Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-17

aid has had an interview with Wendell
Phillips-whose opinions we regard as ex-
ponents of the course likely to be pursued
by extreme Radical politicians, and only
therein important-from which we extract
as follows: ....
A CHAPTER on GRANT.
Not believing much in Grant myself
either in his civil capacity to govern, or in
his Republican principles, can see that
be is the stake played fof at Washington.
Both parties are playing their card for this.
The johnson party are anxious TO get
Grant into their hands, in which case they
will 50 compromise him that his populari
ty and reputation will be damaged to such
an extent as to render any after opposition
of his, should he attempt such, perfectly
harmless This was the object Of making
him Secretary Of War. And he has fully,
thus far, come up 10 their anticIpatiOns.
The Conservative Republicans, on the
other hand, are anxious 10 clutch him as
their trump card. But as for Grant him
self, he has done nothing bat blunder since
he took StantOn'5 place. He has not
strengthened his position in any way. He
is distrusted by the President, and he is
fast losing the confidence of the people aud
all the popularity he possessed; and unless
his friends Trumbull, Schneck and Wash
burne come to his rescuse he will be lost TO
sight soon. | do not think it is honorable
or polite in a man to accept of Office as
Grant has, and to issue orders none of
which he approves, but against all Of which
he delights TO protest. And still Grant is
the pivotof our present affairs. In the melee
that is going on he will lose all chance of
being taken az a candidate by any party
for the next Presidency | do not be-
lieye in the reports that Grant con-
ferred with Stanton before he sue
ceeded him and took possession of the
Office believe, and when the truth
comes out | will be found in the right, that
Grant at once accepted the Office, and the
first intimation Stanton received was the
note in which Grant 50 informed him.
The conference business is all an invention
of Grants friends, and the story that he
had private understanding with Stanton
is all CANNON, put forward to save his rep
utatiOn. l am very confident of this. The
story of the conference / do not believe,
and have the most thorough faith that
when the truth is known it will be found
that Grant took the Office of Secretary of
War without any previous consultation
with Stanton, thus proving readiness to
give the President a degree of support be-
yond what his friends are willing to allow.
l have no more faith in Grant to-day than
l had six months ago and certainly the
great mass Of the people have lost faith in
him since his acceptance of Stanton's
place. / think if he turns round now and
proves loyal to the American people. it
will be in consequence Of undergoing
change of heart in the very trial through
which he is now passing, He has evinced
no desire to carry out what had been Stan
toms purposes. He has allied himself
with new friends, with johnson and Sc
ward, whose whole aim is to use him for
their own ends, and discard him when he
has served their purpose. do not see any
selErespect or consistency in the leader of
a great nation submitting to issue orders he
disapproves, merely contenting himself
with protesting against them. He has
gained nothing by going into the War De-
partment. He can DO nothing as Secre-
tary of War he could not do better as Gen
eral. | think now, unless his friends
Trumbull and Washburne prevent him
making some objectionable mistake, the
country will look to Sheridan or some
other military favorite for President.
THE PRESIDENT, CONGRESS. IMPEACHMENT
AND RESISTANCE.
The question being broached, Mr.. Phil
lips gave his views as follows:
1 confess / do not see what object the
President can have in provoking impeach-
ment unless prepared to resist it when it
comes. He must know that his present |
course will naturally precipitate measures, |
strengthen the hands of Congress, and com |
pei Congress to impeach him. The con
clusion is that he would not pursue this
course if he did not, by some well con-
sidered plan and method, intend to resist |
it, There is no doubt a method in this |
madness Of his. The great problem is, |
what plan Of resistance he has devised |
what instruments will he use ? !, myself |
do not think il is out Of the range of proba- I
hilitv that he will refuse TO recognize Con- |
gress. He may, by the counsel of Black |
and the Blairs, make an effort to refer the
question Of the constitutionality Of Con- |
gress TO some popular convention. In this |
way he may hope 70 divide public senti- |
ment without recourse to actual violence |
But be the means what they NAV, resist |
ance 10 the impeachment of Congress is |
determined on by the President, or he |
never would persevere in his present course. |
The whole scope and object of the policy |
at Washington is at last clear in this re-
specified the johnson party are in some
way prepared 10 resist the action of Con-
gress, Impeachment or no impeachment.
CONGRESS GREAT MISTAKE.
The great mistake Congress made was
being persuaded into adiourning by Sher-
man and Fessenden. johnson was thus left
alone TO carry out my policy unchecked.
/ hold Sherman and Fessenden snd Trum~
bull to a great extent responsible for the
present distracted position of affairs. The
johnson movement represents one element. |
He allies himself TO the Democratic party,
and that party, always knowing what it
wants, Is always ready 10 fight for it. The
Conservative Republicans inherit a timid-
itv and a confusion of objects, and motives
which prevents their ever knowing what
they want and from ever holding with
firm hand what they gain. Between two
such parties it is easy to see which will
whip the other | hold the adherents of
Gen. Grant and Secretary Chase, through
their political intrigues, responsible. / do
not believe Congress would have adjourned
if il had not been for the wish of those two
partisan ciques. The object was to prevent
the possibility of any advantage to Wade
by the question of impeachment coming
up. 1t ie impossible to credit that intelligent
men as these Conservative leaders are, in
Washington itself, with all the means Of
information at their hands, could be igno-
rant Of the danger which threatened the
country. They could not be ignorant OF 1t,
and 50 they deliberately sacrificed the pro
hable safety Of the country 10 their party
engineering / DO not believe in this bar
gaining and hucEstering for impeachment.
This engineering to set Wade out and
Trumbull in as Vice President, so that the
latter should succeed johnson in case Of i'm /
peachmeut, is not right The country should
go forward simply, without mixture, to i'm
peach, and let the result follow, and no
intrigues as 70 who should come into the
Presidential shoes. 1t seems to me, now,
that Impeachment viii be the first measure
brought before Congress. l do not think
there will be a fight over impeachment