The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-03-06

! House, the committee aro greatly embarrassed
by the subsequent exhibitions Of doubling an(
distrust. Nearly ell the Radical members wht
wore originally opposed to impeachment are
still honestly of the same mind. They do no
sympathize with or participate in the secre
| plans for consummating the end in view anC
they have the sagaciLy to foreseo ultimate fail
ure and inevitable disaster as the consequence
! Under these circumstances the work is not pur.
sued by those who have it III hand with the
cheerfulness and confidence indicated by the
boastlul and malignant spirit manifested. Look
ing to the Senate, the prevalence of similar
feeling is conspicuous. There are few who are
anxious for impeachment, and fairly yenomous
with hate. They have not failed to commit
themselves on all occasions in favor OF i'm
peachment, and to disqpalify themselves by
their prejudiced utterances to sit in judgment
on case which they are to take solemn oath
to try impartially. They were warned by Sen
ator Fessenden repeatedly against committing
themselves upon a subject which might event
ually come before them; but they always re-
torted angrily, and sneeringly accused him of
q lingering partiality for the President, and q
covert sympathy with Conservatism. Senator
Fessenden is not the only one who has been
ber that is to Offset the Summers, Howards and
Conklings. Senator Sherman has so openly
and positively committed himself to Mr.. john
sons Interpretation Of the Tenure of Office bill
that he could not, without stultifying himself,
vote to impeach him for adopting his own con-
struction of it. Senator Howe, though, i'll
tensely Radical is an able lawyer, and tho
oughly independent of party considerations
when placed in position Of responsibility Of
the magnitude of the one in question.
Besides Fessouden, Sherman and Howe,
there is good reason to believe that other Re-
publican senators will not consent to have
themselves lashed into the impeachment folly
Off
Is. The dispatch which l sent you lew days
ago, to the effect thai eight OF tho Republican
senators would be almost suro to oppose the
measure, has attracted much attention hero,
and there are not wanting well posted people
who say 1 was not rightly informed whom l
made that statement so boldly. Nevertheless,
L see no reason for changing my views on the
subject, and will endeavor to givo my reasons
briefly further Oil. But first let me start with
tho admitted fact that the following senators
will certainly vote against lmpeachment
CONSERVATIVE REPUBLIcANs.-Dixon, Of Con-
nccticut; Doolittle, OF Wisconsin.
DEMOCRATS of Delaware; Bucka-
lew, of Pcnnsylvania; Davis, OF kentucky;
McCreery, OF Kentucky; Hondricks, OF In.
diana; Johnson, OF Maryland; Patterson of
Thus, as basis to start with, We have eight
Democratic and two conservative Republican
senators certain to oppose impeachment. This
makes ten anti-impcachment votes. Now,
among tho Radical Republican senators con-
tend the following arc almost as sure TO oppose
the measure as the Democratic, to wit: An
thony, of Rhode Island; Fessenden, of Maine;
Howe, of Wisconsin; Norton OF Minnesota;
Ross, OF Kansas; Sherman, OF Ohio; Sprague,
of Rhode Island; Upton, Of Nebraska; Trum-
bull, Of Illinois; Van Winkle, OF West Virginia;
Wiley, OF West Virgnia; Williams, of Oregon.
Here wo have fourteen Republican and eight
opposition Senators already supposed to be
against impeachment, with two othors Doubt
ful-namcly, Grimes, OF Iowa, aud henderson,
of Missouri. Leaving out the two last, we
have say twenty-five senator's who will not
back up Thad. Stevens in his hostile attempt
upon the Executive. According to the third
section Of article one OF tue constitution, no
conviction can occur without concurrence OF
two-thirds of the members present
At present there are iifty-throe members in
the Senate, OF which say thlrty-slX Would DC
reuuired for two-thirds. Take the eight Demo-
Gratis, tho two Conservatives, and tho twelve
Radicals (twonty-two In nll) from hfty-three,
TrIu VIC HIvo frfu only Jn1rty-opc senator's in
favor Of impeachment. This would fall short
live of the required number.
Now, to return to my reasons, and oren
with stating that the vote in The Senate to re-
instato Stanton and condemning his removal
by the President, ls no test Of how Senators
are going to vote upon the impeachment mat
ter ut all. Thoro aro many senators who be-
licvo that the President was wrong i'll attempt
ing Stanlon's removal pending u session of the
Senate, but who still think thar that is not oh
offence of sufficient gravity to justify impoach-
ment.
The President is known to have contended
all along that Stanton held Office only by suffer-
ance, as no had never been appointed by him
(Johnson); and moreover because Lincoln's
commission, bearing date i'll 1862, long before
tho Tenure Of Office bill was passed, limited
Stamton's tenure TO ''thc pleasure OF tho Presl-
dent for the time being
Among the senators who take this view, or
who oppose impeachment for other reasons,
such MS that no confidential adviser obnoxious
10 President should be forced upon him,
have reason to believe may b9 rcckoncd An
thony, Ross, Fesacndcn, Sherman, Howe, Will
10y, Norton, Upton, Williams, Sprague and
Trlmbull.
Anthony leans to conservatism and in his
paper has repeatedly OF late raised warming
cry against the revolutionary tendency OF Rad
ical legislation. -,
.ipton ha been heard 10 declare that he will
not vote for impeachment.
Williams, some say, besides his bellef as
LAWYER that no impeachable offence has been
committed, desires to work back into the DEM
ocratic fold, as the signs point to revolution
/ political sentiment in the State from which
he halls.
Spraguo will certainly vote in the interest OF
his fathcr-in-iaw, the Chief Justice, who is
said TO oppose Impeachment because il would
result III Wadc'e elevation, and diminish his
own chances ioc the succcssioa.
As TO Norton, Ross, Van Winklc and Wiley,
confess llayo no better reason to give for the
opinion that thoy will oppose impeachment ex-
ccpt this-that there is II very widespread I'M
prcssion OF the kind. There liz something in
the atmosphere mt times that Tells one how
things will turn OIL Perhaps it is this mys-
tcrious influence that puts Norton, Ross, Wiley
and Van ainllo anon the anti-impeachers.
For these aud other reasons, therefore,
take it there is no ground upon which to base
an opinion that impeachment will be sustain
ed. Reforming to it as party question there is
no light in which it can be viewed that can
make il available to the Radicals in this sense.
If senators were disposed to give weight to
their partisan auimOsitca there is nothing to
be gained by impeachment. Tho subject has
been canvassed by the Radicals i'll all ITS bear
ings, and Il very considerable por'loh OF them
have arrived 1t this conclusion.
MIR. JOHNSON ADVISED TO RESIGN.
The Washington Republican says:
Some of the Presidents most prominent
friends have called upon him, aud advised him
I'm send his re sienation to the Senate to-mor-
row. and carry his appeal to the people, on the
ground that lio could not gel fair trial Id tne
Senate; in which event The Democrats WouI9
certainly nominate him, and Ills chances Woulu
Inc excellent fol- reelection but that II he
a,onid sit still much longer he would be con-
victcd and rendered incapable OF ever holding
offco again. The President was considcra6l
i,ken aback, and finally SAID he would consider
II and turned the Conversation.
~ Mr. JOHNSON WILL BE PRESENT.
II is not imperative that the President