The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-03-08
THE DILEMMA.

Il -
The difficulties of the position occupied by
the Republican party have never been SO
clearly displayed as in the matter Of the i'm
parchment of the President They are in
that situation in which to advance is death,
and to retreat is destruction. Nobody pre-
tends that the President has been guilty Of an
improbable offense, and yet he has been i'm
peached. Nobody can specify the high "crime
or misdemeanor which he has committed,
and yet he has been formally accused Of
"high crimes and misdemeanors." To con-
Wet and depose him would be an outrage on
public opinion more fragrant than any of the
fsgitious outrages already committed by the
Republican party; and yet his conviction and
removal from Office offer the only chance of
salvation TO the conspirators who have deter
mined TO maintain their power by Haunting a
shameless lie in the face of the country, and
by suppressing the indignant voice of the
public. The case is well put by leading
Republican journal when it says:
The Washington correspondents endeavor to
create the impression that there Is q weakening
of the senatorial svertebra, from fear that the
people will not sustain impeachment. We 90 not
believe that any such cowardly spirit prevails.
But if it does let the trembling souls contemplate
the alternative, as presented by the Union, that
the malicious prosecutorsr Ia the House OF Rep
resenfatiyes will be the ones aimed at in the pres
idential canvass, and with reason, too. II the
Republican members Of Congress unanimously
inpeoch tie President. and a Republican Senate
ocquit him of he charge, the fact furnishes ne
Democracy most arailable argument in proring
either ne sneoTnBetIency r. ne House; or Senate,
is no sdlUotion in retreat. F0rtcdrd is uictory.
Retreat is disaster. demoraiized army, with a
harassing enemy on its tanks and rear will be
the result Onward, then.
Here the confession is made that the Presi-
dent must be convicted, not because he is
guilty, but because the Republican party
would suffer by his acquittal. The Senate is
charged to persevere in spite of public opin-
ion; not because public opinion is wrong, or
the Senate right, but because a failure to con-
Wet would place the House in the attitude of
false accusers before the country. Over the
slaughtered presidency the Republicans are
required to march to a victory, which will be
victory, likewise, over the Constitution, and
over the win of the people. Here is the
elimination of the Republican doctrine that
the end justifies the means. Every measure
adopted by the radicals during the last three
years has been defended on the ground that
all things are right and proper that tend to
benefit the Republican party. States are ex-
cluded from the Union because they will not
pledge themselves to support the Republican
party. Negroes are enfranchised, because ne
gro votes viii strengthen the Republican party.
White men are DISTINGUISHED, because white |
men will vote against the Republican party.
The privileges guaranteed to-day are revoked |
tomorrow, because those privileges have |
operated against the interest of the Republ- |
can party. The President is impeached be-
cause he has declined to cooperate with the
Republican party. He must be convicted, |
because to acquit him would be fatal to the |
Republican party. The Republican party is
right-consequently everything and every
body opposed to the Republican party must
be wrong. If the Constitution is in the way.
the Constitution must be disregarded. If the
Supreme Court is suspected of opposition the
Supreme Court must be ignored. If the
President is an adversary, the President must
be removed. But, having accomplished all
these things, the Republican party will finally
come face to face with an outraged public
opinion; and when this issue presents itself
the same reasoning which has justified the
of political adversaries from Con-
5ress, the subversion of State governments
md the humiliation of the executive power.
viii equally justify the forcible suppression of
he will of the majority and the overthrow of
popular government
The radicals may well shrink from such
contest. 1t is struggle in which defeat is
ure destruction; but it is struggle to which
hey are impelled by the remorseless logic of
he situation which they have contriyed.