The New York herald., 1868-03-21
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE HERALD.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE Of THE HERALD.
Impeachment OF the President-How Washing.
ton Feels About It-Chances For and Against
verdict-The Theory Of the Talking POliti.
clans.
WASHINGTON, March 18, 1868.
What would washington be without its gossip, and
what would the gossip be worth just now without
impeachment 1t forms the quintessence, the super
excellent salt Of conversational topics available
alike to the high and the lowly, the looker-on In
Vienna and the busy actor on its boards. The
hdbtiues of the drawing room and the patrons
OF the beer saoon the loungers at the hotel and the
hangers-on at the White House all turn to this de-
lightfully exciting theme Of thought and varied
speculation to beguile time and refresh their ex-
hausted ideas. And even the poor African the neg
eced son Of Ham, rises to the level OF the occasion
and talks Of "de 'peachment OBJ de Pursidentn with
oil the comprehensiveness of his capacious mind.
Every circle Of society Is permeated and satu-
rated with the subject It forms with the ladies
agreeable change from the monotonous review Of
the fashions, and kindles eXhilarating kind
of speculation as to the future Aspasia who
will hold her levees at the White House.
But no visible excitement accompanies the preva-
lent discussion OF the subject, no heated remarks
no offensive illusions; all is calm, yet free and
anxious controversy. The great point on which
the President "Will they convict him ?" asks every
body of his neighbor-asks democrat of radical
and uncertain radical Of equally uncertain demo-
crat. Discussions Of course, ensue a sequence OF
the query, old-fashioned democrats go back to the
trainers Of the constitution and work their way up
through mass OF citations and arguments to prove
that every President had the right OF removal and
exercised it without fear restraint ct cetera and
so forth. New-fashioned radicals, the offspring of
the tremendous revolution In the spirit Of the Ameri
obstruction" a something lying bodily across the
track OF the car OF progress which all the pressure Of
steam IN the boilers OF the radical locomotive will
not force the wheels to surmount. So the engineer
has to descend and remove the irritating impeach-
ment.
To the one he is a vile, provoking obstruction to
the other constitutional lighthouse, sending forth
and qucksands that environ the shin Of state 'o'''
But neither radcal nor democrat come to logger
heads III discussing the probable fate OF Andrew John
son. The political atmosphere OF Washington is pro-
verbally friqid The excitements that agtae the other
parts OF the country when they return the tide to
break upon cold and Indifferent ears and what is
looked upon anarchy and revolution three hundred
miles away resolves itself here into quiet judicial
proceeding Of which everybody may talk, but over
which none grow hysterical, and from which few
predict any sanguinary results.
An impeachment trial is, OF course, a novelty-an
era In the civil history OF any government and 1t is
difficult to restrain natural impulse of curiosity to
witness It's appearance and progress Perhaps this
curiosity, less mingled with vague impress
sion that something like revolution may grow out
OF it, creates that general interest in impeachment
which has been alluded to in former part OF this
letter. But what do the politicians here say2 the far
away reader might inquire. Well to be candid the
politicians apt to be unreliable at this particular
juncture as any other class Of people. The pre-
science may be very much at fault OF those who anc
Executive, and, again. those who predict peaceabe
solution OF the difficulty may find themselves equally
deceived. But the more immediate of the poll
tcians is to know If any OF them can tell ucan
the Senate find the President guilty. and IL So will
they do sol The day the summons was issued and
the day upon which 1t was returned several little
the decision of the Chief Justice that the
trial could not apply until the Senate became court
by the swearing in OF Its members; and again the
proposed to go ON with the trial forthwith and the
vote stood almost even on the question, serve to
show, by the character OF the names in opposition
of some RADICAL members In favor OF impeachment
and the conservative feeling OF others against 1t.
to get OF some tangible prophecy OF how this great
affair is going to end, when Cameron, Chandler
Conkling, sumner, Howard, Wilson and the other
nineteen whose names recorded as voting for
the trial TO proceed at once before the President had
hardly tune to see all MS counsel their minds were
that verdict is to be one OF guilty. Is there enough
In this to base conclusion upon, and II there he,
and that assume those names recorded in opposi..
tion-Edmunds, Fessenden, Crimes Henderson,
Howe, Frelinghuysen and twenty Others Including
all the democrats-are as adverse on the question OF
guilty as on the other questions, why then the Pres
dent viii be acquitted by majority Of votes. How
clear Is the logic OF such theory
The sixteen radical names put down as against the
immediate trial OF the President represent Il is TO be
presumed sixteen calm, unprejudced minds willing
weigh well the testimony that may be offered and TO
allow themselves to be guided solely by the light OF
strict justice unde the constitution. Ii the counsel
for the President can influence eight OF these minds
the removal OF the President Is defeated but should
they fail and that at the two,thlrds vote is carried
the end to the overwhelming pressure OF party me-
cessity. But after all the politicians are unable TO
bers, OF course, with their wonted sefassurance.
are ready to tell the name OF every Senator who viii
vote pro and con, but the day Of reckoning. what
ever day OF the present year that NAV be. viii no
doubt falsfy the statements OF many as to the pre.
seut disposition OF some Senator's LOOKING over The
whole field three important consderat,ons s"aoaS
themselves as making the pivotal point upon Which
the majority OF the court may turn to a verdict of
guilty First, mass OF radical opinion represented
In the republican party at the North and West. and
forming the real motive power OF that party
clamor for the removal OF the President Second-If
the President be acquitted t gives him an IcGf which
might prove dangerous element OF political capital
In the fall elections. Thrd.If he be removed Ben
Wade VIII I'LL his place and the process RI recon-
structon will be simplfed, the Southern States win
be hauled in-head or tall Demonstrations DELAY,
and everything will work so smoothly in securing
the lasting interests Of the radical party that hum.
nature can hardly resist the temptation to ,ry lie
experiment OF removal. If these three consider.
tions prevail the trial viii be speedy and decisive
one, but hardly such as will command much respect
as precedent for future generations.
The Radical Programme of Usurput tion-yyi..
sons Attack on the Appellate Jurisdiction Of
the Supreme Court Of the United Stntes--
The Democrats Caught Napping-The su.
prcmc Court and the McCardlc Case-Opinion
of One Of the Justices.
WASHINGTON, March TO- 1868.
Every new turn in the progress OF the legislation
OF the radicals in Congress develops more openly
the purpose OF that party to centre in themselves all
the functions OF government. Having already done
everything which discretion would dictate they |