The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-09-12
Impeachment of she President.
from the Boston Advertiser

No reputation is more universally desirep
than that OF being prophet. Aside from the
circles OF the spiritual mediums and the Off
ces OF the professional astrologers, II told you
80 rs one OF the most popular of phrases; and
after the event, be il change in the weather
or the downfall Of dynasty, there are always
plenty of people who will testify to having
foreseen the incident by the prescience of SUI
perior common sense. The multitude fproph-
ecles that never come true are forgotten, while
the lucky hits are made to do heavy duty in
advancing the reputation of the seer. In polit-
les, this trait of human nature is particularly
notable, and great stress is laid upon the sag
acity implied in having advocated a policy
long before it seemed either right or expedient
to the majority which rules So to use an in
stance which lies close to our hand, in the con-
versations of eminent men made public in
our columns the other day one
senator says the case for the impeachment of
the President to him was always clear as
"noon;D and another gentleman of note OBJ
serves, with an absence of any affectatlon of
modesty quite admirable, 81 have got aceus-
toned to have my opinions upon public affairs
made good twelve months after date" -
1t is this common popularity which has led
to the recent remark that if impeachment be
finally decided upon as the stern remedy ne
cessary to relieve the nation ofthe CONSEQUENCE
es OF the Presidents course, the greatest evil
result WILDE the fictitious importance given
ana respect accorded to those persons who adj
people Or their representatives accepted it as
advisable. But it does not seem to us that this
should be the ease. To have urged an act
when it was of doubtful wisdom ought to be
no passport to credit when subsequent events
have modified the situation and made il n me-
cessity. The logical result of such theory
would exalt the ju lge who sentenced u man to
death for larceny, because the criminal, having
been parjoned, afterwards committed murder
and came Justly TO the gallows. The claimants
for the honor of advanced vision in such mat
tiers should Remember the commonplace old
proyerb that circumstances alter cases. Con-
gross coming together in November may find
itself called upon by imperative considerations
OF the public interest to impeach the Pres-
dent who has removed Stanton. who has su-
perseded Sheridan, who has done all i'm his
power to impede the reconstruction of the
southern communities on a basis of loyalty
and justice. But it does not follow
that it would have been judicious for Con-
gress in March or July to proceed to
the last excitement against the exeeutiveoficer
who retained Stanton at his right hand, who
protested with adj the pledges which could
bind o true man his willingness to execute
faithfully those laws which had been passed
over his protest. There were those who wish
ed TO lmpeaeh Mr.. johnson when in the irst
hour of his tenure of the Vice. Presidency he
shocked the country and covered himself with
shame; but we cannot allow them 10 claim a
recognition of superlatiye acuteness in urging
bic Sstutc IOr tlfc freak OI q udy IN
personal conduct, which the nation may think
proper to nflict for long series of official acts
of gross usurpatiOn and violation of trust
( n very short analysis of the nation that the
honor OF saving sthe country by impeachment.
ii that proves to be the only instrument for
ayertlng national peril is due to those who
first suggested the measure, is sufficientto show
the weakness of its foundation. y Mr.. Ashley
pleaded for Impeachment almost a year ago
| but he sought the grounds for the needfuI
| charges in the cell of Sanford Conover, and
| even he himself viii scarcely claim now thai
| Ills wisdom in that dangerous search has beer
| proven by its results In the same breath in
| which General Butler called for the arraign.
Inent OF the President he virtually accused
| Mr.. JOhnsonspf the murder of President Lin.
| coin and Mrs. Surratt; but we suspect he mus
be quite as willing to have the one assertion
forgotten as he is to have the, other generally
| remembered. A sagacious foresight is o rare
and precious gift; but we cannot ignore Tho
| distinction between such foresight as that o
| General Sherman, who said in 1861 that 200,
| 600 men would be necessary to ultimate tri
umph in the Southwest, and the lack of prac
| tical wisdom of John Brown who sought
| to accomplish emancipation with an inyad-
| ing army less than twenty strong
| Emancipation has come, but it was the sword
| of GTant aud not the pike of Brown which Sc
cured it; aud so if impeachment shall be dess7;
tined to bringthe J natlap struggle Of arms
, No. people who support it will not bcstow
the crown of laurel npon those who urged il
upon Congress before the emergency which
alone could Justify II sort to the extreme rem.
edy OF the Constitution.