Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-02-01
AniOn aud 9ispatfh.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1857.
Largest Circulation In City and State.
CONSPIRACY AGAINST GENERAL
10 GRANT. et tp
Sneaking Proposition to
Impeach Him.
ASHLEY As THE CATS PAW OF BEN.
BUTLER.
bingham smoke. Ashlsy oal.

rivals Tor the leadership Of the movement
and wondered how they meant 10 settle it
between themselves so as-to determine who
should wear the lsurels when the victory
was won / have since learned enough 10
convince me that ] was in error in this par
ticular, and as wouldn't knowingly do in
justice even to 90 poor a thing az an Ash
ley, ] hasten to make the correction. Mr..
Ashley is not a rival Of Butler He is an
ambitions man, and yet his ambition is so
finely tempered with modestv that he is
willing 10 play the role Of Lieutenant to
the hero Of Bermuda, as Il is the object Of
the present writing to show. fr.--r-
In the same letter in which | deplored
rivalry which seemed to me to threaten the
peace and welfare Of the loyal family, /
spoke Of Butler as having two Collective
points in the next Congress President
johnson one Of them and General Grant
the other 1 have recently come into
possession OF information which fully bears
me out in this assertion, while at the same
time it proves conclusively that / was in
error in charging Ashley with competitive
designs upon Butler. Here it is
II will be remembered that about
month ago, Mr.. Ashley offered resolution
IN the House Of Representatives directing
the Judiciary Committee TO inquire il ana
officer Of the United States had been guilty
Of high crimes OF misdemeanors within the
meaning Of the constitution. or had con-
spired 10 subYert the constitution Of the
United States. This looked at the time
certainly to me, and, / think, 10 most
others, rather like the evasion Of a direct
charge against the President, than
an attempt 10 make il more COM
prehensive and 10 include others be-
sides that unhappy gentleman. ]
know that most Of those who referred TO
the subject in conversation at the time, so
regarded IT, There was one gentleman,
however, on the floor Of the House of
Representatives, who, as If by inspiration,
saw through il the instant it was offered,
and Construed Alright the poisonous malice
II concealed under an apparently harmless
coating Of words The presentation of
such a resolution, whose coming had not
been heralded by any previous announce
ment or intention, and was known but to
half dozen members, very naturally
threw the House into a Temporary confu-
sion, and created quite a stir on the Re
publican side. What the public already
know on the subject is only what trauspired
In the way Of regular business, but the by
play, that did not come under that head, is
the important part that shows the ami
mus Of the movements As soon as the reso-
luton was read Mr.. Bingham Jumped
from his seat and went over TO Ashley, to
whom he addressed some very strong Ian
guage, asking him what he meant by such
proposition as that, and why he didn't
frame it TO apply to the President only, in
stead of making il drag-net 10 include
every officer Of the government Ashley
hesitated a while, affected a knavish smile,
and replied that "he guessed il was all
right" No, il isn't all right" said
Bingham. ats a stab at General Granss,
and no such malicious thing shall 90
through the House IL ] can help H. Sup
pose il does include Grant" said Ashley.
Cant we investigate his conduct too and
can't we impeach him ifhe has been guilty
under the resolution?" Bingham looked
at Ashley moment aud replied in ner-
yous wrath, Ashley, you're a fool. Don't
you know that you cans impeach any but
civil officer Of the government under the
constitutionY' BY this time quite group
had collected where the o0lloquy was being
held, and Thad. Stevens, scenting a breeze,
had come overto avert storm. Addressing
him, Bingham asked what was the meaning
Of this damnabls assault upon Gen. Grant.
oh, nothing" said Stevens, in his insidi-
ous way, only We want 70 investigate
some charges recently made against him.
don't see why Grant should be free from
investigation any more than johnson. He's
lust as bad e. Johnson Bingham again
denounced what he termed very aptly "a
foul conspiracy against the chief officer OF
the army Of the Republic and be gave
the few friends Of the resolution around him
fair warning that if they passed it he should
expose the cowardly proceeding as 1t de.
served BY this time the resolution had
/ ." gone over, as the parliamentary phrase
is, from refusal Of the House 70 suspend
the rules. Quiet had been restored on the
floor, and the business oi the day was qui
! etly proceeding. Bingham addressed Ash
] lev, in presence Of several members. II
/ languauFe like this: Tell the honest
/ truth now, who instigated that resolution p
Why what makes you think il wasn't my
own p inquired Ashley. Because, saic
! Bingham, II know there is too much Gun
/ ming in it for You, and I'll bet you
any thing You dare that Thad. Stevens anC
Ben Butler either wrote it OF dictated IL
spirit Ashley again protested agains
Bingham's right to question the authorship
and Bingham again repeated that there wa
too much craft and design about Il for any
body bat Stevens or Butler. What from
| Bingham's earnestness aud Ashley's faintl
disguised equivocation, the dispute had be
come quite interesting and a namber O
Radical members had collected around th
| disputants. Ailer some further banterinl
and badgering, on Bingham's part, Ashle,
confessed that Stevens had a liule 20 d
with il. and Butler had a little TO do wit
il, and that one Of its principal objects wa
20 give Butler an opportunity OF maxim
and proving certain charges against Genera
| Grant"
Now this is no story Of the imaginatiOr
Il is a statement Of fact, given 20 me b.
one who was witness 60 it, and substantial
ted hy Others. 1 heard it some time ago
but looked upon Il rs so improbable on II
face that ! declined 20 print il until ha'
verified il from such a source as would leay
no doub, Of its accuracy. Here We hav
the would -beleaders Of the Radical party en-
gagged In the foulest most malignant an
most treacherous assault that the ingenuit
Of devils could invent against the man
whose yalor and genius we owe the exlsi
ence of the nation to-day. A committe
OF Congress is asked 90 inquire whethe
Gen. Ulysses s. Grant has been engaged j
a conspiracy 10 subyert the government
{ II the reader can think Of anything NOR
+ Gendish in lis conception, or more cowardl
ia is purpose, his reading must date bac
. | of the most Locations DAYS Of Roman hi'
+ tory, when even in the midst Of aSsassin'
ton pilots and bloody conspiracy the III
aud reputation Of a brave soldier was q
curc. And such crimes as these are coz
miued in the American Congress aud tha
too, iu The name Of loyalty He VII
/. denounces them Is "disloyal," or what !
the mind of these Radical assassins Is n
{ same thing, conservative.
e just here can nol forhear quoiing fro
o the Anh-Sdnev Sya7dori an extract f-o
t. a letter published in that journal wit
; great eclat, showing At least surtaoe indie
r. tionsoi this conspiracy against the cbu
y. try's hero
+. u was ashamed when beard leadis
;. men discuss What would Geaeral Graz
DO ? when the question under debate W
whether the Prssideni should be impeac
edY Dog Who cares for him, or sn
other one man IN Cigisiendom Doe Sal
0 one suppose that this mighty nation, Viii,
. hides 4 million Of bronled heroes und
' the folds of its mantle, viii consent 20
0 banked In an earnest purpose by any taiis
OF tanner, or dispalch-iinker, or solid
slfvsT A breath can uumalae them IS