The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-11-17
] kRoKuK, InwAs


raPDAcnHDn1 % I'm HA1naD0uF
Af,s ~ 20 VISA avs hass nose
than once referred to and dsprseatsd The pto-
position to. impsach Andrew Johnson forA
anything be h.s doas.. We believe IN saort
to do that would be great calamity TO ~
natios. He has made hiasslf odious in his,
station, he has grossly assailed the Legisla>'
tive Branch Of the Government, he has out.
ragged and insaissd the people, he has proved
himself arbitrary, false, treacherous, drunk.
ard and : dsmasoguss he noss pity for
the people that put such man in the way Of
the Presid ency. Let them be careful forever
hereafter. But impeachment Of M. johnson
for anything he has done 10 no remedy. II
he attempts to force 'iAy Policy" BY violent
or unconstitutional measures he will be i'm.
peached and displaced ia short order. and
should be. But ~ to his past course the
people in the recent elections have passed in
sufs Siensly severe judgement upon it."
The Auscatine JosrHol copies this and
commentedas follows:
"The object Of . penalty for the violation
OF Law 10 not the eradication of The apar;t q,
revenge. There should be nothing Of y;nd;c-
tiveness in it. 1t should all BE- in vindica.
toriness--in vindication Of the law. III,
vindicatnry branch 10 the most importan,
part OF every law Of criminal, or penal ma
ture. But il is not generally understood.
II man b c0nyictsd OF having murdered
smother, n siil b hanged. WhyY No
tossensethe death ofthe murdered mar Ven
geance - mine, saith The Lord, will repay
he Is hanged IN vindication of the Law; tina
IRON committing murder To hang him
would be murder in the first degree were i
absolutely certain that no other murder woul,
ever be committed. In other words, III,
penalty OF violated Law looks forward, no
backward. Its object 10 the prevention o
crime, not private vengeance. Society ha.
no more interest in the death of murdere,
man than IL has in the death Of him who die,
OF cholera 1t may prevent . recurrence o
death IN the one case by the terrors Of exc
cuton, but cannot In the other, which il tn
only legal reason under the sun why Aslatit
cholera IL moi capital crime.
And similar reasoning holds good Is TO othe
crimes and misdemeanors-
1--WE do not care . row Of pins labout th,
impeachment of President johnson. We ar,
inclined to be hostile to it. But il he is to b,
impeached, the Gate City gives ground
enough for 1t above. His impeachment wouls
teach future Presidents that they mues no
outrage and insult the people;'' tina. the!
must not grossly assail the Legislativ,
branch Of the Government - that they AS
not prove themselves arbitrary, false, treach
erous, drunkards and demagogues
Men OF ssgacity, who believe in the policl
OF impeachment at all, will hardly wait unit
Mr.. Johnson's policy = shall have RUNE,
the country before they send him whirling GU
Of Office
But men Of sagacity. even those who be
lieve in impeachment, will not run the risl
OF themselves running the country BY AM
spasmodic attempt TO send Mr.. johnson
whirling out of Office" 1t is, as the Jour,
nal suggests, the good Of society, the goot
OF the State, that is to be taken into accoun
In this matter Of impeachment, IS in any
punishment. The consideration Of the goot
OF the State comes before that Of Mr.. John
sons liability to impeachment As dernie,
resort, that mas have ;o-be resor'ed to, bu
.a people have BY 'kgr recs 'n' vote. placed
the country IN sots.o.assion notwithstand
ing the offenses OF Andrew johnson. Ii j.
the duty Of 'men Of sagacity' to consider
not whether Mr.. Johnsons offenses, bu
whether the safety aud welfare of the Repub
lie require his impeachment .Salus popsi
supreme Ter. Mr.. johnson may be liable L
impeachment now. But we say the good o.
the nstion doesn't require his Impeachment
now. He may hereafter develop q policy,
thatiwithout adding anything greatly to hi.
eulpability, may demand his impeachment 70,
the popular good. Then he shonld be i'm.
peached