The Portland daily press., 1866-11-05
DAILY PRESS.
ND.
Monday Morning, November 8, 1866.
PORTLAND.
Impea chMcn of the President.

and carefully elaborated plea for the lmpeach-
ment of the President. There are many able
bonoSt and earnest men in the Republican
,ortv who will find in that plea the express
s;on of their own views, who sincerely be-
leve that the safety OF the country REQUIRES
the removal of Mr.. johnson from the office
he unfortunately occupies, by any means
short of revolution. 1t is desirable that this
belief should find expression; if just it should
prevail; il erroneous, it should still be fairly
considered; it ought not to be and cannot be
stifed, and we welcome its presentation in a
form so clear and logical as to render its ex-
animation very easy.
1t is unnecessary to repeat in these columns
our estimate of Mr.. Johnson's fitness for the
station he has accidentally reached His first
official act after his election to the Vice Pres
idency, was to make speech, which under
the circumstances, threw glare of light into
the inmost recesses of his character. In vino
yeritas. He stood confessed, a boorish, obsti-
nate, conceited demagogue, dropped, no man
knew how, into the chair of the Senate, as
frogs are said to drop out of the clouds-a
whole mutual admiration society rolled into
one. The Republican party then owed his
impeachment to the country and TO itself; but
when Congress next assembled the Vice Pres
ident had become President, and it was con-
sidered too late to go back to his acts in a
subordinate office.
1t is not now proposed to impeach the
President for that misdemeanor That fault
the Republican party forgave, and perhaps
rightly 1t is not, surely, for his faults of
character. The men who, knowing him well,
allowed him to be imposed upon the party as
4 candidate tor the second place in the gift OF
the people, deserve to be forever excluded
from offices Of trust; but we have no more
right to impeach him for obstinacy or conceit
than for red hair or squint. We cannot i'm
peach him for lack of dignity, or for triumph
ing over poor little Queen Emma with his
swagger about this great country and the inn
piled comparison with those paItry islands of
hers. We cannot impeach him for his veto
messages Can we?
And yet, is il not true, thai if there had
been no veto messages, there would have
ties there may be, in the Presidents admins
tration of affairs at SO delicate iuncture -
v e do not assert, be it observed, that a ceap
detat Is the only ground of impeachment;
but we do say that it is proper to wait for
some indisputable ground of action. IL is
possible that the Presidents completely with
the New Orleans massacre may furnish such
ground, and it 10 the imperative duty OF Con-
gress to inquire into that affair. But it must
be no technical irregularity, serving as a pre-
text while the real occasion of the prosecu-
ton is difference of political opinions
Against prescription for opinions sake we do
nowand always protest. We have protested
against the removal OF federal officers, we
against the practical recall OF for
eign minister, and we protest now against the
removal of the Preside 1T il it is to he done
solely for opinions sake. The removal Of an
ofiice-holder is no longer as it should be,
to see a precedent established which will re-
duce the solemnity of an impeachment to
merely partisan measure, to be employed
without scruple whenever the opposition can
secure two-thirds of the Senate and a MAORI
ty OF the House.
We do not saw that the men who advocate
all impeachment are consciously proceeding
on the grounds we condemn. On the con-
trary, We believe that most of them are actu-
ated by considerations purely affecting the
public safety. They believe him dangerous
man, as no doubt he is. But he cannot be
removed upon suspicion. He must do some
thing, and in our opinion that something
ought to be very definite and tangible, to JUS
tily his impeachment. His acts hitherto are
supported with great warmth by large mi
nority of our fellow citizens. We believe
them to be misled, to be terribly and inexplic-
ably wrong, but we do not therefore consider
Dr. treat them as criminals or the abettors of
1t is possible, perhaps probable,
that to Mr. Johnson's not very clear intellect,
his course seems on the whole right and prop
er. Now if, under these circum stances, he
be brought to trial, no matter with how pure
motives, will not the proceedings have the ap-
oearance and the moral effect OF a persecu-
ion for opinions sake? We greatly fear it,
We do not believe the "impartiality and wis
lon" of Chief Justice Chase would WEIGH
much with men who saw in him, as every
Democrat in the country would see, only
candidate for the Office about to be vacated.
1t will not do to talk of this matter as a
purely judicial enquiry, due to Mr.. johnson
as well as 10 the country. Its judicial charac-
5er will not be recognized. The proceedings
will be regarded as partizan from the begin
ling, aad conviction will have only the weight
If a Democratic de eat, while an acquittal
you'd be hailed as Democratic victory. Mr..
Johnson would become political martyr,
md secure more influence in two weeks than
lie has been able to throw away in two years.
Are we then to submit to this mans dcta-
ion? Not at all. Watch him. Let Con-
5ress see to it, that he does his duty. He,
ike every other citizen, must submit to the
avs. ii he is guilty of any oficnse against
he majesty OF the people, if he clearly tran
cends the limits of his lawful authority, if
Without due warrant he sends United States
roops into Maryland for instance. impeach
lin at once. But in a matter of such mo-
nent. let us take no rash step. Let the proof
e clear as daylight, and the act not me ely
cchnical but an actual crime. Nothing less,
We may be sure, will secure the assent oil the
Senate. An acquittal, we repeat, would not
De MERE judicial decision, but a Democratic
rlumph and subject of infinite regret TO all
VINO beheye, as we do, that the Democratic
'olicy Is fraught with dangers innumerable.
AS the case stands at present, it is mis-
axe to say-it is fast becoming the general
sentiment Of the Republican party,'' that the
President should be impeached. While no
Republican paper pretends to say that 81
rave remedy may not be required; very faw
20 far as we have observed, advocate its an
plication yet. The Nation, the best of our
uaakIias tha lhanv Evnuiuo lournal a.