The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-01-26


that of La France and, in fact, we may say that
The organs of all parties are unanimous and
decided in their circumstances against the
threatened measure.
The chief organs of English thought treat the
impeachment business as by far the most seri-
Gus and perilous procedure in our political his
tory. Nearly all of them, like their French
contemporaries, apply to it the word "revolu-
tion," and look upon its origin and preteXt, as
well as its probable fresults, as indicative of
the prevalence OF revolutionary feeling in the
country. The Times, the Pau MdU Gazette and
the Saturday ReU9eIC-each regarding the mat
ter from the standpoint of the ruling classes
are agreed as to its character, while the more
respectable of the Llberal organs are, no less
strenuous in deprecating lt as dangerous to the
repose of the country and the permanence of
free institutions OF course, all that they say
AGAINST the measure is based on the ground
upon which il has been urged, and the objects
that are sought by 1t. In this view, the Tunes
remarks that the trial of the President will
transform the Constitution" and the following
sentences which we bring together give the
points OF its opinion:-
at may be, and no doubt is, calling to the dOmi-
nant party IN Congress to be thwarted as they have
been by one man, but the Constitution gives him
the power and is of that they ought to complain.
IL IS IN truth, The Constitution, rather than Mr..
johnson, which now the object of assault; 1t is
the Constitution, rather than Mr. johnson, which
IN danger. If the articles of hls impeachment be
truly drawn they will make the first charge against
him that he has used all the powers of his office and
by the side of this all his other Oenses moth
ing. Let the impeachment be prosecuted with the
determination which is said TO inspire its managers,
and its results will be much more portentous than
the mere removal OF Mr. johnson from his place.
The Presidency itself will cease to be what 1T has
been, and the balance which now exists upon the
legislative action of parliamentary maorlties will
vanish. We need not, however, dwell upon
the tutule it is sufficient to note the phase through
which the American Constitution appears to be
passing, the danger that the art icial balance of
powers, the checks upon impulsive legislation the
independence of the Executive Government con-
semPlatefd by the founders OF the Republic will all
The Pail Mall Gazette points out the lack OF
dehnition in all the accusations against Presi-
dent johnson. After a keen discussion of this
point, and after expressing fear that the judi
cial view OF the case may Oe lost sight of in the
excited state of party feeling, it concludes By
the utterance Of strong hope that
"Ihe Senate will give the world one more exam.
pie of the fact which is 20 oiIen overlooked and
obscureu that the passionate external violence of the
American charac er and manners oveIlays and con-
ceas solid foundation of good sense, moderation,
and regard for law which makes itself Ielt In the
long run and on great occasions"
The Saturday ReUieaU treats the proposed i'm
peachment at length, and with signal ability.
1t analYZes the powers of the different branches
OF the Government, AS set forth in the Constltu-
ton, shows the peculiar position which the
President has among the rulers of States and
tries to discover his culpabiity as set forth in
the various charges brought against HIM
~ he President 4" it remarks, islands on present
basis OF constitutional right; while Congress is act
ing in formal defiance OF the Constitution, and
seems inclined according to the latest accounts to
set the COnst uton aside altogether, and to assert
for itself the omnipotence OF British Parliament
the right OF altering all ta,1s whether fundamental
Incidental, whether part of the original compact
OF Union mere measures OF Congressional legis-
lauon, by simple majority Of both Houses.
! amount simply to thIs-that the exercise of
| his executive power he has set at nought the
| judgment; that he has carried out his own
pohc, and not the policy OF majority OF the two
ment on such a ground as this would be a gross
abuse Of remedy intended for very different pur-
Ds between aSS the nd the Iessa
| ture, and subvert the present Constitution of the
| Federal Government. The Federal Constitution has
explicitly made known the purpose Tor which this
formidable weapon may be drawn 1t was never
meant to enable Congress to get rid OF political
opponent. Had it been intended that congress
should be able 10 remove President for portica
reasons, machinery less oumbrous and less crue
would have Oeen supplied"
There is nothing particularly novel about
these views OF the leading journals OF Great
Britain, and we do not quote them as afordine
any light to our politicians upon constitutional
questions. But they indicate the drift of intel
ligent European thought upon the most i'm
portant matter in current American history
And they show that what is here only subjec
of Congressional frivolity and partisan AMI
mostly, is there regarded as OF the graves
national import
Impeachment Question in Congress
The Conflict in the Republican Camp
From the Herald.
If the position of President Johnson at thi
crisis may be aptly compared with that OF Knj
Charles | of England, on the eve of his surrende
TO the English Parliament by that of Scotland
or to the dangerous situation of Louis XVI @
France when intercepted IN his attempted figh
from that distracted country, so will the parable
in each of these remarkable trevolutionar
epochs apply at this juncture to the Congress
the United States. This body not only stand
now in the relation of the famous revolutionar
Parliament of England or OF the French reVolu
tionary convention towards the king, but IN tn
clashing elements of the dominant party in tn
Parliament the Convention and Congress, ther
are some strong general features OF resemblance
As in the Parliament, winch finally disposed Q
the unfortunate Charles by bringing him to tn
block, there were the conservative PresDyCe
rians against the radical Independents, and a
, the violent Jacobins OF the French Convention
intent upon their schemes OF slaughter, had mrs
to dispose of the objections OF the more mode
f rate Girondists before they could reach tn
; king, so now the dominant radicals Of Congress
are confronted by the so-called conservatives 2
the republican party against President Johnson
How this conflict in the Republican CAM
e stands at present we cannot exactly determine
= The Judiciary Committee OF the House, en-
gagged in the INQUIRY upon the charges agalns
e | Mr. Johnson raised by Mr. Ashley, is properl
e very retlcent as TO Its proceedings, and th
C members generally of both Houses nave oecom
J. somewhat cautious in the expression OF thel
a opinions, in view of their probable responsloll
y ties as members OF the grand jury or as Judge
d OF the high court in which they may pc caiie
g to act in this projected impeachment. But stu
e III the occasional outbreaks OF sucn leadln
@ radicals as Sumner, of the Senate, and IN th
u general drift of the proceedings OF the hou'
u having any relation to this question, we INN
Z the strength and fixed purpose OF the radlca
le may be detected, as we'll as the leeple anu lal