The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-05-04
WAsHlNcT
Review Of the Impeachment
Trial.
Movements of the POliti-
clans.
TIE VICE PRESIDENCY QUESTION.

TIE VICE PRESIDENCY QUESTION.
WASHINGTON, May 3, 1868.
Impeachment Eeviewed-Wade and CoIfax-
Grant and His Vice Candidate-The Demo-
Gratis and mpeachment-COunsellin Modc-
ration-Conviction Coveted by Wade and
Stanton.
While the protracted and mastery speech of Mr..
Evarts has absorbed the attention OF the High Court
Of Impeachment 1t has been no less convincing In
its effect upon the public mind, which, under its
influence, has committed itself with extraordinary
unanimity to the belief that it will be impossible TO
convict But aside from learned discussions and legal
considerations as bearing upon the court in making
up Its verdict, are now experiencing the pressure
Of conflicting interests and contradictory counses.
As we are promised but one more week of suspense,
brief review Of some matters connected with the
origin and progress Of the investigation may possibly
afford something like a foreshsdowing of the end.
II allowance il made for the indirect assistance
afforded by President Johnson's possible successor,
the impeachment project was the peculiar and ex-
elusive enterprise Of the House; and 1t may be
rowed down even to the Managers and few Of their
assistant manipulators The first scheme was so nat
failure that there little encouragement to per-
severe with the second, which was only done in
obedience to caucus dctation. and time has devel-
oped that the consequences not well considered
This fact Is established by number Of signs, Of
which Is the subsistence In the outside radical de-
mand for impeachment.
The first and great result Of conviction would be
to place Mr.. Wade in the Executive chair-a result
which 1t is very clear to the politicians assembled at
the capital would be far from popular with the
Ofrepubicans would be unsatisfactory to the different
factions Of the party and utterly void Of compromising
returns, to the ambitious gentleman who covets
the ONCE Of Chief Magistrate Of the nation for
the sake of the ease would give him in making the
descent to the Vice Presidency. The men who under
took this business did not comprehend its import
ance, and they are now beginning to discover that
they, and they only, have shouldered Ben Wade and
attempted to hoist him to place of eminence
against the popular viii and in contraventon OF
plans devised with q very different end in view.
From the beginning OF the trial to the present time
no truth has been more clearly developed than that
there is growing hostility to the name OF Mr. Wade
IS associated with the Presidential ticket and 1t has
iatterly been urged upon leading radicals here by
correspondence from different States and by indi-
vdua circumstances that in the present complicated
condition Of political affairs the republican party
cannot eopardze its prospects by consentng to the
nomination Of Mr.. Wade for the Vice Presidency.
This opposition is partly attributable to his peculiar
characteristics. which have latterly been somewhat
wildly portrayed in radical journals, and it is kind
Of opposition that IS setting in at the capital the
waves Of the sea roll and swell when driven by the
storm.
At FIRST the BENEFITS that might accure to the repub-
can party by transferring the Executive patro nage
from Andrew Johnson to Senator Wade were the
tempting line which gave impeachment its impetus
IN the House, and brought out expressions Of ap-
prevail from local organs whose once 1t was to give
backbone to the men who had undertaken the bust
ness Senators, with the exception Of the few who
covet power and patronage at any price, took inte
rest In It, II they did It was of the kind that did not
favor the aspirations Of their presiding ocer. The
ultimate results were not weighed, and they
exacting the attention that possibly it would have
been wise to have given them before.
Inasmuch as either wing Of the Capitol has fur
nished its candidate for the Vice Presidency there is
q conflict Of interests, the satisfactory disposal
Of which Is well nigh as huge an elephant as
impeachment itself. Mr.. Colfax is the favorite
Of the House. He Is popular with the radi
Gals as Speaker, and with the majority he Ia
popular as Q candidate for the Vice Presi-
dency. His ambition does not interfere with the
plans Of any of his associate members whose efforts
In his behalf meet the approval in various forms of
the constituents Of very considerable portion OF
them In his wing Of the Capitol Mr.. Wade is not 20
favored. His qualities presiding olcer have been
tested and while 1t Is well known that he is not dis
tngushed outside Of the Senate, 1t is equally appa
rent that his habit of rudeness and his lack Of polish
requisite to the discharge Of dignifed duties are
garded with great distate and as disqualtying him
for the distinguished position In which 1t Is his abi
ton TO continue. In view Of the popularity Of Col
fax and the indifference Of the Senate to his
AEv UrnAn Av,lU 1Ava Ia In
the removal OF Mr.. Johnson and the manipulation
Of the Presidential patronage. The secret therefore,
Of the subsistence Of radical anxiety for conviction
is revealed and now the question is being
weighed very seriously, what is to be gained by 1t
IL IL conceded that II Mr. Wade should succeed TO
the Presidency three days before the converting Of
the Chicago Convention he could, by his power OF
patronage-that Is, supposng he can WELD 1t under
the constitution and that Mr.. Johnsons Cabl-
net does not refuse to resign-and facility
for making promises, command nomina-
ton. It cannot be doubted that such q
result would produce Discussions and distractions.
The friends OF Mr.. Colfax would yield to almost any
other man sooner than Wade. They do not suppress
their conviction that hs nomination would leopard
izc the OF the ticket Grant, however extern
sive his knowledge, however profound upon the in
tricae questions Of national policy however saga
clous politician, Is exceedingly reserved, and the
ticket must have q spokesman. With Wade for his
mouthpiece It Is affirmed there would be constant
danger Of a bold committal to woman suffrage the
announcement OF some novelty in the financial sys-
TEN and general thrashing round outside the limits
prescribed by the platforms. With Mr. Colfax II
would be otherwise. Besides being cautious himself
lie would act under safe control and at this uncturc
OF afars there Ia no intention OF allowing him TO be
pushed aside for competitor who has been declared
unfit for the position and who would act as q dead
weight upon the ticket.
Under the circumstances II r. therefore apparent
that the impeschers are acting exclusively In the In
terest OF Mr. Wade. The House. which has presented
articles OF impeachment, and the Managers who are
abating no effort to insure conviction. are playing
int, .ha h,aaa af uads Rnfior IL nonraa na-aa