus wine merchant out
| of bis room in short order, and Immediately


acquainted several of his friends with the


details of the plot. 1t reached Johnson's


ears very soon. "They can't beat me any


other way" said the president land they
| are


TRYING TO GET THE JURY DRUNK"


1t was Immediately resolved by Johnsou's


friends to keep close watch on Salisbury,


and this precaution was soon rendered


necessary. Salisbury, whether as the result


ofa conspiracy, or in obedience to his own


sweet will, got furiously drunk on the day


rendered memorable in the history of the


trial by the anti-impeachment speeches OF


Fessenden, Trumbull, and other republic.
ans. 1t was a secret session OF the Senate


but itsoon got noised abroad that Salisbury


was trying to get the floor to make a


drunken speech. Half an hour later he
rarn no IN, llA1 D..S
he was persuaded TO ,eave the Senate


and he was accompanied to his room


where he was put to bad. The vote was
expected the next day, and as II was import
ant to have Salisbury present. consulta


ton was held as to the best and quickest
means of SOLDERING him off. Somebody sug


gested big fright as good thing for him


under the circumstances There was a Bah
C ck fire extingusher IN the hall, which was
Immediately transferred to the bedside q


the tipsy senator. Salisbury rose on hi.


launches to know what the internal thips


was for, and the agoniZing manner in which


he begged for mercy when told it was
J piled to him II ne were not duly sober by
in the morning, will not soon be forgo ter
by the few who witnessed it. From that day
| forward until the vote was taken Saulisburf
was sent to the Senate every day in a hack
and his movements were carefully watched
} so that ne was present to vote against i'm
! peschment when the final vote was taken
| There was sequel to this. The anti-im
peacbers insisted on the Mosaic law of re-
! taliation-drunk for drunk-and there was
bad case of delirium tremens on the othe
} side of the Senate chamber before long
J which can even now be traced in the officia
; record of the high court of impeachment.
Recently there was published as editoris


in the News an article written by frien,
peculiarly interested in that subject.
; blunder in its rhetoric gives the Philadel
phia Times an opportunity to say: 9TH
, Milwaukee News is controlled by Mr.. j. A
I Noonan, a worthy and talented gentlema
; of Irish extraction. We suspect he is ther
J. yet, from the following on the centennial
which we cut from that paper: But wbethe
I the West comes up or not. the exhi bit Will b