The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1867-10-08
fFrom the New York World.l
Impeachment of the Pr esident,

Impeachment of the Pr esident,
We have not, Of late, chosen to touch
the question of impeachment, believing
that all serisus purpose of desposing the
President was long ago abandoned. BIT
within the last few weeks there are strong
symptoms of revival of the project, and
the speech of Senator Conkling as Pres
ident Of the Republican State Conven
ton, affords as good an occasion as we
may have for declaring our sentiments on
this subject. Other Republicans, in va
.rious parts of the country.of more prom
inence than Mr.. Conk.ing, are advocating
impeachment with greater heat and en-
phasis and in language far more intem.
perate and offensive
| We believe there is imminent danger
that the removal of President johnson
will be attempted; a belief founded as
well on the prospect of great Democratic
successes in the coming elections, as on
the recent revival of vindictive Republi.
can threats. If the Democratic gains
are so great as to shake the confidence oi
the Republicans in their ability to carry
tie Presidential election, they will put
out Mr.. johnson in order to get control
of the federal patronage In the hope Of
thereby turning the scale against the
Democrats. Senator Gonkling hits the
nail precisely on the head, though in
rather euphuistic language. "Do you
ask" he says, "for the reuedy2 1t lies
in the first instance, with the people at
the polls, and afterwards, if need be.
with the people in Congress assembled. .
And he goes on to explain that by a con
gressional remedy he does not mean per.
petual sessions to watch aud restrain the
President. but deposition from Office by
impeachment.
What the extract we have quoted hints
and almost in plain terms says, is, that
if the Republicans succeeded well in the
fall elections they will not impeach the
President, but othe rwise they will. That
is, if they think themselves strong enough
to carry the Presidential election without
the federal patronage, they viii, leave Mr..
johnson in Office; but if not, they will
fling him out.
It would manifestly avail them nothing
to cashier the President, if the successor
destined to step into his place were to be
hampered by the restrains which have
been put upon Mr.. johnson. As an ac-
compartment of impeachment all the
laws passed by the last Congress for
abridging the constitutional powers oi
the President are to be repealed. Little
would be gained by putting Mr. Wade in
the Presidential mansion with only Mr..
Johnson's curtailed authority. Senator
Conkling accordingly makes very good
argument against the legislation which
stripes the President of his proper pre-
negatives; reaching by that route the con-
clusion that when a President is unfit
to be trusted, the proper remedy is not to
virtually abolish the Office, but to dis
place the incumbent. His remarks on
this subject are perhaps worth inserting
II 90 not mean, as some have insisted,
that Congress should remain in perpetual
or extraordinary session, and strain or
transcend the Constitution by taking
from him the Presidential powers vested
by the Constitution in the Executive
alone; nor do mean that Congress should
BY any legislative device, attempt to cir
oumyent or supsrsede the chief Execu-
tive office. As well might court, be-
cause q sheriff or marshal was unfaith-
full, attempt to execute its process itself
The Constitution says the President not
Congress, shall see that the laws are faith
fuiiiiy executed. If the President cannot
be t.usrsa, with the funcss:,ans OF this once,
if he has done acts when ,ccr,elt MS rle.,,
to exercise the powers Of his place, n
he is so fatally bent on mischief that he
is not fit to be left unmatched or united
the Constitution prescribss the remedy.
It is not that Congress shall usurp or
.curtail the Executive Office, nor that the
two Houses shall crouch like watch dogs
bayiBg to prevent Executive action. No
such cont.ivance finds place in the char
ter of our liberties. No extremity can
ever justify it. Any condition of things
demanding such resort will demand
something more. tits not for me to
express, nor even to form an opinion of
the grounds for impeachment which may
exist The duty Tmay in another place
be called upon to do imposes silence and
abstinence upon me, and besides, from
the outset it has been my earnest hope
that the country might be spared the
anxiety and disturbance incident to de-
posing the chief officer Of the govern :
ment. But | may be permitted to say
that whenever the acting President can
not be restrained within legal limits, ex-
cept by being shorn of the constitutional
powers of his Office, and kept continually
cowed by sessions Of Congress ayowed.
ly maintained for that purpose, the well
fare, the dignity, the judgment, the con-
science of the nation will demand higher
and sterner methods. If, indeed, such a
juncture shall ever arise, let the grand
inquest of the nation present tho accused
for his crimes and misdemeanors; let him
have an impartial trial, and, if found
guilty, let him be consigned by judicial
sentenee, as he will be by the enlighten-
ed Judgment of mankind, to an infamy
as immortal as the cause he has betrayed. !"
This is a very extraordinary. A Sen
ator who, as member of the Lower
House, voted for all the laws for curb:ng
the President, now publicly declares them
to be unconstitutional and absurd. What
has given him grace to make this con-
fession? No good inspiration, but the