Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1867-01-16
impeachment of the President.

| There seems to be no abatement in the
frantic earnestness with which the radicals
in Congress are pushing forwards their vim
dicative intention to impeach the President
The various resolutions upon the subject
have been referred to the Judiciary Commit
tee Of the House, pursuant to determine
ton made in caucus on Saturday evening;
and formal articles of impeachment will,
doubtless, be reported in day or two
These will be concurred in by the overwhei-
ming radical majority of the House. anu
sent to the Senate. Then, without any pre-
cedent, without constitutional autnority' 'ne
attempt is to be made to suspend OF remove
the President from office, and his place IS to
be filed by the President OF the senate du-
ring the progress of the trial If they are
permitted to proceed thus far, the executive
fnnct;ons being in their own hands, they
will he likely to continue the trial during the
remainder of Mr.. Johnsons term. The trial
of Warren Hastings lasted eight years-an
unscrupuious Congress- can easily prolong
this trial until until March 4th, 1869: a little
over two yers-
But will President johnson quietly submit
to such an unauthorized tresspass upon his
official prerogatives? VIII he allow the Ex-
ecurive Department to be overturned, and
Its authority usurped, by an audacious ma
jority, who seem ready thus to revolution
ize the government, to carry out their own
mad designs? Would he not be derelict to
duty, if he did submit, and like carven,
walk out of the White House, and surrender
the constitutional powers, sacredly confided
to his keeping, at the caprecious bidding of
an unprincipled gang of Congressional usur-
pers? Is he not sworn to maintain and pre-
serve the Constitution, and to resist, with
all the power he can command, every at
tempt made to destroy it? VIII he allow
coordinate branch of the Government to be
subjugated and practically merged in anoth-
er, thus destroying the equilibrium of pow
ers essential to the preservasion of free Gov
ernment? We do not think be will. We
have too high an opinion of his principles, to
believe that he will abandon his trust at the
demand of lawless royolutionists, and give
up to the spoilers the great instrument he is
sworn to preserve.
There is no motive for the impeachment,
save to remove an obstruction that stands in
the way of majority, in The consumation of
their Obstructive designs. Even the New
! York Herald, . paper that has been for
months on the Republican side, says ''the
President has been guilty of nothing more
than his partizsn predecessors, from Jackson
down." The movement will have depres-
sing effect upon business; disturb the rela
tions between gold and paper-money, and
seriously impair the public credit. The New
York Tribune thus predicts, and opposes the
whole policy of impeachment. 1t says
! s'there is no definite law about removing the
President from Office during trial on i'm
parchment; and President johnson Is not
| the man to surrender the benefit of a doubt.
Those who think he viii quietly walk out of
the White House at the bidding of a major
/ ity of Congress mistake the man" &c. If
| the outrage goes on, a struggle, therefore,
seems inevitable and if it does come, it
will be one of no small dimensions; nor is it
probable that it viii be coHfned to geogaph
ical sections. The shock it viii occasion
cannot be otherwise than disastrous, espec-
tally to the owners of government securities.
But what care the agitators at Washington
for this? Public peace; individual safety
business prosperity; national credit, are all
secondary with them in the prosecution Of
the wild career marked out by their great
moral ideas. They are resolved to have
plaint Executive and subservant supreme
Court. They seem blind to all the lessons
ofexperience, dead to every emotion of pat
riotism; deaf to the cries of suffering, whilst
they are rushing headlong to the verge of
precipice; and it is to be feared, they will
never halt in their furious career, until they
have involved themselves and the public
freedom in one common ruin.
Meanwhile, the people should watch the
conduct of their ufaithful servants. Black
clouds are rising in the political horizon
Muttering thunders indicating fierce storm,
can be heard in the distance. Expression
should at once be givento popular sentiment
against all Unnecessary agitation; all as
sumptions of unconstitutional power, and in
favor of measures calculated to preserve
peace restore the Union; promote public
prosperity, and secure harmony among the
States Let this expression be given in
way to command obedience, asd the dangers
oyerhanging the country may be avoided
Otherwise, the settlement of the choice be-
tween liberty and slavery be appealed to the
deadly ultimo-ratio. = Pttsburg Post.
The Constitution Vindicated.
The late deci.ion of the Supreme Court of