Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-01-22
From tho Now York WorId.l


est periods OF the war, seemed so alarming
as at present. From well inform"d d sources
in Washington we receive intelligence
which confirms our opinion that the Kadl-
calls are strenuously bent on impeachment;
and the result can be nothing less than
hideous civil war in which men will
be eager to cut the throats Of their nearest
neighbors. 1t will be no such wal as that
from which we have emerged, In which the
combatants were separated by geographic
cal lines. There is no part of Tile country
in which multitudes of the best citizens do
not consider the cause of the President as
that of the Constitution. II an attempt is
made to depose him upon mere partisan
grounds, they will conclude that the SUI
premacy of the Constitution may as well be
vindicated, once for all, and will acceptthe
risks and perils Of maintaining It,.
The want of any solid grounds Of i'm
peachment must not blind the country to
the intentions of the Radicals. We cannot
truly estimate their purposes unless we
consider the fervOr OF their fanatlclsm, and
place ourselves in their point of view. 1t
Is characteristic of the party to stick at no
technical objections. A strict respect for
the Constitution would have prevented
their insisting on the emancipation procla-
nation; would have prevented their arbi-
trary imprisonments; would have prevent
ed the exclusion of the Southern States
from Congress. The Constitution weighs
nothing against their headstrong pretense
of right. In their own estimation they are
like Portia in the "Merchant of Venice"
ready, for the sake Of doing great right
to do little wrong. This being their ha-
bitual tone of sentiment, it is not safe to ig-
more it in Judging OF their designs.
How, then, does the political situation
appear to the Radicals? In their view,
| President johnson has betrayed them.-
| They regard him with the fierce detesta-
| tion felt by zealOts for renegade. We are
| not inquiring whether their view Is right,
but what it is. They can see nothing but
the facts that Mr.. johnson was elected
bv their votes, and that he is the sole Obsta-
| Gle to the success of their policy. Their
heavy party majorites and their possession
of ali the Northern State Governments are
rendered worthless and barren by his de-
sertion. 1t is in the nature OF the human
mind that they should strain the Constltu-
ton against him. What they deem his
treachery is aggravated, in their estima-
ton, BY the grandeur of the objects which
they aim to accomplish. AS they view 1t,
they are engaged in great mission OF phi
lanthropy. They are fulfilling plege to
the negroes which binds the National
honor. They are consummating the work
of the war; they are reconstructing our in
stitutions in harmony with their funda-
mental principle. They regard themselves
as placed in one of those great epochs, when
the interest of the human race must pre-
vail over the rigidty of fixed institutions,
and they are determined to complete
a great reform which they regard
as the logical consequence of the
war. AS they do not permit the
Constitution to be an obstacle, how can
it be expected that they will be tender of
the rights of one man; of man whom
they regard as faithless to trust they re-
posed in him, as a renegade from their
party, who uses place which they con-
ferred upon him to Illustrate their wishes
and defeat their policy? AS they view it,
here is one man defeating, by his treachery
and obstinacy, the will of a whole people
duly declared through the elections. They
fancy that they are vindicating not only
the claims of philanthropy, but the inherent
right OF the majority to govern. When
| fierce, vindictive passions take on these
speclOus disguises, it is preposterous to
suppose they will be held in check by con-
stitutional restraints. If party discipline
| is potent enough to preserve party unity,
| it is certain that President johnson will be
impeached. The Radicals are enraged to
/
as powerless as If they had lost the elec-
tions. They suppose that, by impeaehing
| the President, they can break their fetters
without violating the forms of the Con-
stitution. Congress is the sole Judge of
the sufficiency of the evidence, and its de-
cision is subject to no review.
The evening papers contained this tele-
gram: uie.
eWAsHINGToN,. Jan. 16.-It is understood
to-ddy that the plan agreed upon by the leaders
in The impeachment increment is to suspend The
President as soon as the articles are preferred,
Mr.. Wade stepping into his (the Presi-
dent's) position. 1t is then proposed to
prolong the trial until Mr.. JohnsOn's regu-
lar term of Office shall have expired and in
the meanwhile the South is to be recon-
structed over again."
This is adroit enough to be probable. A
prompt conclusion of the trial would subject
the party to the risks and Inconvenience of
new Presidential election. But if the pro-
ceedinys can be prOtracted into the edge of
October, the law does not require an elec-
tion In advance of the regular one next
wear. The preliminary investigation will
be spun out till the 4th of March, when the
new Congress meets, partly as device for
running the trial past the beginning of Oc
tOber, and partly to accomplish important
incidental objects. If the President is sus
pended, it is deemed necessary to have as
few of his appointees in office at the time
as possible. By the Constitution, his un-
confirmed appointments hold good until
the 4th of March, when the officers will 90
out without removal. The others being
Mr., Lincoln's appointees, are thought like
ly to side with Congress, so that if the
President ressts suspension, he will have
no agents through which he can administer
the Government. Mr.. Wade, when de-
clared President, will Immediately fill
the vacancies, and the whole administra-
tive force of the Government will obey
his orders. President johnson, having
no control of the administrative machine
rv, will be pOwerless. His chief Secretaries
NAV be disposed to obey him, but nobody
will obey them. Congress will pass q
law, stopping the pay ofall military as well
as civil officers who do not adhere to the
new President. The control OF Congress
over the treasury Is unquestiOnaele. There
are Radicals enough in the army, both Off
GERS and soldiers, to divide and distract it,
especially when their pay is made to dis
tract it, especially when their pay is made
to depend on their espoUsing the Radical
side. III the Cabinet officers refused to give
up the department buildings and records,
ways enongh could be found to dispose OF
seven unprotected men. They might for
example, be summoned to testify before
some committee of Congress, and their of
fees taken possession of If they came, or
themselves Imprisoned for contempt If they
refused. With Mr.. Wade recognized by
Congress, and Obeyed by the whole civil
service, the odium of beginnings collision
would be thrown upon President john
son, and it is in order to gain this advan-
tage that Congress will take care Of the