Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-05-05
THE DOUBTFUL sENATORs-RADT-
CAL SPECULATIONs.

Of their Senators as doubtful on the inn
parchment question. They are Messrs
Grimes, of Iowa Fessenden, of Maine;
TrumbnlI, Of Illinois; sherman, Of Ohio
Anthony and Sprague, Of Rhode Island !;
Fowler, Of Tennessee Ross, of Kansas
Van Wrinkle and Wiley, Of West Vir.
ginia Henderson, Of Missouri, and Fre-
linghuysen, Of New Jersey The reason
why these Senators are doubted is be-
cause they have voted very uniformly to
give the President time or to admit evil
denee offered in his behalf, while some of
them have expressed themselves against
the wisdom Of impeachment Agate,
the Washington correspondent Of the
Cincinnati GozeHe, in his letter Of the
2Sthult, seems TO appreciate the position
in which Mr.. Wade may be placed, for
he SAYS 81 only one.half Of these should
90 for acquittal, it would require the vote
of Mr.. Wade to convict There is not a
doubt as to how Mr. Wade would vote in
such a contingency, but the Radicals de-
sire that be may be spared the necessity
of voting himself into the White House.
agate" however, tries to assure his
Radical brethren throughout the country
in regard to this dozen Of doubtful Senas
tors. He asserted with considerable
confidence, though it may be assumed,
that Wiley, Henderson and Frelinghuy-
sen, "may be dismissed from the list
without amoment's consideration. His
assertion, so far as the reader will be
able to discover, is his reason for claims
ing that they are above the suspicion OF
favoring the acquittal Of the President
agate then proceeds;
We have left nine Senators, concerning
whom there may possibly be a doubt. II
only three Of them are sure, impeachment
succeeds. On the other hand, If seven of
them should combine, they hold in their
hands, not only the issues of this trial. but
the destinies Of the Republican party. And
they know it.
Four of these men group themselves to-
gether in all mems minds. They are four
strong Senators-twO of them standing in
the very front rank, and the other two only
a little behind. If Messrs. Grimes, Fessen-
den, Trumbull and Sherman act together,
it is quite probable that they have influence
enough to carry three of the weaker breth-
rem with them. VIII they? To this
proposition the question of success or
failure in the impeachment seems to re
duce itself
Mr.. Grimes has been openly hostile to
the Inauguration Of any movement for i'm
parchment He has talked openly against
ii during the progress of the trial. He has
said that he was against il since the evil
dence was concluded and half the argu-
ments were heard. And he has, on at least
one occasion, pretty broadly inlimated to a
brother Senator his intention to vote against
it. But Mr.. Grimes is in position to feel
less the pressure Of public sentiment
(which, consciously or unConsciously, must
have some influence on all miRds,) than any
other Senator ia the list. lie has been sour
and grabbed for two or three years dis
satisfied with the reconstruction policy, dis
satisfied with many leading features of the
party action, disappointed in the person al
ambition to secure the Presidency of the
Senate for himself if il should 90 West, or
for his most intimate friend Mr.. Fessen-
den, if il should 60 East disguised with the
elevation Of Mr.. Wade, whom he especially
dislikes, CALLED at the certainty of Mr..
Wade's further advancement in case i'm
parchment should succeed, vexed at the
seeming failure Of the party to recognize
the fitness Of either his friend Fesaenden or
himself for place on the Presidential
ticket, and enraged at the prospect of
Wades securing that place also. Influenced
by such feelings, he is free to yield them by
reason of his comparative independence of
popular opinion. lie is about TO retire
from the Senate and from public life. His
career has been an honorable and useful
one, and he knows IT, He is undoubtedly
honest in his opposition to impeachment,
aud it is quite probable that he will indie
pendently close his career by putting that
opposition into a vote.
Ii is believed that Mr.. Fessendeu has not
yet made up his mind; and certainly his
bearing and expressions have been emf
nently worthy of an upright Judge, pa
tiently hearing everything on both sides,
and reserying his decision. He, also, has
been opposed to impeachment, though not
30 vehemently as Mr.. Grimes. He has
very much disliked the course taken by Mr..
Sumner and others in this trial, and his
conservative habit Of thought inclines him
to very great reluctance in applying so Sc
we're a remedy. He il serving his third
term in the Senate, and il does not expire
until 1871. He has, besides, been Secreta-
~ of the Treasury, and after these pro-
lOnged public honOrs and labors he NAV
feel less apprehension Of adverse popular
criticism than many others. But on the
other hand, it must be remembered that he
is very ambitious and sagacious; and il
may be added that the other Senator from
Maine Mr.. Morrill, gentleman az eau
tious in his expressions as he is decided in
favor of conviction-entertain no doubt
that he and his colleage will agree on the
final vote.
Mr.. Tmmbull resembles Mr. Fessenden
in more than one particular of his present
position. He, too, has conservative turn
Of mind, and a natural dislike to measures
like this. lie, too, has filled q long course of
public life with many worthily won hon
ors, he has been a member of the Illinois
Legislature, Secretary Of State for Illinois.
Judge Of the Supreme Court of that State.
and Representative in Congress , and he.
too is now in his third term of service i'm
The Senate, with seat there beyond any
body's control until 1873. He ia more of
a lawyer than Mr. Fessenden, and more
likely to be controlled by purely legal con-
siderations. He has given the closest at
tentlon 10 the whole case; and, 40 far, has
been exceedingly discreet and decorious in
any expressions about IT, But il NAV be
noted as a significant circumstance. that
his wife If a warm impeaoher. G..
MIR. Sherman's position aud character
need no explanation in these columns.
He has been opposed to impeachment, and
he has committed himself most uncomfort-
ably In favor Of the civil tenure of Office
law on which the President acted. But he
is pre- -eminently cautious man, he has a
profound respect for popular demands
when he appreciates their strength, and he
is only in has second term, though the or
deal of a candidacy for reelection is still
five years distant. In the Senate the active
impeachers have had no doubt of Mr..
Sherman-Sumner, for example, and bis
a ~ A.