Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1867-02-09
A Scene i'm the House Of Representa-
tiyes al Washington.
A Washington correspondent: Of

SlUClUHdn CUWUttI
|, will be RENE memtered that about
month ago Mr.. Ashley offered resolu-
lion in The House Of Representatives d.
recling the Judiciary Committee TO IN
quire if any officer OF the United States
had been guilty OF high crimes or mlsde'
nesnors within the meaning OF the Con-
.,itulion, or had consPiTed TO subverl The
Constitution Of lhe United States. This
looked at the time, certainly TO me, and'
think to most others rather like the eva
sion of direct charge against the Pfesl.
dent, than an attempt 10 make II more
and 10 include others be-
side that unhappy gentleman. ! know
that most Of those who referred ie The SUBJ
iecl in conversation al the lime, so regard
ed it.. There was one gentleman, how.
ever, on The floor of lbe House OF Repre-
senta,ives, who, as if by inspiration, saw
through it the instant il was offered. and
construed Alright the poisonous malice II
concealed under an apparently harmless
coaling Of words. The presentation OF
such a resolution. whose coming had not
been heralded by any previous announce
meni or intention, and was known 10 0ul
half dozen members, very naturally
Il rev The House into temporary conIu'
sion, and created qui,e stir on The he.
publican side. What The public already
knows on the subJec. is only what trans
pired in The way Of regular business, but
the by play, lha, did not come under this
head, is the important part that shows the
animus Of The movement. As soon as
The resolution was read, Mr.. Binginm
Jumped from his seat and went over to
Ashley. 10 whom he addressed some very
strong language, asking him what he
meant by such proposition as that, end
why he didn't frame il to apply 10 the
President only, instead Of making !!
drag ne, 10 include every officer OF The
Government. Ashley hesiis'eo while.
affected a knavish smile, and replied that
"he guessed it was all right "No II
ism; all right" said Bingham. "l's a
slab al General Grant, and no such ma
licious thing shaIl 20 through the House
| il can help it," Suppose il does InrI"de
Grant said As ley. "Can't We Inresli,
gate his conduct 700 and cant we lm.
peach hm it he has been gully under The
resolution 2" Bingham looked stAsh'
ley moren, and replied IN nervous
wrath "Asblry, you're fool. Don't
YOU know that you can't impeach any
but civil officer Of the Government un-
der the Constitution 2" BY this umt
quite group had collected where the
coIloqny was being held, and Thad. Ste
vens, seeming breeze, had come over
10 avert Q Storm. Addressing him, BIng'
ham asked wha, was the meaning of this
damnabe assault upon General Grant.
oh, nothing" said Stevens in his insld-
ous wsy-"only we waniio investigate
some charges recently made against HIM
dom, see why Grant ,heuld bs free from
investigation any more than Johnson.
He's Just as bad as Johnson. Bingham
again denounced what lie termed very
aplly "a foul conspiracy against the chic
officer OF The Army Of lhe Republic y snd
he gave The few friends Of the resolution
who were around him fair warning that
if they passed it, he should expose the
cowardly proceeding as 1t deserved. By
this time The resolution had "gone over, "
as the parliamentary phrase is, from re-
fussl OF the House TO suspend the rules.
Quiet had been restored on The floor, and
HE business Of the day was quietly pro.
cerding. Bingham addressed Ashley, in
language like This: "Te!l The honest
ruth now, who insligated that Tesoluhon?"
"Why, what makes you :hink il wasn't
my own I" inquired Ashley. "Because,
said Bingham, 81 know there is too much
cunning iu il for you, and I'll bet you
any thing you dare that Thsd. Stevens
and Ben. Butler either wrote i, or dictated
its spirit" Ashley again protested against
Blngham's right 10 question the author
ship; and Bingham again repeated that
there was too much ctaG, and design about
il for any body but Stevens and Butler. !
What from BiOghsm's earnesiness ard
Astlry's fsinhy disguised equivocaiion,
The dispute had become quire interesting, !
and number of Radical members had
'ected around the Glspu,ants. After
some further baniering. on Bingham's !
part, Ashley confessed that ''Steveps had
lilIe 10 do with it. and lhs, one OF us
principal objects was to give Butler an op
porluniry of making and proving certain .
charges against General Grant"
Mr.. Bingham deserves the sPProbalisn
Of all true men for his timely inlefcess;on
10 avert an act. the slightest mischief done
By which would have been The disgrace
Of The men uho participated in il, for in
their disgrace the whole American peo-