The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-02-11
gutmoltd 1ispatrlr.
II, Is
An Advance Movement.

An Advance Movement
Tn to the present time the great contest
between the two leading departments OF
the Government-the Legislative and Exc
cutive-has been confined, In a great de-
gree. to mere skirmishing and passes
intended to test elE-possession and pluck.
Indeed. the Congress has succeeded in
planting one heavy blow upon the shield Of
Mr.. JouSsoN, making adecided and deep
indentation upon it, (the tenure-of.ofice
bill.) While nc has, with an air ofdeiance,
held his position, the Congress has been
drawing lines Of circumvention about him,
and preparing for a sudden blow and an
easy victory.
Not a great deal of Roadway has been
made in the mean time in the solution Of
questions involving the fate Of the nation,
and depending upon the action Of the
Federal Government.
At last we have the prospect of an ad-
vance m~ovement-one that will in one
way OF another decide the issues immedi-
ately pending. The Congress having gotten
possession, as it were, of the War Depart
ment, and having won over General GRANT
in favor Of their plans and policies, and at
the same time set him and the President
In deadly hate, the one against the other,
can now move with apparent security and
success. We are not at all surprised,
therefore, to learn that it is very certain
now that the President will be impeached
and removed from his office, to which he
will not be again allowed to return. Ii
this is the plan determined on, 1t will be
carried out. What Of law may be want
ng will be hurried through regardless OF
the Constitution, and Mr.. JOHNSON will be
summarily disposed Of, his place being
filed by the most obnoxious man in the
country save BEN ~BUTLEE-viz., Ben
WADE.
History has been steadily repeating
itself up to this time in the history OF our
discordant and unhappy Government. 1t
has been brought, by the natural train Of
events, to the very point where, in past
ages, the "one man has assumed the
reins of government; and if it does not
now SO turn out, it will be because the
wrong man is in the position from which
the Emperor has generally emerged into
the full light of day, clothed with the su-
preme authority.
At this particular juncture, if Mr..
JOHNSON fails to take the initiative he is
gone and it will be utterly futile for him
to appeal to the people they will not sus-
tain him. In q face-to-face, stand-up
struggle men do not side with the party
that quails or is beaten-never. But all
history shows that the people sustain those
who cut the gordian knot Of disputed au-
thority by boldly Selling the reins OF
government. A writer some days
since spoke of what he styled q coup. detat,
which the President would enact by taking
issue with Congress, forcing Congress to
Weld or to remove him. Ifthey removed
him he would throw himself upon the peo-
pie. A brave coup d'etat, indeed. The
people would give him cold comfort for
any such daring bravery and decision oil
character as that. He would be politi-
cally dead from the time he played so poor
o part.
If Congress does move upon him, and he
fails to make q bold and heroic demonstra-
ton, why, the drama, so far as he is con-
cerned, is ended, and W. have the Radical
C.-,, tpsr tho Nphn1a nnUnr nf
the Government, and the Executive,
through BEN WADE, enforcing their edicts
in the most rigorous sense in which they
may be construed.
However, there will be at least this con-
ISOLATION in this event that there will be q
rapid advancement on the Radical road
through the dark valley of the shadow of
death, and over the bright river which
lies beyond, where we may "rest under
the trees" that shade its fair banks.
That's what we all want to do. So God
speed the march, under whosesoever CON-
mand it may be!
Should Mr.. JOHNSON fail and fall, the
country must 60 on to await some new
development to heal the dissensions and
end the misrule Of bad men. 1t is posi-
BILE, but barely possible, that there is
recuperative energy in our institutions to
bring back the Government to the repub-
lican track. Certainly that would be q
contamination deyoutly to be wished.
That, however, would require the utter
expulsion from Office Of the men in power
and the filling their places with men of in
tegrity, patriotism, and devotion to the
Constitution and laws. Such men can be
found. But in this corrupt age can they
be elected? We fear not. I
The Government has lately bought the
island Of st. Thomas, whose bowels are
full of earthquakes. Yet there are explo-
sive elements now in the Federal city
which NAV create earthquakes such as
never agitated St. Thomas. The ship OF
State has already been driven high and dry
by their violence, and in thirty days they
NAV leave not one shred of the form OF
government bequeathed us by our an
ceStors.
An Impudent State.
The New York Tribune is quite offended