Year: 1868




A great deal of speculation is going on all
over the country as to the final result of the
impeachment trial, and in the pause that inter
venes between the arguments of counsel and the
rendering of the verdict people everywhere
are filing the time according to their particu-
lar inclinations. Some are manufacturing ru-
mors to indicate which way this Or that Sen
ator has made up his mind to vote; some are
joining the outside pressure for or against the
President in the hope of influencing the action
of the court, and many are making up books
and betting on the result, just as they would
bet on horse race or prize fight. This is
natural enough, and certainly the verdict is
matter of Importance to Andrew Johnson, Ben
Wade and those who are Immediately inte-
rested in retaining or securing Office. But,
after all, except from this narrow and personal
point of view, it will make little difference in
the political future of parties or of the coun-
try whether Andrew johnson be declared
''guilty" or ''not guilty"


On Tuesday next, at noon, one or other of
these judgments must be rendered by every
Senator in his place, and when the words have
once been spoken they cannot be recalled. If
the requisite number shall pronounce the Pres
ident ''guilty" he will be removed in conform
ity with the provision of the constitution, Ben
Wade will be inaugurated in his place, Thad
Stevens, Ben Butler and the violent radicals
will have triumphed and will claim the spoils
of victory, and the government will go on as
usual for nine or ten months, only that the
extreme radical measures hitherto held in abey-
ance will become the policy Of the administra-
ton. If the verdict shall be mot guilty" the
radical faction will sink back into insignifcance
there will still remain in the executive depart
ment check upon inconsiderate and unconsti-
tutional legislation and johnson will quietly fill
the few remaining months of his term of office
and retire at its close to private life.


1t is Of little consequence, then, on any
broad and comprehensive grounds, what
may become of Andrew johnson; but, nev-
ertheless, whichever way the result may
be, the consequences of impeachment will
be terrible to the men who have been
instrumental in forcing it to an issue. The
Jacobins of Congress commenced the war upon
the executive department before the President
had done an act to warrant the hostility of his
party. Long after Thad Stevens, in the House
of Representatives, had showered his malig-
nant abuse on Andrew Johnson, and declared
that he deserved to be brought to the block
like Charles the First the republicans in this
| and other States endorsed the Presidents
conduct and pledged him their cordial and
hearty support in his efforts ''to relax the
bonds Of military authority in the Southern
| States and to restore to their people
| full and complete control over their
| local affairs" In the commencement
of assaults upon q coordinate branch of the
government, in the aggressive steps by which
they have gone on, increasing the bitterness of
the contest until they have brought about the
present crisis and in the violence, folly and
malignancy they have revealed during the
trial, the radicals of Congress have put them
selves on record as dangerous revolutionists,
have brought disgrace upon the nation and
have proved their incapacity to give respecta-
bility to a republican government. If they fail
now at the eleventh hour, to fully carry out
their plans IL will be because the conservative
republicans in the Senate, who have stood up
for the past three years against their inconsid
crate and reckless legislation and who have
opposed their headstrong violence during the
progress of the trial, will resolve not only to
save the nation from this impeachment humli-
alton, but from all the future evils threatened
by radical supremacy II, on the other hand,
the strong will Of radicalism compels the con-
viction and removal of Andrew Johnson,
the result will only make the conduct
OF that faction appear the more afro
cious in the eyes of the people, and the
policy OF Ben Wades administration will
necessarily sooner or later drive all men of
moderate and conservative views into the
ranks Of the opposition.


We repeat, whichever way impeachment
may 60 the result upon the political future of
the country will be the same BY the acquit-
tai OF johnson, however, the conservatives
may make themselves masters of the situation
and be enabled to control the nominations for
the approaching election. The people are re-
solved upon change in the government. For
three years the republican party has yielded
little by little to the extreme violence of its
radical members, until the country has been
brought to the verge of ruin. Taxation
has been increased and is every year
mounting higher and higher. From
fifteen to eighteen hundred millions of
dollars have been taken out of the pockets of
the people in three years Of peace, and yet