252 FESSENDEN, WILLIAM P. 



penalty, and address itself to the country and the 

 civilized world as a measure justly called > for by^he 

 gravity of the crime and the necessity for its punish- 

 ment. 



The power of impeachment is conferred by 

 the Constitution in terms so general as to oc- 

 casion great diversity of opinion with regard 

 to the nature of offences which may be held 

 to constitute crimes or misdemeanors, within 

 its intent and meaning (some contending that 

 only such crimes are intended as are subject to 

 punishment as a violation of a known law ; 

 others claiming that the judges may decide as 

 to what is the crime). 



To the suggestion that popular opinion demands 

 the conviction of the President on these charges, I 

 reply, that he is not now on trial before the people, 



constitutionally not to he acquainted with it." And 

 again " It is the duty of those on whom a judicial 

 task is imposed to meet reproach, and not court 

 popularity/' The people have not heard the evi- 

 dence as we have heard it. The responsibility is not 

 upon them, hut upon us. They have not taken an 

 oath to " do impartial justice according to the Con- 

 stitution and the laws." I have taken that oath. I 

 cannot render judgment upon their convictions, nor 

 can they transfer to themselves my punishment if I 

 violate my own. And I should consider myself un- 

 deserving the confidence of that just and intelligent 

 people who imposed upon me this great responsi- 

 bility, and unworthy a place among honorable men, 

 if. for any fear of public reprobation, and for the sake 

 of securing popular favor, I should disregard the con- 

 viction of my judgment and my conscience. 



His vote was cast in accordance with these 

 opinions, and he endured its effect. For the 

 time he was everywhere condemned, and it 

 seemed that the hold he had so long possessed 

 on the affections of the people of his own State 

 was finally broken. As the months went by, 



inrl p;nfoinllv after Tii<s nH-ivA <vffhrtj in hpbnlf 



ana especially alter ms active < ,norts in benait 

 of the election of General Grant, Mr. Fessen- 

 den began to regain his former position : and 

 during the last session of Congress little of the 

 intense bitterness which followed the first an- 

 nouncement of the verdict on impeachment 

 was longer visible, either in the conduct of his 

 fellow-Senators or in his general treatment at 

 the capital and in his own State. In some re- 

 spects Mr. Fessenden was the foremost Senator 

 during his long time of service. In many 

 critical stages of legislation his word was de- 

 isive, and few are the measures adopted by 

 Congress during the last fifteen years which 

 do not bear the marks of his acute intellect 

 and his steady devotion to the public interests, 

 This honorable distinction is not due so much 

 to his learning or to any striking originality 

 of genius, as to the.singV harmon/of his 

 powers for the legislative arena. He was 

 equally quick and cool ; no assault could dis- 

 turb his equanimity, and his attack was as 

 adroit as it was vigorous. He had a great 

 faculty of condensation, of going straight to 

 the point, of using none but the most direct 

 and lucid English. In his arguments at the 



FINANCES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



bar he rarely exceeded three-fourths of an 

 hour in speaking, and when he was transferred 

 to the Senate he was the best follower that 

 Webster ever had there in clear and compact 

 statement. But what particularly gave force 

 to his words was, the high character of the 

 man. Mr. Fessenden had long suffered from 

 chronic dyspepsia had been, in fact, for many 

 years, to a greater or less degree, a constant 

 invalid. 



FINANCES OF THE UNITED STATES. 

 In the general system of finance adopted by 

 the Federal Government, no change took place 

 during the year. In its administration there 

 was an improvement arising from the more 

 rigid responsibility to which officers of the 

 Treasury Department were held, and from the 

 application of a portion of the receipts to a re- 

 duction of the debt. The effect has been to 

 improve the condition of the Treasury, and to 

 rouse the confidence of the public in the value 

 of its obligations. 



In the annual report of the Secretary of the 

 Treasury, made December, 1868, there was 

 presented a statement of the receipts and ex- 

 penditures of the Government for the first 

 quarter of the fiscal year ending June 30, 

 1869, and an estimate of the same for the re- 

 maining three-quarters of the year. The re- 

 ceipts and expenditures of the first quarter 

 above mentioned, ending on September 30, 

 1868, were as follows : 



The receipts from customs $49,676,594 



The receipts from lands 714,895 



The receipts from direct tax. . 



sources (of which amount there 



notes, the sum" of $587,725) ...... 6,249,979 



Total receipts, exclusive of loans ......... $9o,392,8G7 



Expen ditures for the civil service 

 ( O f which amount there was 

 P ai< ^ as premium on purchase 



t^Sm). P .T. . ma ."$2l,227,l06 

 Expenditures for pensions and in- 



E ^ndUure 8 - -for' 'war 'Depart- ' 358 ' 



ment ........................... 27,219,117 



Ex P e e ^ t ditures for Navy De P art ' 5 m 7g5 



Expenditures 'for 'interest on pub'- 



lie debt ......................... 38,742,814 



$105,^,479 



The estimated receipts and expenditures 

 O f the remaining three-quarters of the same 

 year ending June 30, 1869 were as fol- 

 lows : 

 , *. , n ^ 



^pfc;:::::::;-::-i; * a 5S&S8 



From internal revenue .................... 100,000.000 oo 



From miscellaneous sources .............. 20,000,000 



Receipts... ........... $246,000,00000 



The estimated expenditures for the same 

 period, if there was no reduction of the army, 

 were 



