The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-05-21


success Of the President. and conf
IDENTIFY anticipate the disintegration
and overthrow Of the Republican par
ty. But timid Republicans may fresh
courage take. A temporary reverse
is no defeat The first efforts to cap
ture Vicksburg. though unsuccessful,
we're harbingers of future triumph.
So will the failure to impeach the
President, after he was clearly con-
victed by evidence Of misdemeanors
demanding removal by the Coustitu-
ton, prove but a forerunner 20 fu-
ture success, and tend TO intensity the
triumph it seems to hinder There
is no objection to the short lived re-
joicing of our opponents. 1t is only
calculated to make them reckless and
commit mistakes they would otherwise
avoid.
But there is another class Of Repub-
licans who seem not to realize the
full import Of the defeat Of the party
on the impeachment question. They
claim that it is a positive good, or at
least not an unmixed evil. They
think they see in it solidifying ele-
meut, that will consolidate the party
and enable it 10 work harmoniously
in the coming Presidential canvass.
If they are unable to discover Just
how the party is to be benefited by SO
sore a repulse, with the popularity Of
the swimmer who applied for, and was
refused, admission in Noah's Ark,
they pronounce it not much of
shower anyhow, AID go on their way
rejoicing.
To our minds the latter class of
Republicans are even more censura-
bic than the former. It is no correct
way of removing ills to first under
estimate their danger. A terrible
repu.se is not TO be turned into a
grand victory By failing to compre-
bend its cause and the balefulness Of
its effects. With parties as individ-
uals, it is best to look danger squarely
In the face.
That the failure to impeach the
President was a severe blow to the
Republican party, no intelligent men,
Der of that organization can for a mo-
ment doubt Mr.. JOHNSON has welded
the immense power placed 10 his
hands by that party to destroy it and
place the country in the hands Of its
opponents. So bent was he on its de-
struction, that he stepped over the
bounds assigned him by the Constitu-
ton, and committed a misdemeauor,
for which, had it not been for the
treachery and mercenary character Of
a few Republicans, he would have
been impeached and removed from
office. The failure of impeachment
gives him encouragement to pro-
coed ia his infamous designs,
and we misread bis character if
he does not do his utmost to con-
summate the work he has begun.
Worse than this is the elimination
and recrimination that will inevitably
take place between the party and It's
leaders who have deceived it. The
seven Republicans who voted against
do not stand alone.
While tits true thata large majority of
-he party demanded impeachment it
IS equally true that an influential and
intelligent minority were opposed to
t. There is no overlooking the fact
hat large portion of the free trade
wing Of the party was adverse to im-
Possibly because they
cared that Mr.. Wade would use the
secured by his advance
nent, TO aid the Protectionists in car
ying out their peculiar schemes and
dding to the already almost prohib
tory duties on imported goods.
The discouraging effect the failure
f impeachment vii have upon the
Union men Of the South. is not the
east disagreeable feature connected
nth it. No one can doubt that the
President will strain every nerve to
ave those States cast their electoral
otes against the nominees Of the
Jhicago Convention, and it will re-
uire all the skill, energy and power
{ the Republicans to prevent his
rooaes in this nartio1Iar