The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-20
IMPEACHMENT
Appeal by Wendell PhIIIlns.

w our Judgment, more than tWO-thirds of the
loyal masses are ready for it. The House OF
Representatives, we are assured by the most
trustworthy and competent authority, is ready
to begin by a vote of three to one. The only
hesitation arises from the position taken by
certain Conservative Senators-men who have
never outgrown their education in the timid
policy of the old Whig party, and who still re.
tain relations with the President which it would
be fattery TO call equivocal.
MThese men express such repugnance to the
measure, such doubts of its justice and expedi-
ency, that its friends infer they Will never agree
to conviction. Unwilling to aid In what
would then be thought an abortve movement,
one successful in its immediate result, the
friends of impeachment hesitate to proceed
We edoubt whether this reluctance is good policy
0rant the possibility OF our not securing a con-
Vlctlon-there are still many considerations
winch show how valuable the mere impeach-
ment itself would be. Foremost and chief of
these ls the probable effect on the South. What
changed its honorable and healthy humility i'm
May, 1865, to the arrogant and swaggering con
hGI nee MAY, 1866?
Tie reliance on Johnson's treachery. and the
expectation that his treason would be counte.
nanCed by large Northern constituency. No
one VIII deny this. The stiff Northern breeze
OF october and November has almost blown
away that castle in the air. Still q million
and more OF Democratic votes give large room
for future hope; make it easy to coniound and
dispute the significance OF the election triumph.
Few men doubt that the President means to
persevere in his plot But the whole South
watches TO see what the purpose OF the North
really is, ana now lar, even IN the presence of
such Democratic mass, the Republican party
"1ares 10 go. Let the news go forth
that the President is defed-that Repub-
hcan Leaders dare to declare open battle
win MN, to impeach and suspend him,
and, like the handwriting on the wall that
announcement
those OF former tyrants, shake and smIte against
each other; The proud but baseless fabric of
southern ambition will dissolve, and ''eave not
q wreck behind" Wade Hampton even NAV
come to his knees, and coward brutes like Mayor
monroe VIII surely get to theirs. 1t will be
sign OF Northern purpose and of Our leaders
understanding o., and confidence in 1t, more
potent than any other evidence can be. No
movement would go so far towards convincing
the Sonth now hopeless Is her plan to save her
1nhuman civilization from the verdict which
northern victory has recorded against it.
There is another consideration of great i'm.
portance. The usurpation and corruption of
the national Executive have been increasing
every year for the last quarter of a century.
Tyler, Polk, Fillmore Pierce and Buchanan
have each succeeded in outdoing his predeces-
sor-the increasing servility and baseness of
each ma king his predecessor appear compara-
lively dc cent. The impunity with which each
was suffered to complete his villany emboldened
MS successor. Such men are below the reach
OF honorable motive, respect for character, and
love OF good repute.
Their lmpunity corrupts and emboldens all
IN Inc nation that resembles them. The motives
to such usurpation and severity are many and
strong; success and impunity intensity and
strengthen them still further. Weneed an ey-
ample; we need to give to the popular rebuke
the strongest expression and form possible. If
the sinner cannot actually be punished let HIM
tremble at the close approach and most immt-
nent danger of getting MS deserts. If the
Senate Will not give Us the credit of Convictine
the usurper let the House, at least, give free
n no I1tfn NJ tho+
moral sense of the people which impeachmen,
alone would constitute
Such utterance is due to national character
and self-respect. 1t might tend strongly to
arrest our deterioration. Warren HASTINGS.
colossal sinner as he was against Christian
CIVILIZATION and absolute Justice, was acquitted
when the Commons impeached him; hut Lord
John Russell testides that the trial saved India
from any repetition of such wholesale murders
and gigantic corruption. He says:--
. Though the impeachment ended in acquittal.
ITS results were memorable and beneficial. Never
has the great object of punishment, the prevention
OF CRIME, been attained more completely than by
this trial "
So it might, and probably would be in our
case. surely we stand in as great need of such
saloatlon. The trial would throw open to the
light the dark chambers and crooked path of
Executive malversatlon and defiant illegalitv
OF policy. The blood OF New Orleans ana that
of those three soldiers whose murderers. by
JohnsOns trick, walk unpunished, might still |
cryIunheard for vengeance; but its guilt would |
We uhCeu nome 10 the very doors OF the White |
House, on evidence no man could gainsay.
Afte: that revelation, such a popular verdict
would be recorded-no matter how a whole |
family, provided with offices, or any other /
management % might gag the SenateI,-that no
Iutufe President would venture to walk in the
same path. We have so much faith in the |
virtue and intelligence of the people as to be .
sure of this. If johnson cannot be punished, |
still, like his first predecessor, we can saad him |
forth with such a mark on his brow that no |
man will follow his example.
We turn to another point. Some doubt |
whether johnson be legally liable TO impeach- |
ment, since, as they suppose, he has Violate |
no SPECIFIC statute committed no ofense spe.
cially and exactly defined by law. We think
such suppositiOn utterly erroneous. On the
contrary II asked by what law we intend to try
him, we might answer, rs the Roundhead did in
Charles the Flrsts case, by all the laws he has
left u.s."
But even granting the suppositon to be cor
rect, 1t does not touch or affect the question.
Impeachment is not like nor is it limited like,
common Indictment. No man eau be indicted
except Tor crime that common or statute law
has distinctly described; but an officer may be
lmpeached Tor any grave misuse OF his powers,
or any mlschleyous non-use OF them-for any
conduct Whlch harms the public or perils its
welfare. 1t is process intended to sweep after
the exact and definite machinery of the law,
and save the State from evils which no law
however comprehensive, can cover
Who ever undertook to find or state the exact
statute that Warren Hastings had violated
When did Burke Fox, or Sheridan enter West
muster Hall with the statutebook doubled
down in dogs ears" to specify the exact clause
which that ruthless trampler on helpless mil.
lions had violated? The nature of the proceed
ing excluded them from all such labor. So of
our usurper with bloody and unclean hands.
His ohenses have been, TO be sure, in many
instances violations OF express laws. But we
waive that; we may point to his whole course,
IL. - L