The New York herald., 1868-05-08
The New Phase In the Impe nch.nent aad
Its Presidential Complications.

by the Senate be acquitted of the ''high crimes
and misdemeanors" charged against him by
the House Of Representatives, Sin the name of
all the people of the United States, has been
rapidly gaining strength during the last few
days. The radical camp at Washington is
evidently in state of CONSERVATION; the
President is reported to be confident of great
victory and ''calm as summers morning in
anticipation of the crowning result Conser-
vative politicians, upon the expectation of
crushing radical failure to convict the sturdy
delinquent, are beginning to make their Presi-
dental calculations upon this result. Nor can
any limit be fixed to the political complications,
combinations and consequences of failure to
remove this stumbling-block to the radicals
from the White House.
But while it is apparent that the acquittal of
Johnson will Immediately effect rupture in
the republican party, and movement for the
organization Of a new national conservative
party, under an untried but well known and
popular Presidential leader, radical contem-
porary is better pleased with the presumption
that Andrew Johnson's triumph over radical
House Of Representatives, and in radical
Senate nearly three-fourths republican, will
bring him into the foreground as the most
available candidate for the democratic party.
In support of this presumption it is contended
that throughout this contest johnson has been
fighting the battles of the democracy" that
''the party has been in full accord with him on
all the issues involved ;" that she has been not
only the exponent of their opinions, but the
champion Of their cause;" and that accord
ingly if he is declared the victor in this i'm
peachment, and if 'thereupon his friends insist
upon his nomination by the democratic con-
vention, it is difficult to see how it can con-
sistently refuse this testimonial of confidence
and approval" Admitting, however, all these
reasons why the democracy should adopt him
to be well put, there will, perhaps, be no diff
Guilty in declining him, inasmuch as there have
been no democratic foreshadowings from any
quarter in this party camp Of any inducements
to adopt him under any circumstances.
John Tyler, in the Senate and in the House
of Representatives, and throughout the coun-
try, in his conflict with Henry Clay on the
Of 1912, was sustained as earnestly in his
vetoes by the democrats as Johnson has been
in this impeachment trial. He was doing
their work and they strengthened his hands.
The result was, in the triumph of Tyler, such
a crippling of the whig party that, in 1914,
with Henry Clay himself as its standard bearer,
they were defeated by Polk, democratic OBJ
scurity from Tennessee. Tyler, early in the
field, was candidate on the lookout for the
democratic nomination. There was, in fact,
simultaneously with the gathering of the demo-
cratic nominating convention in Baltimore,
convention hard by of the Independent Tyler
party by way of flank movement but it was
utterly ignored over the way, and it ended in
the surrender of Tyler to the democratic nomi-
nation of Polk. Tyler, in short, had so far
identified himself. with the democratic cause
that next to his own nomination, he desired
the defeat of the whig candidate and this is
now the attitude of Johnson towards the radi-
Called republican party. The democratic
managers thoroughly understand it, and so,
without the remotest idea Of nominating Mr..
johnson, they are in any event, as against
General Grant, confident of his support.
Leaving Mr.. Johnson, then, in this attitude
Of make-weight against the radicals, the
question recurs, what man in the present and
prospective aspect of things, in the event Of
Johnson's acquittal, is the man best qualified
to lead the combined forces of the opposition
conservative republicans, democrats and anti
radical floating materials-againstG Grant as the
radical candidate? Chief Justice Chase is the
man. His record as the head of the Treasury,
in providing the ways and means for the prose-
cution Of the most gigantic war Of modern
times against the most formidable rebellion in
the history of any people, Identifies him as
conspicuously and successfully in his sphere
with the Union cause and party of the war as
General Grant is recognized in his great role.
In the Chief Justice, then, the democracy may
! find candidate whose war record will neutral
ize the present overshadowing popularity Of
General Grant as the victorious leader Of the
Union armies, and thus reduce the contest to
the great political issues at stake between the
radicals and the opposition elements.
In the next place, as the Chief Justice, from
his fearless course Of impartial justice in this
impeachment trial, stands far exalted above all
the petty party considerations of the hour, he
places himself in direct rapport with the indie
pendent masses Of the people, who, in default
of anything better, choose between this or that
mere representative of party as in choice of
eVls. As the peoples candidate Mr.. Chase,
id gathering about him all the opposition ele-
ments Of the country, would soon bring to the
front the legions of the peoples party, and in
line sufficiently compact to break and put to
rout, East and West, the loosely adhering.
ranks Of the demoralzed radicals. Nor need
we limit this view of the situation to the event
of President Johnsons acquittal; for such is