Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-03-10
PROGRESS OF IMPRACHMBNT.


On with the work is the cry Of the Jaco.
bins, and Friday next is the day fixed for the
President by counsel to answer at the bar OF
the Senate the charges which corrupt, par
tizan House of Representatives have PREFER
ed against him. His chances before the Sen
ate are not such as to give strong hope OF
his aequittal. The Lynchburg Republican,
We think, takes a correct view of the situa-
ton, when it says, we have already ventured
to express the opinion that President John
son, having been lawlessly impeached by the
II. of Representatives, would be convicted and
displaced from office by the Senate, and that
in very short period of time. We based this
opinion upon two considerations which seem
20 US to be convincing to the judgement.
FIrSt-That we are in the midst Of a revo-
luton in government and laws; and that as
such revolutions never so backward, 1t Is
fair TO assume that the result will be in this
country similar to what the revolution was IN
France in the time of the Bourbons, and in
England in the time of the Stuarts. And,
secondly, because the conspirators at Wash
ington have gone to such extremes of usur-
patton, and stand upon such perilous ground,
that it is impossible for them to fail in con-
Ticting and removing the President without
disgrace and ruin to themselves and their
party They cannot turn back if they would.
they must convict Mr.. johnson or stand con-
victed themselves before the eyes of the civ
ilized world.
s.For he who stands upon slippery place,
Makes nice of no vile hold to stay him up
They must at once seize upon the Presl-
dental chair and all the departments, civil
and military, of the country, or they will be
completely ousted from Congress and all 9TH
er places of power and trust in which their
piratcal clans now sport with the liberties
of the people. Bad men and bold conspira-
tors, when once fully launched upon the du-
bious and perilous sea of criminal adventure
seldom reverse their course or shrink from
crime; and so it will be now with the Radi-
cal conspirators at Washington. They will
head President johnson, and seize upon
the government, or 'Edie" in the lawless effort;
and that such is their present purpose, is
clearly shown by the following extracts from
leading journals Of the conspirators. The
first is Forney's Chronicle, as follows:
"CcNGREss REsPoNDs.-The solid Re-
publican vote in the House adopting the
articles of impeachment last evening followed
bv the equally solid Republican vote in the
Senate, adopting the rules for the trial Of An
drew johnson, President of the United States,
may be called the double response of Congress
to the loud call Of the American People
The great preliminaries having now been
agreed upon, the trial will be delayed for
some days, when the accused will appear by
himself or his counsel, or both, to answer to
the grave charges preferred against him
We do not disguise that the case is one of
extreme gravity; but the character of his
offence will make the examination necessarily
brief, ought to make deserved verdict sure.
We do not doubt that verdict nor that it will
be reached without resistance or violence
Our Government has sustained many severe
strlins. and has nobly survived them. The
removal Of an Executive for deliberate viola
ton Of the law is not nearly so serious task
as that Of fighting the armed rebellion, or of
conducting the Government after the assassi-
pa..oa of the beloved Lincoln"
The next is from the Albany Ecening
Journal, Of New York:
The Washington correspondents endeavor
10 create the impression that there is a
Weakening Of the Senatorial vertebrtc from
I..gr that the people will not sustain impeach-
Lqut We do not believe that any such
eUwardly spirit prevails; but if it does, let
the trembling souls contemplate the alterna>
tive, as presented by the Union, that the
malicious prosecutors in the House of Rep
rc5cututivcS will be the ones aimed at in the
Presidential canvass. And with reason, too.