The New York herald., 1868-02-10
The Crisis at Washingio gion-Revivui Of tho
impeachment Schcme.

|
bellIgerents, if not to both. The Gran
johnson imbroglio, it appears, is but th
developments OF deeply laid scheme
reach the impeachment of Andrew johnson
IL is represented as a cunningly devised traT
'hat the sly fox of The White House has un
willingly put his foot in it, and that conse
qnently his skin will go to the furrier. Accord
ing TO our Washington advices The initiation
or the Grant-Johnson correspondence was ar
ranged by the radical sappers and miners for q
twofod purpose first, to give the opportunity
to General Grant as ral lical to defae his po-
sition, the time having come ; and, secondly, to
| beguile the President into committing himself
In black and white to something which would
| serve as sufficient pretext upon which 70
make plausible case of impeachment The
endorsement Of the President on the back Of
General Grants letter, requesting written
orders not to obey Stanton as Secretary OF War,
is regarded by Old Thad Stevens, they say,
with supreme satisfaction, as a /" high crime"
or misdemean0r." an overt act of official in
fidelity, a clear case which will serve the pur-
string.
In the suspicion which we expressed with
the PRONUNCIATION of this Grant-J Johnson CORE
| spondence, that it covered the design Of i'm
| peachment it seems we hit the true solution ol
this otherwise incxplicable mystery. There il
chain OF connecting facts and circumstances
which, il we follow, will carry US directly from
the Headquarters Of the Army" near the
White House to the headquarters of the
impeachment committee in the Capitol. This
Is the radical case. The constitution, among
the duties it enjoins upon the President, says,
"He shall take caro- that the laws be faithfully
executed" The Tenure Of Office law provided
that if the reasons given by the President for
his suspension of a subordinate civil officer are
decided by the Senate as insufficient the sus-
pended officer shall be reinstated in his office.
Instead, however, Of taking care to have this
law faithfully executed" in the case OF fStanton,
this Grant-Johnson correspondence, it Is
charged, shows that the President tried to get
and thought he had secured an understanding
with General Grant, as Secretary Of War aid
interim, that he would resist the execution of
said law in refusing, when called upon in pur-
suance of the judgment OF the Senate, to give
back the Office to The suspended Stanton, and
had next disregarded the law in instructing
General Grant to ignore said Stanton after his
reinstatement as Secretary of War.
Now, however fagrantly in violation of the
constitution this Tenure OF Office law may
invade The domains OF the Executive depart
ment, the law, as General Grant says, is the
law till declared invalid by the Judicial
department In his conversations with and
instructions TO General Grant the President
designed, we will say, to bring this law before
the court for a final decision but the process
may be held as resistance to the Jaw,
and upon this process in black and
white the radicals, it is understood,
intend to try again the test Of i'm
peachment. They are already at 1t, hammer
and tongs. On Saturday morning last the
Reconstruction Committee had an extraordi-
nary session, in which Messrs. Stevens and
Boutwell, spoke earnestly in favor of immediate
action. The subcommittee meantime were and
are actively engaged in collecting testimony.
The feeling is very strong in the republican
camp in favor Of impeachment, and in having
General Grant fully committed to their cause
the hitherto doubling radicals no longer doubt
the feasibility, expediency and perfect safety
Of impeachment. The case was different and
involved in great cloud of dangers while
Grant, the active head Of the army, was sus-
pected to be with the administration.
That there was in advance plot to involve
Mr. Johnson fatally in this correspondence with
Grant we think is evident from the recent
Introduction In the Senate by Mr.. Edmunds, of
Vermont, OF bill to provide for the suspen-
son Of aay ciYil officer from The functions of
his Office on being arraigned before the Senate
on articles Of impeachment. This shot was un-
quesiionably aimed at President Johnson and
as impeachment had failed on all the old
charges against him, Mr.. Edmunds doubtless
anticipated some new charge, and here it is.
We may infer, too, from this bill that the de-
sign ia to make it law, and then, on an inn
peachment Indictment from the House, TO send
up President Wade, Of The Senate, at once to
take the place OF Andrew johnson. Under
| this programme they think the reconstruction
Of the South and Of the Supreme Court will
become simple and easy, as Grant no longer
stands lion in the way, but lion, If needed
to open the way
| Mr.. Johnson is evidently aware that Grant
has entangled him as in spiders web; for We
are told that The revival Of the Impeachment
scheme has induced the President to rofrait
for the time being from sending his final reply
to General Grant Couched in strong ifnot bite
terms il is said TO be q clincher ; but as tht
question Of veracity involved is trifing mat
ter compared with the palpable design Of i'm
peaohment, Mr.. Johnson is wise, perhaps, i,
rcserving his fire. lie would have been wise
had he declined 10 be drawn into this ticklis
correspondence. aAh me-" says Hudibras-