The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-02-04
buchanan versus johnson.

ALA rdon correspondent of the Manchester
Guardian has bis reasons for the belief that
the impeacb. ,ent movement against President
johnson will co. me to nothing, and one of his
reasons rests up,,n these facts:-That Mr..
Adams, our present Minister at London, was
one Of q committee Of Congress in 1860 "nomi-
mated 10 inquire into the con1 duct Of President
Buchanan !" that "the commRtee sat many
weeks and collected great deal o. evidence,
which, In . party sense, was considered OF
grave Importance" but that nothing came Of
it" But why did nothing come of 1t Be-
cause the republican party with all the South
ern States represented in both houses In 1860,
except South Carolina in December) was
powerless in Congress. There were ia re-
publicans in the House, all told, against liz OF
the opposition forces, while in the Senate
the republicans stood &c against SO, in
GLIDING in the opposition So democrats and
two native Americans, so called. And then
the controlling spirits Of this pro-slavery ma
jority of IL in the Senate, backed by Buchanan
and his secesh Cabinet ministers, embraced
Vice President Breckenridge, President OF the
Senate; Clement C. Clay, of Alabama; DR..
Gwin, of California; Iverson and Toombs, Of
Georgia; Slidell and Benjamin, of Louisiana
JEFF. Davis and Brown, of Mississippi; Wigfall,
Of Texas; Mason and Hunter, Of Virginia, and
others, the chief conspirators, organizers,
managers and master spirits Of the rebellion.
OF course the republicans could do nothing
- he IF RI with
fearful odds opposed to them. But this i'm
perious and defiant pro-slavery majority in the
Senate and the powerless condition of the
republicans in the House in 1860, and the
rebel dictators of Buchanan's policy in the
Cabinet, were not the only obstacles to any
movement for the impeachment OF Buchanan.
An outside rebel conspiracy was known to
exist in December, 1860, from which, at any
moment after nightfall, there was reason to
fear descent upon Washington and a seizure
of the government, including the expulsion of
Buchanan, as well as Congress. AT all events,
twas widely understood and feared that Abra-
ham Lincoln would never be inaugurated, and
but for General SCOTS wise precautions and
Mr.. Lincolns strategy in getting to Washing
ton he never would have been. Under this
state of things inefficient and bad as was the
general course of Buchanan, he was still some
sort of protection to the government, in being
under the wing Of General Scott. Under all
these drawbacks the removal of Buchanan was
not to be thought Of and even If there had
been the power and the will in both houses to
remove him the expedient under the circum-
stances would not have been tried, because of
the near approach of the expiration Of his ap-
pointed term.
Johnsod's case is wholly different There Is
the necessary power in both houses to dispose
of him they have . strong case against him,
and the simple question involved is whether
Congress shall surrender its constitutional
functions assumed by President johnson, or
remove him, as the constitution provides, in
order that the sovereign lawmaking power
may resume its authority.