The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-12-18
The Debate ca Impeachment.

l leave it.
The Debate ca Impeachment.
The Washington correspondent ofethe
Baltimore Gazette gives the following &C.
count of the closing scenes OF the gress
impeachment farce:
The closing of the great Radical farce
has been in perfect keeping with the Grim
inal conception and dirty prosection otthe
plot against the Presldenc Of the United
States. 1t being we'll known that the I'M
pcachment performances would be contln-
ned to-day in the House ofReprentatlves,
the actors were fattcd with another
crowded house of curious spectators. Inc
galleries were more denscly packed than
they were yesterday, but the attendance
on the floor was not so good, and the be-
havior much worse. As an evidence OF
this it is only necessary TO state that the
Speaker several times had to calithe House
to ORDER the noise and general conversation
being frequently such as to prevent Mr..
Boutwell's argument being heard, either
on the floor or in the reporters gallery.
The indifference exhibited by members
Yesterday was even more glaring to day,
while the gentleman from Massachusetts
labourea not to prosecute President John
son and show his guilt, but i'll defence OF
himselfand his co-impcacherS. He seemed,
from the beginning of his speech to its
cl use. to he haunted with the idea that the
members of the committee reporting the
resolution recommending impeachment
were on trial, and he never once assumed
the offensive toward Dir. johnson. This
change of programme was well calculatGu :9,l Z
to disappoint those who had read the bills
of play, for while a great public interest
had been manifested IN the matter OF lni-
peaching the President of the nation, no
one seemed to feel the slightest interest IN
the defence Mr.. Boutwell, laboured to
make of himself and his partisan report.
But, preSto-the scene changes. Mr.
Wilson, of Iowa. Chairman of the Judicia-
~ Committee. and the author OF the mi
noritv report, rises to reply, and members
crowd around to secure favourable seats tor
hearing him. For some minutes confusion
reigns, but order being restored Mr.. Will
son proceeded to lay bare the legal sophls-
tries which had been offered to the House,
on the power of impeachment, under the
Constitution of the United States, and
! stated the broad proposition that no Exc
cutive officer could be impeached except
for high crimes or misdemeanors so recog-
nized by either the statutes of the United
States or common law of England. He
appealed to AIr. Boutwell, to produce, II
he could, single case in which a different
doctrine was held either in this country or
England-and paused moment or two
for response, but none came. On the
facts of the case be called attention to Mr.
Boutwcll's charge that President johnson
developed in his message of December,
1865. spirit and determination to usurp
criminallv, the legislative functions OF
Congress; and he answered the charge by
reading tiom the Reconstruction Commit
tce dated June, 1866: and signed by Mr,
Boutwell,, which says: 'srhe President
had. no doubt, acted from motives OF the
purcst patriotism. Mr. Boutwell, also
claimed that if the President was not re-
moved, a change in the political complexion
Of Congress would result i'll arrcstlng the
due execution of the Redistribution Acts
Mr. Wilson inquired of him if he proposed
impeachirg the President in order to defeat
the popular will And in this manner was,
| Nr. HOlltWcil great liz Pe'lSii"0i' oPe@SA'
ridiculed. and riddled from beginning to
end, while tae impeachers themselves
looked more like criminals upon their trial
than members Of the House OF Represen..
tatives, pretcring charges against the Chiet
Executive of the nation. SO rapidly has
this movement built up Mr. johnson and
repaired his political status that to-day ne +,
is Il stronger man than he ever was before.
General Houston used to say his friends
were never able to help him, and all that
he was his cnimeics had made him. 1t
would be be well for Mr.. Johnson'S poiiti- ),
cal enemies to heed this lesson. Mr. Van
isurcn's political enemies in the United
States Senate rejected his nomination as
Minister to England This made him
President. Another such attempt at I'M
pcachmcnt might secure to Andrew John,
son an extcnslcn of his Presidential term: !.
But the tillibustcring finale ofthls grand
Radical Impeachment plot Is in perfect ts,
Keeping with its conception and prosecl:
tion. and the disgraccul surroundings OF
the closing scene were necessary to.make
the picture complete.
Hobbies, the old rascal, says an Amer
ican Girl loves with her eyes; an English
girl with her arms; Il French girl with he-
lips. and Italian and Spanish with all three.