Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-01-29
To ADvERTIsERs.
THE SITUATION,

Letters pour in upon us. asking information
relative 10 the prospect OF the impeachment OF
the President. They are generally from men
esgaged in active business, DESTROYS OF guard.
ing against the effect of the arrangement OF
commercial matters which, 1t seems to be- taken
for granted, is TO be perhaps the first positive
result of a vote of the House putting the Pres
idsnt on trial before the Senate. To ans wer
these letters, except through the STARS col
umns, would be a serious labor So We pro-
coed 10 say, here, that we do not believe the
Impeachment will be ordered. The prudent
and well-infOrmed mem oers of both Houses o (
Congress disapprove the scheme with great
uDanimity- They believe that frivolous pre-
texts OILY. fer ssch proceedings, have been
ssdiscovered' throughout all the investiga-
tiops 10 the end OF discovering" unsuitable
grounds tor their initiation. Pretexts, which
If made the basis OF the proposed impeach
ment, will proclaim 10 the world, as il
were, that the real ground is that stated
boldly by Mr.. Wendell PhiilIpe-thar the
President must be removed, not for what
he has done illegally and uneonstitu tionaIly,
but because he is stumbling block in the
path to reach the consummation of very extreme
party measures. Prudent Repu blican Senators
and Representatives do not see in this state Of
the thing the Justification for so extreme a
measure. authorizing hope that the popular
verdict will sanction il. They realize that
while all their politi, al opponents denouncs it,
more than half the press. capitalists and active
business men of their own party condemn it
with scarcely less emphasis. They credit the
labors of the New York Herald in its favor to
TIE motives charged upon that journal with
great unznirni'y by the business men of New
York city Identified with the Republicans.
Viz: to desire to break down Republican
parry ascendansy. They know the country
carries its current financial load with great
diffculty, and thar anything likely to shake
public confidence in the Government will inev-
itaoly lead to financial commissions threatening
wide spread bankruptcy. They know that if
hat comes, though as innocent OF brin ginr il
about as the ba be unborn. responsibility for il
will be fixed, for the time being at least upon
the majority of Congress. Or, in other words,
on the ruling power in the State. They know,
further, that such a public convulsion would
inevitably defeat their candfdate for the Pres.
idency in the approaching election. They
know, too, that 1t might possibly result in
what they sincerely believe 70 be a greater
public calamity. That is: in defeating the con-
summation of their policy for settling the
terms OF reconstructIcn while having contro,
OF the subject they may do that thing u pom the
basis demanded by the popular sentiment of
the loyal States. financial CONFUSION, they
hold, cannot fail so TO strengthen the opposi.
tion, as that it would pro We impossible to pros
ecute the impeachmen mt seriously without dan.
ger OF generating more or less popular COLI.
sions throughout the North. which in turn
would inevitably weaken their party's hold
on the loyal States. They know that Con.
gress is absolutely master OF the situation
here; their two-thirds majority having
deprived the President of all power what.
ever except to Ill certain non Att ye petty
Federal offices; TO take which power from hira
they do not consider worth the stake pro-
posed to be risked against it, VIZ: the contin.
uance OF Republican party ascendency and
the nnai success Of It's policy of reconstruction
In their Judgment it is of vital public i'm.
portance that reconstruction shall be consun
mated upon the bases Of the proposed consti.
uonai anne ndment which cannot be reason
ably looked for unless the majority of Con.
gress retain the confidence and support of a
majority OF the people OF the loyal Suites, the
loss Of which il foreshadowed in curren,
popular responses to the i'm peachment project.
These views, already held by large portion
of the Republican party in Congress, are
hourly gazing strength, while il is daily be-
coming more and more apparent that no
grounds of impeachment other than party
grounds, pure and simple, are being discoy
cred by the Judiciary Committee. While the
committee are doubtless unearthing MANY
things likely to increase Republican party
dislike to the President they find it is believed
oy all cool and thoughtful persons here, moth
ing whatever in volving the violations Of the
Constitution or Intentional disreeara of law
on his part, necessary to satisfy the public of
the justice and propriety of rssortine to the
extreme measure Of impeachment and deposi-
ton before conyiction