New-York tribune., 1868-04-27
SENATOR'S AND IMPEACHKEyT
From an 0ecs,iouL Correspondent.


From n Occasions. Correspondent
WASHINGTON, April 6. 1863
The position Of public man of sensibility il
always annoying and irritating. He breathes an at
mosphere of vices and follies sufficient TO suocse
one unused TO it, He is beset by thousand discOln.
forting influences and buffeted on the side and
OH tho other by letter, and speech, and harangue.
and article till he finds repose except in melan-
chOly disgust What is his ordinary condition is og-
gravated just now. We are having great political
trial, which rouses every bushwhacker to lunge from
his ambush, and offers occasion to every malignant
in the country to hurl from press and platform bis
vituperatiye and vitriOlic compound
If there were any method of forcing members OF
the Senate to resist the conclusions Of their own
judgment, and to turn and defy the yelplng pack
who dog their heels with prazen threats it would be
the very method adopted to influence them to sos
tain the impeachment of Andrew johnson. The
fluent blackguards who have themselves no other
sense of political duty, and other motive of pOh
cal action, but that which centers in the idea OF
personal advancement may think to influence SEN
ators by appeals TO their selfish fears. But they
should know there are men who despise such consid
erations. and who are sometimes strongly
tempted to find motive for diSregarding them than
to discover a reason for giving way before them.
There certain chyalrc grace in trying to shelter
even a criminal when the hounds upon him, aud
of that type Of men the Senate is not entirely dest
tute. 1t is far wiser. in dealing with such, to cha
lenge their judgment than to threaten their temper
They might yield to discreet counsel when they
would defy the urgency of partisan bitterness.
The decision of the Senate, in the important trial
before it, should be obtained through the operation
of motives of broad public character; in the
else of statesmanlike judgment of the political
situation; aud not through any headong predeter-
mination, the stimulus of IA public sentiment fab
rcated for the occasion or, the other hand from
the operation of hgher-critica echncaities or the
instructive resistance of upright minds to offensive
suggestions and mean motives The position is
difficult and embarrassing one in which TO hold tho
scales even In trying TO stand erect amid opposing
forces. there is danger of leaning backward. some
times. well of bending TO pressure in the Oppc-
site direction.
What is more needed than anything else now is.
that the Senate should be allowed plenty of sea-
room in coming to their determination The occa-
sion BELTS and demands large and comprehensive
views of political duty. untrammeled by personal or
party. technical considerations. And Senators
should DO allowed the opportunity to consider tho
question before them in this spirit. The trial pro-
ceeds and should be determined upon national
grounds These are ample for all the emergencies OF
the situation The partisanshp of the is on tho
side Of those who would defend. from selfish motives
and tmid apprehensions, that which, in the conduct
of the President is IN itself indefensble. And tho
aim is to reinforce the minority through the
operation of unworthy and unfit views and
motives. A great national trial, as We
have said, should be conducted upon
great national grounds and it should be the object OF
everybody interested in just and wholesome de-
cision, that the judges should be allowed to breathe
an atmosphere of unconstrant and that they should
not be badgered nor irrtated into false position III
order TO show their independence of those vino
would impertinently trespass upon their own proper
functions When man of spirit is ordered not !"
do an act his first impulse is to do it, Senators have
been nsuted in gross and in detail by the tempestu
Gus rhetoric of ranting declaimers. threatening all
sorts of consequences if they dared act in opposition
to the general of opinion, and of the threat
ened opinion especially. That the natural course Oh
justice may DO detected by such impertnence' no
man can doubt. Though the case against MI.
johnson seems plain enough, and is plain enough
from every proper point of view, yet we know ths'
the legal and technical mind might be brought by le
training. and its educated instincts in behalf oil 'he
rights of even al unquestionabe criminal, TO douo'
the intentions of the President in the acts laid 10 h
charge. and to find excuse for declining to convict
But, broader survey. more statesmanllke review
would induce the same mind TO consider that ~"
drew Johnson had become constant menace 10 'h'
peace of the country, and that, by his constantyH
curring acts of obstinate misbehavior, he had showeo
himself unfit for his place, and deserving OF mpeacH
ment and condemnation.
Thus narrow is the line between just and CO."
prehehsive. and an unwise and technical decision
Il a.. aaaAA aQ n
public evil. the influence of animadversions ape
threats, whose only tendency is TO shove Senators
over this line, by creating partisanship for inc
of the case We prefer that meeHo
which will permit Senators 70 raise their minds mindit
of a more lofty and statesmaniAo
haracter. and thus lead them to juster aecf HS,y of
han they would otherwise reach Ii Is the duIy "a
ne press particularly to that this freedom no.
lbridged. We know no reason TO doubt the result ns"
mpeschment; but these views in reference thofe'o.
hough imperfectly presented, sesp TO demsno eh'
ecession.