Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-02-15
THE GRANT IMPEACEMEsT.

THE Explanations and . Maek's-' Ne
L ply spicy CorresPOlIsienee.
The reader remembers the charge made
by Mack" in letter from Washington to
! the Cincinnati Commercial, of Radical
conspiracy to include Gen. Grant in the
! Presidential Impeachment and that it was
denounced by Ashley as grossly false.
Mack replies at length, admitting that
! he WAS probably misnformed az TO some Of
/ the details, bat affirms that there were
good groGnds for il all" He introduces
the following spicy correspondence, sup
/ pressing his OWn name:
"WAsHINGr0N, Feb 4, Il 67.-SIR: Win
You inform me who furnished the facts
which you communicated to the Cincinnati
Commercial of -, and oblige, etc.
| s'THADDEUs STEVENS" b
To which 'Mack7 replied as follows:
! WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 4, 1867.-SIR !:
/ ! must respectfully decline to furnish the
name of my informant in the matter refer
/ red to in your note, for the use to which |
suppose You design to put it-that Of a
personal explanation in the Honse of Rep.
/ resentatives. However, as no other blame
attaches to me in the premises than that of
believing what one Congressman had to say
Of another, | am willing to furnish it for
any other purpose than the one indicated.
"The story is not a new one. 1t was
heard by others, and by myself, long be-
fore ! used it in the Commercial Mr.
B heard it, but did not publish it.
Perhaps his authority was the same as
mine, and / understand him to be willing
TO give it you.
Il am convinced that the affair as heard
and related by me was exaggerated, and /
shall gladly do penance in another letter
for the easy credulity which lent a believ-
ing ear and a recording pen TO the story of
a Congressman.
Taking a hint from the time-honored
practice in Congress- of reading doleful
letters from suffering Ioyalists down South
and Withholding the names of the writers
from considerations for their personal
safety, | shall be pardoned, | trust, for
Withholding the name of my informant in
this matter from a motive so worthy as
that Of keeping him out of the sulphurous
atmosphere of personal explanation from
the distinguished member from Lancaster.
Very respectfully, .....
Z" Mack " also gives this fair warning to
the Jacobins who may undertake to remove
the President before trial.
Il am convinced that while the parlicu-
lar conversation between Bingham and
Ashley and others related in the letter may
not have occurred, though / repeated it as
nearly as ! could remember as it was given
TO me- there were at least good grounds for
it all, as time will show should the pro-
gramme of the impeachers be carried out,
for these gentlemen will find Grant a STUN
bling block in their gay at the very outset
of their revolutionary scheme Let them
try the game of suspension let them
try to declare Mr. johnson incapable of
holding his Office pending his trial, and
they will find ont exactly how matters
stand. They have an UNREASONABLE right
to try the President for high crimes and
misdemeanors, but ifthey attempt to remove
him first and try him afterwards, they will
find it necessary TO remove several others
along with HIM"