Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-09-29
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
THE IMPEACHMENT RE-AFFIRMED.

Vile, PA on the 18th instant. In this speech
MIR. WADE re-afirms all the charges brought by
him and Mr.. Representative DAVIS against Pre-
sident Lincoln in their celebrated manifesto ad-
dressed "to the supporters OF the Government"
in animadversion on the conduct of the President
in the matter of the reconstruction bill which
he refused to sign, but which in some of its fea-
lures and applications he adopted by proclamation.
Mr.. Wade at the meeting referred to said:
al believe that the American people not like owls
and can bear the light am unlike many petty politicians
of our party who out only to laud their candidate
and don't dare to criticse his acts If our liberties
lost such sycophants will be responsible for It, But any
msu tskes position opposed to my ideas of right meet
him openly. Let US how this document came to be
Issued The President vetoed act which Congress had
passed He had perfect constitutional right to do so
But he went further and issued proclamation appealing
to the people in support OF his position In doing he
cast an impuation MIR. Davis and myself, who
in measure instrumental in preparing the bill He put
forward his side of the question: and whoever does that
shal meet him. Be he President, king, peasant shall
put forth my side too. [Applause.l am ashamed to
admit that President infallible and could do
wrong l. for oDe not afraid to place the truth before
the people hat would you think OF judge the bench
who should rule out part of the evidence lest the truth
should mssad the jury If opposed the President
did because thought him wrong and Tor rather Mr..
Davis and Iwere frank enough to set it forth. have
attacked free principles dear to you. Mr.. Davis
has merits than any man know Of He has done
TO rid Maryland Of slavery than all the rest of the
in Infinitely more than all these ptul croakers
who sssa him. He has stood like rock for the truth
aud has noble victory and his enemies shall not ira
duce SO glorious champion of Union and liberty without
protest from l will not beast for myself though
infinitely greater than boosted little but doesn't
it show that Mr. Davis could elevate himself above the
miserable trammes of party when he announced what he
deemed truth and what is and soon will be- the truth
Politicians we he Darty Rut n "a
doesn't constran US to cover up the truth. Appause
think my position right and that Of the President
wrong and so believing will declare it though the hea
vens TALL and earthly dignity station shall stand be-
tween me and the truth"
Our readers have not forgotten the charges con-
tanned in the document which Mr.. Wade thus de-
tends and re-afhrns. In that paper he and Mr..
Davis wrote that, as the supporters Of the Admin
stration responsible to the country for its
duct, 1t is their right and duty to check the en-
croachnlea OF the Erecutipe on the authority OF
Congress and TO require ii to cofne itself TO ats
proper sphere" They declared to the country
that the proclamation which the President had is
sued in regard to the reconstruction bilP' was not
only document unknown to the Constitution and
the laws but that, :" 80 far as it contained apo
logy for not signing the bill, it was political
manifesto against the friends of the Government,
while $50 far as it proposed to execute the BILL which
Is not law, IL aods grave Executive usurpation."
They averred that :" the President, by preventing
this bill from becoming law, holds the electoral
votes of the rebel States at the dictaon of his per-
sonal ambition; )" and they illustrated their mean
ing and the abuse of Executive power which they
meant to denounce by citing " the shadows of 60
vernments" which the President had caused to be
established in Louisiana and Ark,nsas-govern-
ments which they characterized as "mere creatures
of his wilP'-" mere oligarchies imposed on the
people by military orders under the forms of cleo
ton, at which generals, provost marshals soldiers,
and camp-followers were the chief actors, assisted
by handful of resident citizens, and urged on to
premature action BY pirate letters from the Pre-
stdsnt" They charged that the President, by his
illegal and unconstitutional proclamation, thus
issued at the prompting of his personal ambition"
had " held for naught" the deliberate judgment of
Congress, discarded the authority of the Supreme
Court" and "strode headlong towards the anar-
ehy" which he had inaugurated by his amnesty
proclamation Of December, 1868. They affirmed
that the President, by purposing to execute the
emancipation bill as a law, but only SO far as it
was made law "by his plenary dictstorial power"
had "perpetrated studied outrage on the legsla
tive authority of the people," They charged that
the President, by defeating the bill Of Congress,
had arrogated to himself right to persist in "the
dictatorial assumptions" he had already exercised
In Louisiana, and which that bill was meant to
limit They affirmed that the Pre- ,ident's declared
purpose /" to instruct his Military Governors to
proceed according to the bill-a makeshift to calm
the disappointment It's defeat had occasioned-,cas
not merely a Craze usurpation bit a transparent
deIusion." They denounced the proclamation and
the proposed action Of the President under it as
rash and fatal act--a blow at the friends of his
Administration, at the rights Of humanity, and at
the principles Of republican government" And
they closed this formidable indictment with the
following significant word,
The Prsssdenf has greatly presumed on e fortearaaee
ekieh the supporters Of his Administration haze so ionq
pTacisd in view Of the arduous conflict in which we are
engaged and the reckless ferocy OF our political oppo
nen" But he must aHderstand that our support is Of
cause and not Of that the authority of Congress il
paramount aud mnst be respected that the whole body
OF the Union men Of Congress will not submit to be i'm
peaehed BY him Of rash aud unconstitutional legislation
anu ne %i'hes our support he must confne himself TO
hs executive d~tss--to obey and execute not TO make
The Ialrs--to suppresa hy ar. $3.50