Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-02-13
IMPEACHMENT OF THE PRES
( aoali ID IDENT. shv oa


10th, 1913, wrote as follows;
The only thing worth mentioning to-
day is Hon. John M. Bolts celebrated
Impeachment affair, which came up to-
day in the House. 1t was not debated,
that being out of order, and therefore it
is only necessary to give you the bare
facts in the case. y3lu - :
Mr.. Bolts, being allowed, rose and said
that he proposed to introduce for the
consideration Of the House, charges of
corruption, misconduct, of high crimes
and misdemeanors, committed by the
acting President of the United States,
which he stood prepared to prove by tes-
timony the most conclusive and irreslst-
ible; and he would ask the House to
appoint committee to inquire into the
truth of the charges, and to report the
testimony to the House, with their opin-
ion as to what action should be had upon
it. He declared that, in making the mo-
ton, so far from being actuated by any
desire to render himself conspicuous
before the country, or to throw himself
in advance of the party whose lead he
was proud to follow-so far from this
being the case, he declared to the House,
to the country, and before his God, that
it was the most painful act he had ever
undertaken to perform, and he must re-
l0ctly yield to what his sense of consti-
tutional duty required. CO.,
He was loudly called on to read his
charges, and he read the following:
i do impeach John Tyler, Vice Presi-
dent, acting as President of the United
States, of the following high crimes and
misdemeanors:
/, / charge him with gross usurpation
of power and violation of law, in attempt
ing to exercise a controlling influence
on the accounting officers of the Treasury
Department, by ordering the payment of
accounts of long standing, that had been
hy them rejected for want OF legal au-
t6ority to pay, and threatening men with
expulsion from Office unless his orders
were obeyed, by virtue of which threat
thousands were drawn from the public
treasury without the authority of law.
2. / charge him with wicked and
corrupt abuse of the power of appoint
ment to and removal from ofice-first,
in displacing those who were competent
and faithful to the discharge of their
public duties, only because they were
supposed to entertain political prefer
ence for another; and secondly. in be-
slowing them upon creatures of his own
will, alike regardless of the public well
fare and his duty to the country.
b. Q. / charge him with the high crime
and misdemeanor of aiding TO excite a
disorganizing spirit in the country, by
nlacinQ on the records of the State de-
partment his objections to a law, as car
ryine no constitutional obligations with
ri, whereby the several States of the
Union were invited to disregard and dis
obey Law Of Congress which he him
self has sanctioned and sworn to see
faithfully executed, from which nothing
but disorder, confusion and anarchy can
follow.
: A. I charge him Of being guilty Of a
high misdemeanor in retaining men in
Office for months after they have been re-
iected by the Senate, as unworthy, in
competent and unfaithful, with an utter
defiance of the public will and total in
difference to the public interest.
Il charge him with the high crime
and misdemeanor of Withholding his as
sent to laws indispensable to the just
operations government, which involved
no constitutional difficulties on his part;
of depriving the Government Of all legal
sources of revenue, and Of assuming to
himself the whole power oftaxation, and
Of collecting duties Of the people with
ont the authority and sanction OF law.
G. i charge him with an arbitrary,
despotic, and corrupt abuse OF the veto
power, to crafty his personal and pollt,.
zeal resentments against the Senate OF
the United States for a constitutional
exercise of their prerogative in the reJec-
ton OF his nominees to Office, with such
evident marks Of inconsistency and du-
plicity as leave no room to doubt has dis.
regard Of the interests Of the people and
his duty TO his country.
Z. charge him with gross ofielal
misconduct, in having been guilty OF
shameless duplicity, equivocahon and
fa,sebood with his late Cabinet and Con-
gress, which led 10 idle legislation and
useless public expense, and BY which be
has brought such dishonor on himself as
10 disqualify him from administering the
Goyernment with advantage, honor, or
virtne. and for which alone be would de-
serve 10 be removed from olhce-
81 L charge him with an illegal and
unconstitutional exercise Of power 10
insiituting a commission to investigate
the trausaciions under former admiH-
istration Of the Cusiomhouse in New
Ysrk. under the preiense Of seeing the
law fully executed With having arrested