Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-12-30
A CANDID RADICAL.

The Chicago Republican one Of the
ablest and most influential Radical papers
in,the Northwest, in review of a file
Of the bills presented since the assembling
of Congress, having the purpose to de-
priye the President of his constitutional
power Of appointment to Office, and
granting of pardon for ofcnses, as well
as nearly every other power conferred by
the constitution, has the candor to cons
denim them as unconstitutional and in
every sense improper The features of
each are analysed, and the grounds of
their unconstitutionality clearly pointed
out In addition it says:
The question before the minds of the
trainers Of these bills seems 10 have shaped
itself thus: Given a President who il unfit
TO exercise the appointing power-what is
the remedy They seem TO have answered
il 10y saying, Let us leave the President in
his office hut deprive him, by special en-
actment, Of all those powers with which
the constitution invests that Office We.
a President is fit to remain in his Office at
all, he must be permitted TO exercise all its
constitutional powers, and when he ceases
to be fit to appoint officers for the unrecon-
structed States, or for the loyal States, he
should be deprived Of the power in the
only constitutional mode, viz: by impeach-
ing him and removing him from his Office,
thereby clearing the way for a new and
better President who will do his duty 10
the country. Let us have no subterfuges,
20 indefeusible guerrilla warfare with the
President, but square stand up fight, re-
sulting in a clean victory OF a clean defeat
The constitution clothes Congress with the
power to unmake the President when they
will, and for what cause they will. To do
so would be not only thoroughly constitu-
tiOnal, but eminently conservative. But to
filch away the Presidents powers by indi-
rect attacks il revolutionary, over-timid,
and unworthy Of the dignity and Just SUI
p-emacy Of Congress.
This frankness in exposing the paltrv
policy Of Congress, in its wild hunt after
absolute power is commendable, and the
more so that it was not looked for from
such a source There is no question that
every scheme vet concocted to curtail the
preroyatiycs of the President is in viola
ton Of the constitution The Radical
leaders are attempting to do by indirec-
ton and conscious violation of law, what
they dare not attempt openly. They will
not prefer articles ofimpeachment, as the
Republican advises, because they can
prove no oaense by the President which
will sustain them.
In giving this bold counsel, the Repub.
Ecau commits the grave mistake of say
ing, the constitution clothes Congress
with the power to unmake the President
when they will and for what cause they
will 1t does no such thing It says he
may lie impeached for treason, bribery,
or other high crimes or misdemeanors
To make impeachment effective for re-
moval, there must be conviction on the
charges alleged before the Senate sitting
as a court each member under au oath
70 try according 10 the rules Of evidence,
and the Chief Justice Of the Supreme
Court presiding The men who made
the government did not put into the
power Of a Jacobin majority to strike
down its head whenever they may see fit
or for whatever pSrtizan reason they may
allege