The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1867-02-09
Impeachment-WiIIit be Toleratcd?

Saturday, February y, 1907
Impeachment-wil 10 be Tolerated"
The Louisville Courier has a solid article
on this question from which we make tlle
following extracts. Read and reflect; To
permit the deposition Of the President from
an Office in which he has been placed under
all the forms of the Constitution and popu-
lar sanction. without any fault on his part
but merely to subserye the desperate pur-
poses of corrupt revolutionary party who
are manifestly endeavoring to overthrow
the Constitution aud PROSTATE the two CO
ordinate branches Of the Government in
order that all power may be concentrated
in Congress, would be an amount of faith
lessness to duty and disregard Of their
own rights such as we do not believe the
American people are capable Of exhibiting
But there is danger, as we have remark
ed, that the people may be taken by sur
prise; that they do not fully comprehend
the magnitude of the issues at stake, or
realize the lawlessness and audacity of the
Jacobin leaders, and that they will not
awaken TO a consciousness of the necessi-
ties of the hour until infinite and perhaps
irreparable mischief is accomplished.
Let us suppose case that is not only pos
sble to occur, but probable. Take it for
granted that articles Ofimpeachmeut of will be
presented to the Senate by the House of Rep
resentatives at an early day of the next ses-
sion of Congress. This we regard as GER
tain. Then we will suppose that the two
Houses declare the President suspended
from the functions of his Office, as the
leaders OF the Jacobin party have already
threatened shall be done. Here will be an
issue made up between the President and
Congress which the President will not be
at liberty to decline. In the event of such
action by the two Houses it would neces-
sarily be followed by the electionsof a
President pro TEN, and the question would
be presented to the mind of Mr.. JOHNSON
whether he should relinquish his office to
avoid conflict, and also whether his oath
of office gave him any option in the mat
ter. The oath requires him to execute the
office of President during the term for
which he was elected, and the only condi-
tion upon which he can obtain a release
from that obligation is contained in sec
tion " of article ii of the Constitution,
which provides that he may be removed
from office ION impeachment for, aud con-
viction of treason, bribery, or other high
crimes and misdemeanors." Then he must
continue to hold the office and discharge
its duties until he is convicted upon the
articles of impeachment and removed from
office. The action of the two Houses,
therefore, in attempting to deprive him of
his authority before conviction would be
revolutionary, unconstitutional and un-
lawful, and the President would owe it not
only to himself but to the safety of our in
stitutions and the welfare of the nation, to
resist such action with all the force at his
command, and, il Congress attempted to
execute it revolutionary DEGREES, TO deprive
il tsummarily of the power to do so.
But it may be said that this would neces-
sarily involve the nation in civil war in
which the President would lead one party
and the Congress the other. That does not
effect the argument. Congress would be
the aggressor, and the President would be
simply defending one department of the
Government from overthrow and standing
by his official oath. No blame could
possibly attach to him, because he would be
discharging plain and unavoidable duty
against unwarranted and dangerous usur-
patton.
The question arises right here. under the
circumstances referred to, will the great
American masses stand by the Constitution
defended by the PRESIDENT or win they
blindly aid in their own enslavementt
win they permit prejudice against thu
President, altogether personal, to contro
their judgments and their action, and fo
the sake of punishing him acquiesce in {
palpable and dangerous violation of thc
Constitution, OF will they show that they
cannot thus be cheated into the surrende
of their most valued rights? We shall see