The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1867-02-06
Conspiracy Against Gen. Grant
-Sneaking Proposition to I'm.
peach Him.

AAAlA'
"Maek," the Washington correspond
ent Of the Ginciknah Commercial, w,i.
ting under date of January 26, says that
an effort was recently made to refer q res.
olution to the Judiciary Committee in
the House, to enquire whether General
Grant had been engaged in a conspiracy
to subvert the Government. We sub.
join the following extracts from the cor.
respondence:
at will be remembered that about a
month ago Mr.. Ashley offered a resolu.
ton in the House Of Representatives di.
rectiug the Judiciary Committee to in.
quire it any officer of the United States
had been guilty of high crimes or INSIDE
meanors within the meaning of the Con.
stitution, or had eouspired to subvert the
government Of the United States. This
looked at the time, certainly to me, and,
| think, to most others, rather like the
evasion of a direct charge against the
President, than an attempt to make il
more comprehensive, and to include 9th.
there besides that unhappy gentleman,
| know that most Of those that referred
to the subject in conversation at the time
SO regarded it. There was enc gentle
man, however, on the floor of the House
of Representatives, who, as if by inspi.
ration, saw throughit the instant it was
offered, and construed Alright the poison
Gus malice it concealed under an appa
rently harmless coating IF wards. The
presentation Of such o resolution, whose
coming had not been heralded by any
previous announcement or intention, and
was known but to q half d, zen members
very naturally threw the House into a
temporary confusion, and created quite O
stir on the Republican side. What the
public already knows on the subject is
only what t~ranspired in the way Of regu.
lar bushes but the by-play that did not
come under that head, is the important
part that shows the animus OF the move
ment. As soon as the resolution Was
read, Mr.. Bingham jumped from his seat
and went over to Ashley, to whom he ad.
dressed some very strong language, ask.
ing him what he meant by such a propo
sition as that, and why he didn't frame it
to apply TO the President only, instead OF
making it a drag,Det to include every Of.
ticer Of the Government. Ashley hesitat-
ed a while, affected a knavlsh smile, aud
replied that che guessed it was all right"
mo, it isn't all right, said Bingham.
TITS a stab at General Grant, and no
such malicious thing shall 60 through
the House if I can help it," "Suppose
it does include Grant," said ASHLEY"
"Can't We investigate his conduct too 7
and cant we impeach him if he has been
guilty under the resolution" Bingham
lookedat Ashley amOment and repliediu a
nervous wrath, "Ashley you're a fool
Don't you know you cant impeach any
but a civil officer under the constitution"
BY this time quite a group had collected
where the cOloquy was being held, and
Thad. Steven, seeming a breeze, had
come over to avert q storm. Addressing
him, Biughrm asked what was meaning
Of this damnablc assault upon General
Grant. ooh, nothing" said Stevens in
his insidious way-"Only we Want to in.
vestigate some charges recently made
against him. l don't see why Grant
should be free from investigation any
more than johnson. He's just as bad as
Johnson" Bingham again denounced
what he termed very nptly "a foul cen.
spiracy against the chief officer of the
Army of the Republic" and he gave the
few friends Of the resolution who were
around him fair warning hat if they
passed it. he would expose the cOwardly
proceeding as it deserved. By this time
the resolution had fgohe over" as the
parliamentary phrase is, from q refusal of
the House to suspend the rules. Quiet
had been restored on the floor Of the
House, aud the business Of the day was
quietly proceeding. Bingham addressed
Ashley, in presence uf several members,
in language like this "Toll tho honest
truth now, who instigated hat resolution"
Why, what makes you think it wasn't my
own ," inquired Ashley. "Because,h
said Bingham, 81 know there is too much
cunning in it for you, and III bet you
any thing you dare that Thad Stevens and
Ben. Butler either wrote it or dictated its
spirit" Ashley again protested against
Bingham's right to question the author
ship: and Bingham again repeated that
there was too much craft and design
about it for any body but Stevens or But.
Ter. What from Biugham's earnestness
and Ashley's family disguised equivoca
ton, the dispute had become quite inter.
esting, and a number of Radical men,
bers had collected around the disputauts.
After some further banterlng and badger
ing, on Bingbam's part, Ashley confessed
that "Stevens had a little to do with it,
and Butler bad a little to do with it, and
that one Of its principal objects was to
give Butler an opportunity Of making
and proving certain charges against Gen.
eral Grant"