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1 Speech of General Butler against Further Delays in the Trial of Impeachment in the Senate Sitting on the Trial of Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, Thursday, April 16, 1868 1 (1868)

handle is hein.presidentsimp/spchgenb0001 and id is 1 raw text is: SPEECH OF GENERAL BUTLER, Against further delays in the Trial of Lnpeachment in the Senate sitting on the Trial of Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, Thursday, April 16, 1868, which was denominated by Mr. Evarts, one of the President's Counsel, and by Mr. Doo- little, of Wisconsin, a harangue; together with the tables of the Sales of Gold and Purchase of Seven-thirty Notes, which were rrferred to hat not read. Mr. Manager BUTLER. Mr. President, I hope upon this movement for delay the Presi- dent's counsel will be called upon to go on with their case, and I have only to put to them the exact word which the President's counsel, Messrs. Cox and Merrick, used in the case of General Thomas before the criminal court of this District, according to Merrick's testimony. It is always ungracious to object to delay asked because of the sickness of counsel. We should be glad to have Mr. Stanbery here, but these gentlemen present can try this case. There are four of them. When a motion to post- pone the case of Thomas before Chief Justice Cartter was made because of the sickness of Mr. Carpenter, for a single day, the Presi- dent's counsel, arguing his case, trying his case before the court said, No; a case involving so much of public administration cannot wait for the sickness of counsel. ' 1 thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word. The Presi- dent's counsel there well told us what we here ought to do. In the case of Mr. Thomas the President could not wait for sick men or sick women. The case must go through. We can- not wait now, on the same ground, for the sickness of the learned Attorney General; and why should we? Why should not this respond- ent be called upon now to go on? We have been here thirty-three working days since the President actually filed his answer, and we, the Managers, have used but six days of them, and the counsel but part of seven. Twenty-one of them have been given to delays on motion of the President, and there have been four ad- journments on the dayswe have worked earlier than the usual time of adjournment, in order to accommodate the President. Now, the whole legislation of this country is being stopped ; the House of Representatives has to be, day by day, here at your bar. The taxes of the country cannot be revised because this trial is in the way. The appropriations for carrying on the Government cannot be passed because this trial is in the way. Nothing can be done, and the whole country waits upon us and our action, and it is not time now for the exhibitions of courtesy. Larger, higher, greater interests are at stake than such questions of ceremony. Far be it from me not to desire to be courteous, and not to desire that we should have our absent and sick friend here to take part with us ; but the interests of the people are greater than the interests of any one individual. Gentlemen of the Senate, this is the clos- ing up of a war wherein three hundred thou-

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