The national whig., 1847-06-10
impeachment Of the President.

.
Among the duties which the next Congress
will be called npon, by public opinion, 10 per-
form, will be the vindication Of the Conslilu-
ton from the encroachments and usnrpations
of the Executive branch Of the Government.
II will be question for the new House OF Re-
presenlatives, whether il will arraign The pre-
sent incumbent of The executive chair before
his Triers OF the Senate, for his numerous and
fiagrant violations Of the Constitution, or Whe-
ther il will leave him and his tyrannies to the
mercy of an indignant constituency in the
next election for President From all the lights
before us. we are Of opinion that The friends
Of the Constitution and the opponents Of the
existing Administration are inclined TO the
laller policy as tine true one, and as the one
best calculated TO satisfy the offended majesty
of Constitutional Government.
That President Polk merits impeachment
that his offences against the Constitution are
grave enough to warrant impeachment-the
whole country is well satisfied. And that the
Senate would find him guilty Of the notorious
acts Of his Administration which would con-
sli,ute the burden Of his impeachment, the
country is equally well satisfied. But would
the constitutional punishment be as signal aud
as effectuai as the popular sentence executed
at the poIls2 We think not; and we take j.
this is the general opinion Of the opposition.
But while the next House may not formally
prefer articles Of impeachment against the Pre-
sident, It will prepare the case for the adjudi-
cation OF the People at the ballot box. II can
arraign him, and will arraign him, at The bar
OF the popular power. Il will examine the
witnesses as TO the crimes which he has COM
milied in the execution of his Office. The ar
guments Of counsel will be heard by the co un-
try al large. Every opportunity will be afford
ed for his defence, and for arriving at the truth
Of motives as well as acts. The Senate would
be restrained in their judgment to a judgment
upon his acts. They would be judges Of the
Jaw only. But the People would sit as judges
Of the law and equity also. They would pass
on acts and motives Of acts. Ii is in this way
that their Judgment ever is thousand times
more terrible than the judgments Of a thousand
Senates could be.
However the question of impeachment by
the House Of Representatives is in its hands.
1t is capable of deciding whether the acts Of
Mr.. Polk warrant an impeachment The public
voice, as we nave said, would sustain an i'm
peachment, applaud it, approve t,--but, we
think, it would prefer passing upon the subject
at the polls. The violations Of the Constitu-
ton by Mr.. Polk have been SO palpable, so
undisguised, SO shocking TO the public feeling
and judgment, that, he richly merits to be
tried by his peers and 10 be hurled headlong
from the high station which he so unworthily
occupies but brave and generous people
can afford to be lenient 10 the transgressor
against their rights and their Constitution, and
let him wait the appointed doom Of the public
will without disturbing the regular order Of
things. II was SO with President Van Buren.
Il was so with President Tyler. But they were
ther Of them ever brought on foreign war
while Congress was in session by the uncon-
sttutional exercise of Executive power. Mel
ther Of them was ever guilty Of giving the pub
lie enemy "aid and comforp' by giving him
back one Of his banished generals, lone Of the
most distinguished soldiers Of the age. Nei
ther of them ever enacted and put in force, in
the absence Of Congress, a tariff Of duties upon
foreign and home goods TO be introduced by
sea into the captured ports Of the United States.
Neither of them ever claimed the right TO make
laws for the "captures" Of the United States,
from the law of nations and by virtue Of being
Commander-in-Chiefo Of the Army and Navy;
neither of them ever set up right out Of the
Constitution TO the exercise of any Executive
power. Their violations of the Constitution
were debateable acts. But the violations Of
the Constitution by President Polk are not even
denied by his friends, but yindica,ed by the ne
cessity of The case. President Van Buren, and
President Tyler received their punishments at
the hands Of an indignant people. Let Presi-
dent Polk receive also his at their hands. A
terrible one it will be- for it is plain he is des-
tined not only to be driven into solitude. by
the Kisses of an offended nation, but also 10
carry with him all the leading men of his party
who have been instrumental 10 his outrages
against the Constitution. Not only will Pres
ident Polk fall, but great party will fall never
to rise again. The masses Of that party will
march 10 victory, hand in hand with the mas
ses Of the party to whom they were once op-
posed in deadly conflict. and the victorious