, 1866-10-22
MONDAY, OCTOBER y, 1866.


1-.,~-1.1
V. .Aooni' - 1soo'
-
rupt..cunE~r
General But1cr in III. sncr,l, in ch,c,co
having discussed tbe nrorr,c,v nr tmncorb.
iur Andrew johnson. snu,,rv ;ouru,ls
with vast nmount Of, assumed cru
djtjou. hive undertaken to liscuss the
subject Of Impeachment as a moral, political
and historical aucst5ou. Iuprach1ncnts OF
Federal officers have not been 80 common rs
tn (aniliarizc tho public with the details Of
the forms Of trial, yet they have been fre-
lrcnt enough in cur histury to demonstrate
that tlIc power was not au unnecessary one,
aud that II IL ono Of the great safeguards
which the Constitution hns placed In the
hands Of the people, 10 BE- hy them used for
thc protection OF the country against corrupt
ard usurrlng officials, and agalnst those who,
Holding Offices Of trust nlay prostitute those
ofnces TO personal ends against the in
tctests Of the country. In all these news
opportunities there has been Il remarkable
omission oil all reference TO the only case
having any bearing npon Inc questions nov
before the rhb'ic.
Inc latest. hnd. from It's character, the
governing rase OF Impeachment. is that Of
West IL. Humphreys, Judge Of the District
Court Of the United States for the eastern,
middle and western districts oftLe State of
Tennessee. The House Of Representatives.
~ ,hc scssi,n commrnr;nc Dece,n,"r 1sc1
- LII e.ssA"A commencing A1ecetAhels Aeol,
adopted series Of articles ,mpeaching Judge
Humphreys, and on the I'D vi May, ls:i., tho
Senate commenced the trial OF the said
charges The articles Of impeachment were
seven IN number. lnE HIST 1f fIHEn
the eject,
1ka: Ir::a5tless Of hts duties citizen Of The
sa o, as,d n y, rn,i a. o. ~ .s aatss ., mis
lion Of his oHiviaI oath, the said West ii.
nhnpn::st.on thc s:Th s!aF o. Ii,ecemhe:, n.lsJ,
II. unnnArrys then Ieim.. \ citxrn al n: fn,:1
States, and owing a!.ePiance thereto. aaa then
an1 an ,h e5e IT, os,d s &C.; ~ ruSG meeting 2,
city Of Nash1ilG and in the l,sa: NJ OF divers pcr.
sons there prt:ent did sntsasor hy public speech
s::ainst the :,oneljtn,"n ard t;c,s,n,rn. of ib..
trt:d States, aaa did then and there lubcly us-
se 'la. Ia ~, WI tnc s,cnf o. m neofe o. ssia
Itsmselses from, ali a1Ic-lanr IL, thc Gurernmemt
of1hc tni:ed states, Tie Constitution aud the
''Ss u" 'e'''
II VIII ee remembered that this man was Z
1uaSc ~ tnHcu statcs Court. in State
"hereot AndrcwJohnson was then Governor.
Ae WAS lnl7eachcd through the iustrumcn-
tal11y ol Andrew JOHNSON and other citizens
OF Itnncssee- lie was inpcachcd by House
Of Representatives from which ten States
were excluded he WAS imreachcd by House
Of Representatives in which he had no Rep
resentattve, and In which only small por-
tion Of the people Of Tennessee could be
heard. He was impcachcd by Il Ramp Con
grcss,"-ty body "haugin.- u, the verge of
the Government" (" and calling itself the
Congress of the United Statcs." lie vas
tried by Senate in which eleven States had
no members, He was tried by a Senate from
which eleven States, entitled to twenty-five
votes, were excluded, lie was tried br T
Senate which. had these twcuty-two votes
hccn nr4,srnt would mt haze convictad hin,
lie was i,n7,eached by n Honsc and tried hv
4 Senate info either of which m mcmhcr
from ten States cou1d haze hc.n aam;+trd
But what makes th,. case n stronrcr
nrrccdent nj -thc nrcscnt +;mc IA
that the first article Of the i'm.
ncacbrncnt is for a spe,c, Tho aent;mcnts
Of which werc in cont m vcn.;on or h;s ot1,c;,,
duty. Unon this article. The rote vas mani.
mons1v tsp,,,ltvn hmm ,nost Of tbc ch , r,,os
ttcrc rcrc snmc rotcs of r,t ,,,;,,r ~
upon one or more lie was acauittcd Int nnor
this cbarrc Of bay;nr r.n,dr tI,.t sncec}, h,
Was convicted ty an unanimous votc Thc
Constitution provides that
.sTec V:cs1dcr.. yicc President. and nil ctr5
officer. Of the CnlIed st9tc+. etall ho removed
nr n1bcr Iieh ceirnes - M tni.aem,annrs :,
Tno rro,.o ,f fpo--oso,,,ot;-oe 49,. :,,.. !,
,,,.. c....,t.....L ..:.,. ~. 80
NV 9t.oa .' wy" .'se eAst.st's uats
..aiu i""ei " !iapeaen'"- u l'uo''e oulcor'
.le scna'c Is 1u'eetea win 1ne exclusive
uois anu power u t1s4n% nH1s' Ing i1o1sc
prepares Tue eharges' the scnatc' sttMe us
court. decfdes upon lie sni'ictencS OF the
accusation. anu whether 1t. 1t proved, con-
stitutes ''trcason. bribery, or other high
crime or nlistemcanor." They hear the cvi-
dence. Their Judgment IS final, and the
Constitution says that conviction by two
thirds Of the Senators present, shall be
sufficient.
In this case Of Humphreys, who was i'm
pcaclcd, tried, convicted and removed from
Office through the active agency Of Andrew
johnson, the Senate decided that spcccl,
melting people to revolt. or rebellion against
the Constitution aud Government, by au
officer sworn to fidelity to both, was suth
cient offence to sustain an Impeachment
therefor. This decision was rendered by 9
unanimous vote Of the Senate. 1t follows
therefore, that no other act Of rebellion l.
needed. II does not require, for instance
that Andrew johnson shall actually marcel
troops into the Halls Of Congress, and shoe
down the members, Or dispctsc them by tn
bayonct, to render him liable to i1npeach
ment; 1t docs not require that hc shall actu
ally Issue orders forbidding the execution Q