The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-04-07
Impeachinr the Presihnn,

lmpeaehing the President.
The Chicago Tribune and other intensely
radical papers, have broken ground in favor
Of q movement 10 impeaeh the President.
HE tribune OF Saturday says there is al
ready enough N his course 10 warrant the
House IN commencing an indictment. and |
the Senate IN trying and impeachine him.
TIE suggestion is paltry and infamous.
However much We may disagree with the
policy Of the President, we cannot allege /
that ne has IN any measure overstepped the /
limits OF has constitutional prerogatives, or
laid himself liable TO the grave charge 50
niPpanuy pahofed-a-ohsFgs -thEt-should
never be whispered by the lips of men,
save under the pressure Of an imperious ne
cessity. twill be time enough 70 iuapugu
the motive Rof Mr.. Johnson, when he shall
assume 20 exercise dictatOrial powers, or re-
fuse 70 execute obligations imposed upon
him by the National Legislature.-AD any
~. p EUeniag JoNraal
The Journals rebuke of the Chicago
Tribune is appropriate and in proper |
language The Tribune in its blind
meas and malice has outraged all de
ceney. Were the President the vilest
criminal in the calendar he could |
scarcely deserve the opprobrious epi-
thets applied to him almost daily by |
that noisey trumpeter of radicalism-
The suggestion of the Tribune as
Paltry and infamous; bat, nevertheless
it represents very considerable por-
ton Of the extreme radical party-men
who do not intend that any obstacle
shall prevent them from carrying out
their fsVorite idea of universal or
manhood suffrage. Mr.. johnson is
lion in their path, and although he
may carefully keep within athe limits
OF his constitutional preyogatiVes,7 if
they cannot get around they will at
tempt 10 remove him by impeachment
1t they can secure q majority in the
House beforehand, on which they can
rely, they will not hesitate when the
proper time, in their judgment, arrives.
The following extract from Washing
ton letter to the Cincinnati CONNER
cial indicates the drift of events.
Many Will smile increduously when told
that there are men here who seriously con-
template the impeachment OF the Presi-
den,, but truer sentence was never writ
ten. And il is my impression that should
the radicals End themselves strong enough
ia the Senate 70 carry out this programmes
the attempt would be made within a month.
i is openly advocated by such men as Ben
Builder, who said, a few days sgo, IN answer
o. q question as 70 what the impeachment
"a Ia .1.rf
strength 10 carry It through the Senate and
we'll show you. 1t viii do TO commence on
his failure % enforce the c0nhscatiOn act"
vi course, the attempt 70 impeach the Pre-
sIdeut would mark the beginning Of feyOlu-
ton and civil war that would end 10 one
knows where. A majority in the House
once bent upon accomplishing his removal,
would soon lind pietext for his impeach-
Inent. Upon the approval Of the articles Of
impeachment by this majority, an order Tor
his arrest would be issued, and il would
then remain % be seen whether he would
arrest Congress, or whether Congress would
arrest him. So serious has this matter be-
come that several OF Mr.. Johnson's friends
waited on him yesterday 70 give him au
thentic information that such step was Ia
contemplation. he listened to all they had
10 say, admitted that be believed Il was
true, but said he did not belieye he could
do any thing to prevent it if they were
really bent on It. don't know that he can
do sny thing 10 prevent the initiatJEy steps
being taken, but he can and will do some
thing, II necessary, 10 prevent the consum-
nation Of the villainous purpose held IN
view by those who undertake revolution 70
scquire political power. The men who
voted Mr.. Stockton out Of his seat would
vote Mr. johnson out Of his. Give them a
two-thirds vote, and they viii certainly
make the venture.
Il is not probable that the conspira-
tors against the President will trouble
themselves about the 'stwo-thirds vote
necessary 10 coRpiet. The House of Rep
resentatiyes has the sole power OF i'm
parchment" A bare majority of that
body may prefer articles of impeach-
ment. The trial must take place be-
fore the Senate, the Chief Justice pre-
siding, and two thirds of the members
present must concur TO secure a
conviction. Suppose the House
takes the initiatory steps, what followsf
The President is then under arrest and
must step aside and give place to the
President Of the Senate until he is
tried. Impeachments are of slow pro
eress. As there would be no chance
really 10 convict, it would be the policy
of the radicals 10 delay the trial to the
LAST moment; and Chief Justice Chase
is lust the man to accommodate them
In his refusal to try jeff Davis, and 10
bring the test oath case to a conclusion
We see the temper Of the man. He
would postpone the trial of the I'M
parchment from time 10 time, on one
excuse or another, until the four years
for which Mr. johnson is elected, ex
pire. Here is the real danger. II
would result in q revolution North
overwhelming 10 the radicals bu
would give them the power during 'h'
present Congress TO pass whateVe'
laws they might wish. More than Thu
they could not expect. If Presiden
johnson we're TO yield to them now
and permit them to carry out theii
plans, the people in We next Congress
sional election would condemn them.