Year: 1871

Washtn9tOn Politicians,


A startling piece of Intelligence reached us
from Washington at half-past one o'clock this
morning, and wilt be found in to-days
HERALD. Tue opponents Of Grants
administration, we are told, have resolved
to bring articles OF impeach ment against the
President, as the irst bold movement
in the grand combination threatened against
his reelection. This open war is to have for
its commanding generals Sumner in the Sen
ate, Farnsworth in the House, and Montgomery
Blair-when shall We ever be rid of the
Blair family Pas chief cook, bottle-washer
booster-up and sutler-in-chief of the
grand army of Impeachers. We should
have been disposed to doubt the correct
ness of this singular report but for the fact
that 1t comes to us backed up by most
unquestionable authority. The main charge
the piece dc resistance, az it were, of the
political feast-is to be the alleged viola
ton of International law and usurpa-
tion of the war power by the Presi-
dent in connection with the attempted anuexa-
ton of st. Domingo, and the articles
framed on this point are to be taken mainly
from the substance of Summers famous speech
in Congress on that question. After this
picked, with relieves of lighter character,
consisting of a series of charges of petty
corruptions In having sold offices for morey
and gifts, from brown stone mansions
down to the celebrated bull pup from San
Francisco. The democrats in Congress are
said to be highly delighted at the prospect of
this nice little family fight, and the exuber-
ance of their spirits, our correspondent
assures us, is apparent In the atmos-
phere-probaby in the strong fragrance
that prevails wherever these excited
groups Of the unterriied are found. Noses
some Of them, doubtless, highly colored-
have been counted In the Senate, and a ma
jorlty against the President is reckoned as a
certainty. The House is considered to be
less secure; but there are now one hundred
and four democrats among the Rep
resentatives instead of the seventy-six
of last year, leaving only republican
majority Of thirty-fve. Five of these are
already enlisted against Grant, thus reducing
the administration majority to twenty -fve and
If the grand army of impeachers cannot gain
over twelve aud half of these, and thus turn
the scales in their own favor, we can scarcely
regard them as fit managers of such magnih-
cent movement as they have in contemplation.


We are thus likely to have repetition of
the famous Audy Johnson crusade of 1868,
with all Its interest and excitement, betting
and bullying increased hundred fold. We
may miss on the side of the impea chers
the sharp practice and bulldog tenacity of
Ben Butler-although who can predict
where the Hero of Fort Fisher will
be found in the hour of battle ?-but
we shall still retain in the Senate the biting
eloquence of Sumner, intensified by his greater
hatred Of Grant than Of johnson. We shall
have poolselling in the city, to relieve the
monotony of everyday life, on the great
event when it really comes of, and
no doubt the President will be the favorite.
Indeed, it is difficult to conceive
how the impeachers can hope to succeed
against Grant when they failed on Andy with
three-fourths of both houses against him and
the majority Of the people of the
United States to back them up. In
view of the experience Of 1867 we
must regard this new movement of tue anti
administration combination as the grand hum
bug Of the day, aud as q scheme that could
only have entered into the confused brain of a
set of muddled Washington politicians.