Year: 1868




The perils which surround the Repub-
Gc have never been ola graver character
than they are to-day. The President has
been tardily impeached on purely techni-
cal grounds, which present opportunities
for a lengthy and plausible defence, con.
Quoted, as the defence is to be, by the
ablest special pleadcrs in America. The
devices invented to curb and check the
President will, fear, return to plague the
inventors. He can now plead in his de-
fence an invasion by Congress OF q pre-
rogative which, whether constitutional or
not, has been sanctioned by the law and
custom of the Republic for over half a
century. The opportunity to assume this
position should never have been given
him. The moment he was proved to be
dangerous to the extent that he could not
be trusted with the usual powers Of his
Office, the proper remedy was, not to pass
laws of q doubtful and unusual character,
but to draw the weapon from the consti-
tional armoy, placed there for just such
an emergency, and with it to strike off
his head This was again and again
urged in these columns; but timid and
half-awake Congress allowed the golden
moments of opportunity to slip by the
Indignation of the people. raised to a
fever heat in the fall Of 1866, to COOL
and now rude buffet from the hand of
the despot they have vainly tried to fet-
ter, rouses them to the spasmodic cry of
impeachment-and thus We confront the
issue of the day. . as-


That the President is technically guilty
on the indictment framed, and that the
law violated is constitutional, though OF
an unusual character, seems easily proven.
But that the skilful lawyers who conduct
the defence will be able to raise clouds Of
doubt around the whole subject is very
certain. This, however, is the least OF
the dangers which threaten to balk the
purpose Of the loyal people determined
that Johnson shall no longer protect
treason and punish loyalty in the Presi
dental chair. sH. ... f..-. .,....


The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
is his ally. Salmon p. Chase, mad with
the Presidential fever and desperate in
the consciousness of bafiled plans, mean
ly jealous of Wade, and, perhaps, cher
ishing the forlorn hope Of Democratic
nomination, joins forces with the enemy
and stands as the Presidential ally. 1t
has been known for long time that the
relations between the Chief Justice and
President were more cordial than was
made necessary by the mere official rela-
tions of parties, and, last Wednesday
night, the rooms of the Chief Justice,
filled with the gay and fashionable winter
society Of Washington, were startled as
by an electric shock when the doors were
flung open. and the usher, in loud voice,
announced "the President Of the United
States aud daughter Few who were
present with me will soon forget the sig
nifcant looks which passed from face to
face through those brilliant and crowded
rooms, as the unusual event Of the Presi-
dent of the United States attending an
evening reception of the Chief Justic was
fully realized. His carping letter to the
Senate-his refusal, at first, to obey the
mandate to appear as its presiding officer
and his decisions of the following day,
are but the unfolding of plotto obstruct
and defeat, as far as possible, the convic,
ton of the President. How far he may
be able to work harm depends, of course,
on the frmness ofthe Senate but. in any
event. he is a serious obstacle, with evil
intentions only limited by his courage,
which latter, fortunately, is not great.
He seems determined to maintain the con-
sistcncy of a public career which may be
summed up in these words: He never had
an opportunity to serve his party that he
did not betray it.


The Senate itself is the next great dan
ger. There is reason to believe that Sc.
rious detection exists among the Repub-
licans on this question. Ross, of Kansas,
and Sprague, of Rhode Island, (Chase's
son. n.in-law, are already counted secure as
two of the seven Republicans it is neces-
sary to win over to prevent a conviction
The more than probable detection of Fes.
sender would carry at least four more
gentlemen who hang on his skirts. The
folly of Congress in notproviding for the
suspension Of the President during trial
will soon be evident. The boundless op.
portunity this gives the culprit to corrupt
his judges will not remain unimproved


The most menacing danger ofall, how
ever, is the probable decision by ma
jority of the Supreme Court in the case
McArdle, that the Reconstruction acts
arc unconstitutional. Congress has fail
cd to pass the law requiring two. thirds
vote for such decision (Trumbull stihed
the bill in the Senate and we are thus
Fastening to point where everything we
have gained for loyalty and the negro is
to be undone by judicial fiat.


The situation is alarming, and the peo
pie must be aroused, or all is lost There
should be a voice from the North, deep
.cl Lad ounurh m N, a Co tho Cauofo l. toop