The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-01-09
Letter from Washington.

Letter from Washington.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DAILY NEWS.
/ WASHINGTON, January Swell, Congress ha
returned to it's mutton since the date Of my last
and already begins to indicate that something i
upon the topis, out-heroding oil their former radi
cal legislation, and destined in some way to star
tie the country The idea is evidently to forestal
the rising OF o new and embarrassing issue, ant
by extreme measures to put it away altogether
The issue that threatens is based upon the Con
stitutional Amendment, and it involves the dis
agreeable necessity Of Congress declaring definite
ly whether the adoption Of that amendment shal
be the ultimatium to be rewarded in the South by
| admission to representation, or that there arc
more and undetermined penances to be inflicted
It is to deliberate upon this very question that the
Republicans have called q caucus in the Represen-
tative Chamber tonight One OF the policies then
to be urged is, that the Reconstruction Committee
be privately instructed to report that in the sense
of this Congress no excluded State shall have O
color of right to admission that has not undergone
q thorough revision of the governmental system
established by President Johnson.
Before this letter reaches you I suppose the
project Of impeachiug the Executive viii be init
ated. At al events, Monday is the day named for
the introduction OF the resolution; and unless the
councils OF to-nights caucus prevail against it, it
is certain to transpre. The prime mover in the
district, named Ashley. He is utterly without
conception Of the shock and nervousness he is
about to impose upon the people and commerce OF
the whole country, and his zeal in the matter ls
solely actuated by q desire for noloriety. He
boasts continually that, on careful canvass, he
boa N
is barely possible that he mistakes in his reckon
ing of the Radical hosts for am apprised that o
large number Of Republicans 60 into the caucus
tonight determined to fight the impeachment
expedient under the present Of trade.
So then, il the telegraph apprises You, before the
RECEPTION Of this that the proposition for impeach
ment has carried, you will know that that 1nqulsl-
ton destined TO be so bootless was not instituted
without division and demurrer in the Radical
rankR.
Thad Stevens, it will be Observed seized the first
available moment in the resumption Of Congress
to obtain tho floor, and deliver philippe against
the late decision Of the Snpreme Court, denying
districts whore the civil tribunals are in full opera
ton. AS the decision was unanimous, it will
scarcely be very pleasant for that violent Radical
Mr.. Chief Justice Chase, to hear from tho great
decision not less Infamous than the Dred Scott de-
cison, and nearly as dangerous to the liberties OF
the people," Since the delivery Of this speech Ste
yens has thought better Of it, and he still withhods
it from the official publication for revision, fear-
ing that its extreme violence may hurt his chances
distinction he has very little show. Cameron; his
principal competitor, is spending money like water
through both houses Of the Legislature, and will
undoubtedly carry the day. Old Thad. .Estarts for
Harrisburg on Monday to personally supervise hls
The President, during these times, is in very
compacent condition, despite the proximity Of tho
enemy who assail him sat the other end Of tho
Avenue" and the menace OF impeachment, OF
which he is fully apprisod. An impression that it
requires a two-thirds vote Of tho House to prefer
articles Of impeachment, is very generally preya-
lent but find, looking at the Constitution, that
such is not the case. II tho resolution be offered
at time when it must take precedence Of the
regular order OF business, 1t then requires two
thirds vote to suspend the rules and admit Of its
introduction but majority of one is sufficient to
its passage Those Radical Congressman who, in
stumping their districts last fall, proclaimed with
so much thunder from the stump that Androw
johnson would yet be brought as culprit before
the bar Of the Senate, to answer and defend tho
Indictment of the lower House, reckoned strangely
ia ienorance Of the law The Constitution is wholly
silent on this point about compelling the presence
of the party against whom trial by impeachment is
pending. There have Deyer boon but two such
the time of Jacksons Administration, and the last
in The case of United States Judge Humphries, of
Tennessee, impeached during tile late war. Nei-
ther of these individuals appeared nor could their
bodies have been brought into Court.
The Sorgeant-at-Arms that summons Andrew
Johnson to present himself before the impending
Congressional Inquisition will learn OF these pre-
cedents and privileges with prompttude that
cannot fnil TO suggest an Immediate withdrawal
from beneath the Executive roof. With Congress
resolved into Court Of Impeachment, the House
becomes tho Grand Jury, finding the Indictment
and conducting the prosecution, the Senate acting
ne the Jury in The case. In NIL instances save the
trial Of the Executive the Tice-P presidos
over the tribunal, but the latter exception pre-
position. Generally, tho House will elect throe
members of thoir own Judiciary Committee to con-
duct the prosecution, and the defence may appear
by counsel and witness almost without limit. The
trial closed it takes twothrds Of the Senators to
find verdict Of guilty, each Senator, in response
to tho call Of his name, having to step forward to
the bar Of the Chamber and exclaim, "guilty' or
ssnot guilty." as the case may be.
with the party impeached, tho Constitution only
prescrbes removal from Office and disability to
ever hold place Of trust or confidence under the
Government again. And this proceeding, the Con.
stitution aycrs shall not prevent the arraignment
of the same party in any court OF justice having
jurisdiction of the case son tho same charge OF
series Of charges preferred in the Indictment upon
which he was impeached.
IQo bQUW uuu "1iiSh W 1ohiu6
ton was gifted on New ioar's held on amazingly
until within the Inst Sorty-eight hours, when Q
thaw proved too much fori There is beginning
to be faint flicker among tho Capitals upperten.
dom, osokening tho initiation OF the gaieties o.
the season. The regular winter receptions OF the
White House will begin within q fortnight, and
following in the snme train will come the enter,
tainmenfs of his Cabinet Ministers. 1t is probable
that to General and Mrs. Grant will belong the fe
licity Of opening the season. They have announced
series Of three receptions for the winter; tho
Though General Butler is in town, it is probable
that he will escape the receipt Of an invitation
About this time last year, and just after tho pro
which he characterized Butler as being "hermea
caRy sealed" with his command at Bermuda Hun
dred, during some portion Of the last eighteeI
months Of the war, On invitation was sent Butler
to attend ono of Grants receptions. The eiIasciblt
ssBcnst" Immediately returned q note that III
would tolerate no further intercourse with ethe,
Grant or his family. The latter, in this years fes
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