Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-09-30

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Prejudiced Jurors-Ought shey to
Sia in Judgment ON the Presi-
dent.
{ When the President Of the United States,
or any other officer is to be impeached, the
members Of the House of Representatives
are placed in the same relation to the ac-
cused as are members of grand jury to-
wards an individual against whom charge
ofcrime is laid, which requires an indict-
ment before trial can be had. Grand jurors
have carefully to examine the evidence laid
before them, and are sworn to''diligently in
quire and true presentment make" of such
crimes as the knowledge of which shall be
brought before them. "The counsel of the
State, your own and your fellows you
shall keep sacred, unless called on in a
Court of justice to make disclosures" Is al
so part of the oath every grand juror is
required to take. And, In addition to this,
they are required to swear they will pre-
sent "no person through HATRED Or ILL WILL;
nor leave any person unpresented through
fear, favor or affection, or for any reward
or hope thereof; but in all your present.
inents, you shall present the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth, ac-
cording to the best of your skill and un-
derstanding."
What would have been thought of a
grand juror, if he had went through the
State denouncing VIM. H. GIBSON, of crime
against the law, and pledging that GIBSON
asworn officer should be indicted for the Of
fehce of unlawfully taking money from the
State Treasury and appropriating it to his
own private use? The Juror who did such
a thing would be disqualified for serving,
and If indicted, the Court, on q present.
| ment and proof of such conduct on the
part of a juror, would have set the indict-
ment aside, and no doubt punished the
J scamp who thus, with gangrened heart,
had GIBSON, although guilty, indicted for
the crime he committed.
General LOGAN, of Illinois, SCHUYLER
CoIFAx, of Indiana, and SHELLABARGER,
SchENCK, BINGHAM, and others of the Ne
gro Suffrage delegation from Ohio, ane now
on the stump, pronouncing ANDREW JOHN
son guilty of high crimes and misdemean-
ors, and declaring that he shall be impeach-
ed and removed from Office. AS Represen-
tatives in Congress, they act as Grand Ju-
rors who are to indictA the President, for,
before an officer can be impeached, "arti-
cles of impeachment" must be preferred by
the House of Representatives.
Can men who make such threats be snit-
able jurors to indict the highest officer in
the Government for high crimes and mis-
demeanors? What they threaten to do, is
done ''through malice, hatred, or i'll WILL -
and if this be done, these men use their
offices not to carry out the ends of justice,
but to subserve their own fiendish purpose
of subverting the Government by the re-
moval of the President, not because he has
done wrong, but to subserve party pur-
poses.
When the President is tried for an i'm
peachsble offence, the Senate of the United
States sits as "High Court of Impeach-
ment," the Senators acting as jurors. So
careful is the Constitution to prevent sell
fish ends being subverted by his convic-
tion, that it declares the President of the
Senate, who, in case of the death, disability
or impeachment OF the President succeeds
to power, shall not sit in judgement, but
that the Chief Justice of the United States
shall preside. On the question of guilt OF
innocence each Senator has one vote, the
Constitution requiring thirds of the
Senate to convict. Each member is re-
quired to take an oath as is the case with
other jurors es es-s-I
BENJAMIN F. WADE and JOHN SHERMAN,
Senators from Ohio, are now stumping
Ohio, declaring that ANDREW JOHNSON
must be impeached and removed from
office. Before the Articles of Impeach-
ment are prepared-before they are adopt
ed by the House of Representatives.
single item of legal evidence is produced
to show that the President has been guilty
to act as jurors in the trial of the case,
pronounce their verdict, and declare that
the President of the United States, elected
by their own party, shall be hurled from
power and his place taken by another, who
will aid them in carrying out their laws
which prevent ten States of the Republic
from having their justi rights within the
Union.
Are men such as these honest? Are they
| fit judges of the law Are they not pre-
judiced jurors, who have made up their
minds to convict, whether the evidence
justiies it or not? e35L
In the event that these conspirators, thus
setting law, justice and the Constitution at
defiance and outraging public opinion,
succeed in their endeavors to impeach
President JOHNSON and to give his office
to BENJAMIN F. WADE, no man of common
sense but must view it as an act of revolu-
tion. By it the leaders hope to get an un-
scrupulous person in the Executive chair,
who will lend the influence of the office to
thwart and to render null and void the will
OF the people at the next Presidential cleo
ton, and thus to perpetuate their power,
as the Emperor of Austria and the Gar OF
Russia perpetuate power over Hun
gary and Poland, and the Queen of Eng
land her power over Ireland, by military
force and military despotism.
/ Letter from CircleyilIe. --
| ~ CIRcLEvILLE, Sept. "a, 1867.