Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-04-15
THE SWORD, AND THE, LASH.

| 10 sustain the articles oil impeachment
This is judicial question in all its
aspects, and the most momentous that
has ever been presented to any tribunal
in this country. Itmay be said that eur
institutions are ON trial. because upon
the verdict to be rendered will depend
materially the future relations and inde-
pendence Of the co ordinate departments
which constitute the Government. q
But Notwithstanding the nature OF the
proceeding itself, and the judicial char
acter which the Senate assumes during
the trial, the prominent and active instr
gators of impeachment have exerted
every effort to invest it with a political
complexion throughout 1t has been
treated as a party measure by the House
of Representatives by the Radical press,
by Legislatures, by conventions, eau
cuses, and cabals, before one word OF the
testimony was heard, or any presenta-
| ton of the case had been made. These
revolutionary organs demanded convilc-
ton, upon no other ground than that the
| President was an impediment to their
policy. and, therefore, ought to be, and
must be removed.
Not satisfied with these demands, the
chief Jacobin, who for six years past has
habituslly marshaled the Radical forces
for every attack upon the Constitution
and the liberties of the people, has gone
much further, and from the tribune in
the House OF Representatives threatened
the Senate with the penalty of his wrath,
| if they "dared" to refuse obedience to
his insolent dictation. Upon the occa-
sion of offering an additional article to
those prepared by the managers, he did
| not hesitate to denounce in advance each
| and every Senator who assumed to exer-
else for himself the right of conscience,
or the least regard for the obligation of
his oath. Raising his bony finger over
| his head, and pointing towards the SEN
ate, he used this offensive language:
"Let me see the recreant who dares
to tread back upon bis steps and vote on
the other side. Point
me out one who dares do it, and you
show me one who dares be regarded as
Infamous by posterity.'
This is the sort of language which
Danton andERobespierre addressed to
the French Chamber when they cried out
| for the blood of new victims, and sought
to overthrow every safeguard of law and
order. And it is easy to see that if this
| audacious attempt to coerce the Senate
be spurned, as it should be spurned, what
| this Jacobin cabal will next attempt.
| They have tried to strike down the Su-
preme Court, they are striving to depose
| the President, and the next move will be
to supercede or destroy the Senate.
| They aim at absolute control, and If all
their plans could succeed, as now de-
signed, the Tenure.of-o -office bill, which is
the present pretext for impeachment,
would be hustled aside and trampled
under foot; because of the power which
| it confers on the Senate.
But we have arrived at even more
serious stage in this business, shameless
and outrageous as was the threat of Ste
vens His lash was applied to the backs
| of Senators, as it had often been before,
and recently in regard to the admission
of Alabama but the Tribune has gone
a step further, and holds the sword of
| Grant suspended over the Court, with a
plain intimation that he will drive them
out of their seats as Cromwell did the
Rump Parliament, unless they subscribe
to his will. This canting Tribune, which
affects to be champion Unpopular rights,
and of the largest liberty, stands forward
a selfconfessed minioh of military des-
potism, and the Observation-Disclosures OF
a dictator, for whom it lately could not
find words of scorn strong enough to ex-
press long-cherished detestation. We
cannot too often reproduce the language
of the chief Radical organ, or hold it up
sufficiently to the public reprobation, not
only as glaring outrage upon the dignity
| of the Senate, but as humiliating proof
| of the degradation to which the American
press has descended.
1--WE have assurances from Washington
that General Grant finds it not inconsist-
ent with his duty as a soldier to an
aounce it as his opinion that the only
hope for the peace of the country is in
the success of the pending impeachment
trial. He feels that national security de-
mands the removal of the President If
the trial should fail, the people can only
expect more assumptions of power, and
a more determined resistance to laws
When the General Of our armies enter
tains this conriction, there is no room
for doubt as to the duty Of the Senate. "
We venture to assert.that debased and
manacled as journalism is in France,
there is not paper attached to the En-
pire which has yet fallen SO low in spirit
and sentiment as to publish its own in-
fanny in such terms as are above cited.
What has General Grant to do with the
question before the Senate, that " his
opinion should thus be thrust forward
Is he trier ? Has he been swornf Is
he competent to instruct Fessenden,
Trumbuil, Frelinghuysen, Edmunds
and other eminent jurists and states.
men of that body2 Has he examined
the witnesses, or heard the testl-
mouy. or investigated the lawf II
he has not done so, and has no
relation 10 the case, why is it, we ask,
that "his opinion as a soldier" IS OBJ
truded in this rude and insolent form Z
There is but one answer-it is in the ma
ture of coercion, bold and insulting
menace to the Senate. What would be
said if the General of our armies bad
EXPRESSED his "opiniou as a soldier that
the Supreme Court should decide any
case before that tribunal in a certain
wav2 Such arrogant interference with
the course Of justice would be denounced
from one end Of the country to the other !
bnt in this instance il is unscrupulously
applauded by partisanship,. as would be
he discharge Of an Imperative duty.
We are told that General Grant feels
that national security demands the re-
moval of the President" As an enemy
of Mr.. johnson, who exposed his du-
plicity, and ss an aspirant to the once
which be holds, be probably feels that
one of the means Of cOmpsssi1g both re-
veuee and ambition would be the re-
moral Of The President Hence We
suppose that be has lent Whatever intu-
enee he may possess to accomplish that