The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-04-14
The Impeachment and the Revolution
the Government.

The Impeachment and tho Revolution In
the Government.
Under the whip and spuraof the House
Managers the impeachment trial ''goes
bravely on" There were some curious votes
on the admissibility of General Sherman's
evidence on Saturday last, from which it is
apparent that there is detachment Of
republican Senators who are not inclined to
act as the supple instruments Of the domineer
ing radical faction. Indeed, at various points
in this trial, from the beginning, Messrs.
Anthony of Rhode Island, Fessenden of Maine,
| Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, Sherman of Ohio,
| Grimes of Iowa, Norton of Minnesota, Hender-
son of Missouri, and one or two others, have
shown such a disposition for fairness and
liberality towards the defendant as to give
some color Of plausibility to the conjecture
that they have little or no faith in this prose-
cution. Any seven of these men added
to the twelve who are certain to vote for
Johnson's acquittal will be enough to acquit
him.
Here, then, as it is manifest that the removal
of Andrew Johnson cannot be justified by the
law or the evidence, but can only be carried
upon the plea of party necessity, we may ask
the question, will these apparently honest and
patriotic republican Senators to whom we have
referred rise above the petty considerations of
party on the final vote in this trial fall into
the radical line under the party lash of Stevens
| and Butler Has it come to this, that even in
the United States Senate justice is nothing,
the country is nothing, but that party is
| everything? Are we to witness the
degrading exhibition of such Senators rs
Anthony, Fessenden, Frelinghuysen, Sher-
man, Grimes and others cringing to the
| whippers-in of the radical faction as
preferable to the Independent course of free
men? Are they prepared for the ignominious
future of party slaves in doing wrong rather
than the glorious record of men who in doing
Johnson's removal on the trumpery charges
under which this trial is prosecuted will be
simply revolutionary act, an act not contem-
plated in the impeachment provisions of the
| constitution, and consistent only with some
revolutionary programme ''outside the consti-
tuition" Nor can any conservative member o.
the Senate be ignorant Of the radical objects
and purposes which depend upon the removal
and which have brought about this indictment
and trial of ''the man at the other end Of the
avenue"
Let us see. II was some two years ago
in the House of Representatives, that Mr.
Stevens, Of Pennsylvania, warned this maj
Of the fate Of Charles the First, and upor
the issue Of reconstruction policy proposed
tantamount to a declaration of war against
him. In the outset, upon the radical system OF
measures proposed by Stevens and his radical
wing, there was majority of the House
against him; but where he failed in getting the
republican conservatives he succeeded in carry
ing his points by securing the democrats
Messrs. Brooks, Eldridge and the rest of them
voting thus for radical bills and amendments
which otherwise would have been defeated
Thus step by step, as in the regular approache.
of a hostile army to the siege of fortified city
''Old Thad Stevens" has pushed his lines from
point to point, strengthening his forces as h,
has advanced, until Andrew johnson is on tria
before the Senate for "high crimes and mis-
demeanors." Now, assuming that he will b,
removed, and that under President Wade II
the White House for the remnant of thi
: Presidential term, Southern reconstruction
according to the radical plan and pur
pose, will be accomplished that th
! ten outside Southern States will be restore