The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-01-09
the RADfCAL REVOLT.
"
A Memorial Asking the Impeach-
ment of President Johnson.
Charges and Specifications.
lErom the baltimore Gazette, January s.

A memorial to Congress asking the i'm
oeaclment of President Johnson has
been quietly put in circulation through
mt the country. 1t was first drawn up,
it is said, in, New England, and copies
nave been sent to tennessee and else
where for signatures The memorial all
lepes that prior to the war many persons
we're of the opinion that the President
was too great and too independent OF the
control Of the people or their representa-
tives"-that during the war the exer'
else ot his power has led to the most dan.
gerous errors and corrupting abuses.
and that ':since the close of the war 1t
| has been so exercised by the present In
! cumbent of the Presidential office as to
make the people and Congress appear al
| together unimportant and insignificant
| and to remind the rejecting observer
rather of the institutions and power or
| an absolute monarchy than Democrat
| ic republic." 1t is but short time since
| the very people who are now signing TINS
| memorial. we've vociferously applaudlng
| every arbitrary act and edict OF the Pres
| ident They justified every arrest OF a
| suspected man in the North-they aR-
| proved of the despotism which trans
| formed Fort Lafayette into govern
ment bastile-tbey commended the sup,
| preston OF newspapers which Ventured
to oppose the policy of the Admlnlstra-
ton The Executive was then doing the
| will of these same people, and they In
sisted that it was in all things acting IN
strict conformity with the Cons.i,
tution and the laws. IL was
not merely disloyal,, but IL was
highly reasonable at that tllne Al any
man to suggest that the government was
| more like an absolute monarchy th"u
democratic republic. But now tnae tne
! President, believing the OBJECTS OF the
! war to have been accomplished SHOWS q
| disposition to return, a" tar as may oe'
| t. the system of government undef WHICH
the country hourished Tor many years,
tbe ultra-Radicals, who desire to push
on the work OF destruction, lind out that
the President has been, and is: doing
very unconstitutional things. They say
that mo true friend of popular govern
ment and fee institutions" will regard
il at all as compatible with our form of
government ito permit tho President to
assume to himself the power OF recon
structing government i'll the late rebel
lions States, and of prescribing, accord
ing to his own mere will, the terms upon
which they and tn ir rebellious people
shall again be admitted into the Union,
and allowed to enjoy the protection OF
it's laws, aud the privilege OF It's govern
ment" In the eyes OF these lncenalary
revolutionists, the prerogatlyes OF the
Presiden, for all the purposes OF oppres-
sion and destruction are infinite, but Tor
any work that may tend to the peace
and prosperity of the country, his powers
under the constitution are very limited.
Such are the shameless Inconsistencies
to which they do not hesitate to resort
for the advancement of their ends.
The memorial further states that not
only has the President adopted a recon
| struction policy, 1.-The manifest effect and
object of which is to exclude Congress
| from having any lot or part i'll the settle
ment" but by pursuing his impracti-
| cable and ninous scheme, he has given
the lie to all his former professions has
Knocked at and insulted Justice and law;
degraded the dignity ofhis great Office,
| and is, as far as he can, restoring to all
| their former rights, the unrepentant enc
| mics of the Republic, and arming them
anew with power as if it were his pur-
| pose to reconstruct, not the Republic,
| but the rebellion" "The pardoning
| power" we are told, "has, in his hands,
become means to abolish justice for
the public ruin" He is keeping the ne
gro in condition more oppressive,
even, than slavery itself" he is securing
| the interest of "treacherous, landed ar
II hn frnnInnN Cr
people of the North behold themselves
cheated of all the legimate fruits of their
| enormous sacrifices" The memoriallsts
then say: ITO leave in office three years
| longer a man who has thus abused his
power by creating conditions that carry
with them the germs of another civil
| war, the undersigned consider treason to
| the Republic They deem it necessary.
| therefore that this manon account OF the
| violations of the constitution under
which he holds his authority, on account
| of mispovernment, and on account of his
contempt for the laws of Congress, shall
| be impeached, and removed from his OF
fee" The memorial concludes with the
assertion that the nation has right to
know whether its first servant Is ap-
pointed as an autOcrat, or as repubh-
can officer"
Whether this memorial has been draft
| ed at the instance OF influential politi-
clans, or is being signed by many OF them,
we cannot say, but il such should be the
case it bodies serious trouble. Men who
are willing to put their names to such
manifesto will stop at nothing. In draw
ING the sword against Mr. Johnson they
have thrown away the scabbard, and he
can only meet them in the same way, for
in such political struggle, the most res
olute of the two parties is the most likely
to be successful The more radical ele
ment in Congress and n the country is
bent upon attaining, if possible, ahso-
lutte power How they would use it it is
painful TO think But MIR. johnson, bav
ing acted with them up to Il certais
point, sees the injustice and the folly of
carrying out their destructive policy in
the South He knows perfectly we'll that
it would result in the ultimate ruin of
both sections The revolutionary fac
ton must first, then, get the President
out of the way, If it cannot do this it
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