Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-01-31
IMPEACHMENT.


I le imminent. II has Beeu olNeu Sdlu "
constitutional critics, especially by con-
tinental writers, that it is vain to hope
TO preserve the balance of powers within
a constitution. Attempts may be made
to devise schemes in which the govern
ment of q country shall be the result Of
co-existing forces, but they must all fail
of success. Divisions must arise between
them: a struggle for mastery must ensue,
and, however the result may be dis
guised, one of the component sections Of
the legislature will certainly OveTpOwer
the other. Hitherto the government Of
the United States has appeared to dis
kprove these sinister conclusions, but the
course Of events in America at the pres
ent time too evidently justifies them.
It would seem that the
natural consequence of the change
through which the union is passing is an
increase of the power Of the more popular
body OF the legislature until it becomes
supreme.
The London Gazette believes there is a
strong basis of moderation beneath all
the passionate demonstrations of the
Americans, and says on the impeach
ment question:
If we were TO guess about the manage
ment Of the trial, We should be inclined
to fear that in the excited state of party
feeling which at present prevails in the
United States, and which, indeed, Is the
inevitable result of such a struggle as the
civil war, the senate would be in great
danger of neglecting far too much the
judicial view of the case, and Of allowing
more Importance than it really deserves
to the necessary vAgueness of the law
which they have TO administer. This,
however, is only q guesrhland by no
means excludes 3 strong hope that the
senate will give the world one more ex-
ample of the fact which is so often over
looked and obscured, that the passionate
external violence of the American char
GcteT and manners overlays and cenceals
| q solid foundation of good sense. mOderG-
ton and regard for law, which makes
] itself felt in the long run and on great
occasions.
The Pail Nall Gazette discusses the
question at length, and gives the follow
ing outline Of what Will probably, in its
opinion, be the grounds OF impeachment
Of the president:
l. That he has violated and set aside
] the constitution and laws Of the United
] States which he had sworn, as executive,
| to support. The chief specification as 70
I NIuIaLltn VI LLlE EuLSlAhAtaUn AAsAA EAN
/ has appointed to Office men whom the
senate had refused to confirm immedi-
stely after such refusal, the constitution
/ declaring that all appointments Of the
| executive shall be made " by and with
/ the advice and consent of the senate
/ The chief specification with regard to
/ the violation Of the laws will be that he
/ has appointed to office, and is now pay
| ing out of the contingent fund of the war
department, men who have not, and who
are nOtoTiOusly unable TO take the oath of
! loyalty, thus violating and setting aside
a law Of congress passed July ?, 1862,
and yet unrepealed, providing that no
man shall hold any office, military, ma
val or civil, unless he has first taken the
/ oath that he has never given support,
countenanCe or encouragement to the
! enemies Of the country in armed rebel
! lion. Another specification under this
/ head will be that he has refused to su5-
| tain the civil rights bill since the same
was passed by congress over his veto, or
| to instruct the agents in the south TO re-
spect and enforce its provisions, through
/ which neglect various instances Of fla
grant denial Of rights and peTpetuatiOn |
! Of wrongs meant to be prevented by the !
said bill have ensued. These alleged in |
stances will probably be mentioned in
detail and the testimony Of military men
adduced.
,. That he is guilty of " high crime"
against many American citizens, whose
| lives have been cruelty sacrificed by
him in his illegal pursuit of partisan
purpose. The first specification will be
that, by sustaining the mayor Of New
Orleans and his pOlice-all OF whom were
eX-rebels-in suppressing legal assem-
blage Of unionists in New Orleans, he
was the real cause of the slaughter in that
CITY of three hundred and seventy-eight
unarmed men, amongst whom were the
most eminent and devoted patriots of
Louisiana. Another specification will
refer TO the similar massacre at Mem
phis.
5. That he has been guilty Of gross
and serious " misdemeanOrs," in lam
glage and behavior, TO an extent inju-
| rious to the peace and order of the coun-
/ try and degrading to the Office he holds.
/ The specifications here will be mainly
| these !, denouncing the servants Of the
| people in congress assembled as " satTaps,"
as body hanging on the verge Of the
! government as equally guilty with
! the traitors of the south, F" and as guilty
Of the New Orleans massacre - ,, de-
claring publicly that he could with safety
have made himself dictator if he had
wished 3, giving pardon nindiscriminately
/ TO rebels against the government at the
| solicitations of a woman Of loose charac-
/ ter, and others who made il a business TO
obtain and sell them, and other abuses
Of the pardoning power; 4, giving to
| the country as the regular report of Gen.
| Sheridan on the New Orleans massacre
a garbled copy Of the same, with the in
/ tent Of cOncealing a statement very
damaging TO himself in the same 5,
1 babitual drunkenness to the extent of
/ interfering with his duties as president,
/ and, also, Of bringing dishonOr on the
| countrv by wild and incoherent har-
! angues, made whilst in manifest state
Of intOxication. In support of this ale
CATION the speeches made at his inaugu-
ration and at Niagara and various other
places visited during the presidents re-
| cent western tour will be adduced.
The Star says that "the republicans
have scarcely ever wavered in their de-
termination to impeach the president
but If they had done SO, his veto of the
negro suffrage bill would have removed
all hesitation and rendered their purpose
infiexible."
| The Netc8 takes a very grave view Of
the matter, and blames the president for
not following in the footsteps Of his pre-
decessor. Itsays, in the course Of a long
article:
Looking on from a distance and in
complete ignorance as yet Of the reasons
which have induced the house Of repre-
sentatives to take such a decisive action,
it is easy to ascribe it, as some Of our con-
tempOraries have so confidently done, to
the intolerance Of a popular assembly
which will brook no opposition to its
will. But before we Join in any lamen-
tation over the unchecked caprice - Of
popular majorities, or affect TO believe
that personal liberty is endangered when
q high-handed ruler Is rFbuked, we must
remind ourselves OF the ir riOus nature of
the crisis in which the actors we are crit
icising stand The American people
have lust come through a civil war
which for its violence and energy
has not its equal in history.
That anti-federal principle which
al the election Of Jefferson in 1901 began
10 he the weakness Of the central govern
ment produced its fruit at length in
southern secession, and in the victory OF
the union has been cast out. The second
election Of Mr. Lincoln marked the final
and decisive triumph of the federal prin-
ciDle. and in his person he represented
ne supremacy of the central government
over the governments Of the individual
states. Mr. johnson came in under Mr..
Iineolnis shadow, and no account was
taken of his views on the great questions
Of reconstruction, because he was sup