The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-04-13
Imp,ealchmle,,t.

Impeachment.
The well-informed Washington COR
respondent of the Cincinnati Com
n,erciol writes:
The impeachment of the President,
long whispered at, is now openly ad-
vocated, and the echo is caught upon
by such newspapers as the Chicago
Tribune in demands for the imme-
diate arraignment of Andrew John
son for series Of high crimes and
misdemeanors, which they find it
very easy to enumerate. In q former
letter, stated that the President had
been informed, on authority that he
could not question, that it was the
intention of the majority in Congress
to attempt his impeachment as soon
as they should have secured the ne
cessary vote in the Senate to carry
out this scheme. The President lis
tened to what was said on the sub
ject, and replied that he had every
reason to believe it was true
It may be said that all speculations
ON this head are groundless, because
the President has committed no crime
for which he could lie impeached.
But give the extremists the numerical
strength in the Senate, which they
hope yet to have by the admission of
Colorado, and the succession of Mr..
Stockton, and there will bo ''crimes"
enough found against HIM ~ u very
short time. The men who seek his
conviction are the men who will sit in
judgment upon him, and as it will be
for them to judge as we'll what con-
stitutes high crime or misdemeanor,
as whether such high crime or mis-
demeanor has been committed, their
power to convict will soon resolve
itself into an act of conviction.
The same journals that now advo-
cate the impeachment of Mr.. John
son, pretended to be in terrible con-
sternation short time since lest he
play the role of Cromwell or Napo-
leon, and astonish our pure and sim
pie democracy some fine day with a
coup a. et0t. Finding that the Presi-
dent will not take the initiative \ the
revolution they are so anxious to
bring about. they now urge their own
political friendsto do so. They must
not, however, be led into the delu-
sion that because Mr. johnson will
not play the role of Cromwell, he
will therefore sit quietly by and per-
nit Congress to make him share the
melancholy fate of Charles. He will
do no snch thing, unless he disre.
CARDS the advice of his best friends.
Aud men who think nothing more is
necessary in order to secure the va
cancy of the Presidential chair for
political purposes than for the House
of Representatives to order the arrest
Of Andrew Johnson in such articles
OF impeachment as it chooses to draw
up, will find, when the matter comes
to be tested, that they have reckoned
without their host. It would be we'll
for those who now demand the in
auguration of another civil war, and
who will generally be found among
that large class who kept steadily out
of the late conflict, to connt the cost
before they go any further, and to
give some more reasonable assur-
ances than their own promises that
they will be in a position to say
"come on" when the crisis arrives,
instead of 'go on" as they content
ed themselves with saying during the
late war.
The country may as we'll under
stand now as be compelled to learn it
when too late, that the impeachment
of the President means the inaugu-
ration Of civil war, which must be
fought out. not in the distant South,
and along the Mississippi River, but
in every city and village of the
North, commencing in the city of
Washington.
1t having been stated in the New
yc-k Tribune that The. the ed;tc: cf the
National Lnteuigencer had, previous
to the veto, written and placed in
type an article approving of the civil
RIGHTS bill. that 1aaner denied the |