The Portland daily press., 1866-10-22
rnpeaeAmen. Of .he President.


saour;no order in the Southern States.
Impeachment Of the President.
A correspondent of the Baltimore Ameri-
can describes the Presidents state OF mind
since his return from the West as pitiable.-
That he has been in a morbid condition for
some months has been surmised, limited, and
believed by many who had access to him. The
disappointment occasioned by the wretched
failure OF the plan for a triumphal progress
through the country, affected the President
very seriously. His manner was nervous his
smile forced and unnatural He had been an
noyed by sharp criticism before; he had shud-
dered at the possibility of assassination be-
fore; now for the first time he was brought
face to face with the possibility that his policy
might be rejected by the people, that he had
already perhaps thrown away his chance of
reelection, nay, that Congress sustained by
the weighty decision at the polls might even
cut short his present term of power,
To man of Mr.. Johnson's temper the pros
pect of defeat is very hard to bear. OF that
philosophy which accepts the inevitable quiet
ly and with as good grace as possible, he has
none. Ofthat wisdom which accurately es-
Inmates probabilities and is not surprised by
results easily foreseen, he has but very little,
Astonished and angry, wien his chosen poll
cy was criticised and opposed, he flung him
s'lfinto the conflict with both eyes shut His
speeches were mere outbursts of frantic rage
The best cause SO advocated, would have come
~ - : y " 4 s.
to grief, and Mr.. Johnson's cause was very
bad. Its condemnation is sealed. To-day
there sits in the White House, a rude, pas
sionate, somewhat vindictiye, and obstinately
wilful man, who finds his efforts baffied and
nervously faces the imaginary danger of i'm
Mr. johnson is incapable OF dignity. His
confessed nervousness about assassination
stands in marked contrast with the cool in
difference with which Abraham Lincoln laid
aside anonymous letters threatening his life,
his habitual neglect OF the precautions urged
upon him by his friends, and bis quiet persist
ence in going to Richmond the day after it
was takenl Lincoln, who had good cause to
fear the unreasoning anger of beaten foe,
never showed sign OF alarm. johnson, whose
=. only opponents are fouad in.the great and vic
torious party which has defended the cause Of
law and order in peace and war, pretenis to
fear assassination-nay,d does fear it, which is
almost worsel
The President will not be assassinated. He
has more reason to fear Impeachment, but we
do not believe he will be impeached. Gen.
Butler will be elected to Congress, and viii
take his seat pledged to prepare the articles
and push forward the proceedings. We pre-
dict however, that the business will not be
found SO simpleas Gen Butler seems to think.
Impeachment is the remedy provided by the
Constitution for abuses which might other
wi2e provoke revolution. Resort to that rem
edy should be reserved for the clearest cases of
malfeasance in Office, Difference Of opinion
alone will not JUSTLY, the majority in remoy-
ing an obnoxious executive, and there is now
no other sufficient cause. The coup detat'
which the President unquestionahly meditat-
ed would have afforded substantial ground for
impeachment; fortunately Mfr. johnson was
preserved from that act oil dangerous folly by
the popular vote which put it out of his pow
er. With more than two thirds of both hous-
es of CONGRESS against him, the President win
find his power for mischief greatly restricted,
and the people win expect the statesmen who
direct the action OF those assemblies to give
their time and thought to the perfection OF
the work. uot reconstruction and not to the
needles task OF arraigning an officer whose
greatest fault ID apparently an oyer-estimate
of his own worth. 1t is not enough that a
sharplawyer can pick flaws enough in Mr. john
sons administration to furcish a plausible
plea; when President of The United States
is impeaclied, it must be for the gravest cats-
es. The Republican party elected Andrew
johnson to the Vice Presidency. 1t is not
for that party now to invoke the machinery
OF an Impeachment because he has ceased to
be a Republican. The remedy for that defec-
ton is at The polls. =. +. =
HARD PUsHED-The following, which is a
literal copy of a circular recently received by
one of our postmasters, under the frank of
Edgar Cowan, u. S. Sen.," will sufficiently
explain itself, and give the public an idea OF
the engineering it takes to keep my policy
afloat: 4.Is t.ft
4..g 49,. WASHINGTON Oct =, 1866.
7 ~ Co., Maine ! Isl Ssh @
SIR: The resident executive committee ap-
pointed by the late convention at Philadelphia,
propose to Circulate, at as early day as prac-
ticable, large number of documents calculat-
ed to enlighten the public mind ON the great
questions now at issue. 4l-iii9-sal n a /.
From your official relations with the Presi-
dent we presume you will cheerfully aid his
friends and supporters in the nlomentous con-
test in which they are now engaged. One
method of doing this will be by reasonable con-
tr1butlon of yourself and friends to aid in
meeting the expenses necessarily incurred bv
us in this matter. n5 - esefHFiHstt aat p
Should you do this, please forward the
amount by draft OF postal order to Charles
hnap, Esq, The Chairman of the Finance
Committee, who will at once acknowledge the
receipt thereof If such acknowledgment is
not duly received, please inform us. Do not
pay one dollar to any travelling agent of the
fraud and imposition. = y ,'.eJ l'ii -ii p $40
By order Of the Resident Executive Commit
tee. .Del lfs
(Signed) 9aI 10 att c. KNAPP, Chairman
9. MASON Corresponding Secy sl2 q
Ill u II -lit's "a 8
CHARLES READE's LAwsUIT.-A New York
paper gives the following in regard to an ac-
ton at law, growing out of the recent stricl
lures q the Round Table, upon Mr.. Charles
"eaue' IA she cfiteis published in that jour
nal of Griffith Gaunt:" 81
1t appears that the threats of prosecution
against the Round Table for publishing a libel
upon Mr.. Charles Reade in their criticism Mt Of
Griffith Gaunt as an immodest publication
which were contained in the letter Of that gen,
tlemafl recently published were not w;t6So,,t
foundation. Mr.. Reade was as good az his
word, and an action of this description WAS Ar
tually commenced on the 9th instant. nv t5o
service Of summons upon the editors Of The
Round Table, William ID. Booth, ESQ.,, appear
ing for the plaintiff, Mr.. Reade. The Round
LIABLE had appeared by DimOck & Whitney and
Robert E Sewell as their attorneys and de-
MAJ ma,ined q copy Of the complaint, SO that the
Dali may DE considered to have fairly opened.
Inc parties to the suit are independent and
bitter u thei ,r feelings and spicy developments
may De looked FOR before the matter is con-
cluded. Ii is understood that MT Reade il
abont to visit this country with the view If Is
supposed, Of pushing the. prosecution to the
suit. ktll7s ~ IL