The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-11-29


are prepared TO pronounce against the President
| for such offences are numerous and grave. l
| Mexican experience is desired, we need have II
difficulty, for there almost every election is pro
ductive of revolution. If the people Of thi
republic desire such result, wa have not We
been able to discover it, nor would W favor ii j
its presence were manifest. While we condemn
and censure the political conduct Of the Presi
dent, and judge him unwise in the use of hi
| disc 'etionary powers, and appeal to the people
OF the republic to sustain u.s. we still affirm tina
the conclusion at which we have arrived IS cor
| rect
ave therefore declare that the case before US
presented by the testimony and measured by th'
law, does not declare such high crimes and mis-
demeanors, within the meaning OF the Con5ntu
tion, as require the 'nterpositon OF the constltu
tionsl power of this House. and recommend til
adoption of the following resolution:
| ''ReSotced, That the Committee en- the Judiciar.
| be discharged from the further consideration o
the proposed impeachment Of the President o
| the United States, and that the subject be lai(
| upon the table.
JAMES +. WILSON,
FREDERICK E. WOODBRIDGE"
| VIEWS OF MEssRS. MARSHALL AND ELDRIDGE, DEMO
| Gratis.
The undersigned, agreeing with our associates
| of the minority Of the Committee in their views
of the law and in the conclusion that the evidence
before the Committee presents no case tor the I'M
peachment Of the President, might, if they hac
stopped there, been content simply to lave joined
| in the report which they have submitted. But as
they, as well as the majority have felt it their duty
| to 60 further and express their censure and con-
demnation of the President, we feel that it is due
to ourselves and to the position we occupy to pre-
sent as briefly as possible few additional remarks
for the consideration OF the House and OF the
! country.
! Having determined that the evidence does moi
show that the President has been guilty of any
act or crime for which, under our Constitution AND
laws, he can or ought to be impeached, this con.
cusion, as it seems to u.s. is the determination Oh
the whole question submitted by the House to the
| Committee
| It Is the commission by the President OF an i'm
peachable offence only that can subject him to our
official jurisdiction, or justify US as committee
of the House of or even the House
ITSELF as such in challenging his official acts. As
| the report OF the majority does not charge the
President with any act recognized by any statute
| or law of the land as crime or misdemeanor, we
can but regard the charges preferred as pohtlcal
| or partizan demonstration intended to bring him
| into odum and contempt
The Executive is one Of the coordinate depart
ments Of this Government, Invested with certain
| defined constitutional powers and prerogatlves
over which the legislative has no control and with
the constitutional exercise OF which the Legislative
department has no right to interfere The original
source OF all executive and legislative power Is the
same-the people; the warrant and measure OF
| those powers the same-the Constitution. In nls
constitutional and legislative sphere, IN the exer
else and conduct Of his department, the President
| is as free to act and as independent as the Con-
| Sress while acting within the bounds prescrlped
for It oy the Constitution. He is no more account
able or responsible to Congress than congress Is
| TO him. O. ngress has no more authority to CEN
sure and CO ldemn him than he has to censure ana
| condemn )ngress ,
| The oul7 question With reference to which the
| Committee were authorized TO inquire was II the
charges against the President we're true, and con-
stituted an offence subjecting him to impeach-
ment Certainly, if this is not the only question
referred to the Committee, it is the only one which
| the Committee as such has investigated. The
political proprety Of the acts OF the President has
not tor one moment engaged the attention OF the
| Committee.
| Not witness was called examined with any
view to proving case for merely censur1nS or
condemning the political action OF the President.
| No suggestion was made or ntlmatlon given Dy
the majority of the Committee till the resolution
Of censure Nas offered that there w9s any purpose
| of considering as Committee any but the ques-
| tion Of impeachment. Nor was there then, as we
understood it, any purpose OF reporting sucn
| resolution to the House for its Official action.
| Hence We insist that if the committee had the
right and jurisdiction (which we deny to examine
INTO the political and discreet onary acts OF the
| President, with view to his condemnation, that
it has not in any legit mate end proper manner manner
Tho PRESIDENT was not tte President OF our
choice and was not elected hY our votes, nor Is II
necessary that We should ag.ee with him or justify
! or approve all he has done.
| The Presidents create. ofepse we appr prehend,
will be found to be that he has not been able or
willing to follow those who elected him to his Of
6cs ii their mad assarlts upon and departure from
the constitutional government OF the fathers o.
the republic. .,..,a ,,,,,,ovs b,p unon his
nos;t,on be has in nrred the aarce and malignant
hatred and opposition of all those wo csln, 10y uS
virtue of the alleged conquest OF the terrific. "NN
the subjugation Of tho people OF the late rebelops
States the power and right to dictate to them the
constitution and laws they shall live under and the
liberties they shall be permitted to enjoy. In this
difference between Congress and the President
and the desire OF each for the adoption by the
country OF their respective views, 49, wo suspect,
to be found not only the cause for the movement
to impeach the President out OF his censure ana
condemnation. M
But the censure of the President, either by the
majority or the minority, is without our lurlsdlc
ton not justified by the facts, unbecomng one de,
partment of the Government toward the other, ana
calculated to bring reproach upon the committee,
the House, and the nation.
Antagonism of one department OF the govern
ment toward another will ultimately produce enml-
ty and open hostility and aggressions which must
result in the destruction OF one or more depart
ments and as q consequence, destroy our system
Of government altogether.
The report goes on to say that Mr.. Johnson Is
censured for things that MIR. Lincoln was applaud
ed: that Mr. Stanton gave his approval OF acts for
which Mr.. johnson is arraigned, and adds: The
President has used every means within his power
to bring the great State prisoner, Jefferson Davis
to speedy trial, and yet he has been denounced
throughout the land for ,procrastinatlng and pre-
venting the trial, while the judges and prosecu-
ting officers having entire control OF the matter
have been deemed worthy OF the most honored
plaudits.
The President is gravely arraigned for arraying
himself against the lvyal people Of the country in
voting the mscalled reconstruction acts OF Con-
gress. Congress itself has for these same acts
first received the most withering and indignant
condemnation and rebuke of the entire people,
from Maino to California The impeachers, for
getting that they have been themselves lmpeach-
ed and that the verdict of the tribunal OF last re.
sort has already been rendered against them, still
persist in trlhlng with the peace, safety and pros
perity Of the country, by perpetratlng upon 1t the
dangerous question at q time so critical as this
We cannot doubt that the evidence herewith
this day submitted will be received with one uni
versal burst of indignation by the American peo-
ple II they retain any just pride IN their country
and its institutions, they will blush to hnd that
the chief officer of their Government has for ten
months been subjected to the scrutiny OF secret
| Star Chamber Inquistion unparalleled In Its
character in the annals OF civilization. drag
net has been put out to catch every MALICIOUS
whisper Spies have been sent all over the land
| to find something that might blacken the name
and character of the Chief Magistrate Of our coun-
| try Unwhipped knaves have given information
| OF fabulous letters and documents that like the
igniS JutuuS, eternally eluded the grasp OF their
| pursucrs.
That most notorious character, General L. c..
! Bakor. chief OF the detective FORCE" even had
he effrontery to insult the American people by
placing hls spies within the very walls OF the Ex-
ecutiye mansion. The privacy OF the Presidents
home his private life and habits, and most Sc
cret thoughts, have not been deemed sacred or
exempt e from invasion the members of his house
hold have been examined and the chief prosecu-
tor has not hesitatcd to dive into loathsome dun
geons and consort with convicted felons Tor the
ing the President on charge OF Infamous
| crimes. ,,, ..; .,,o
report adds .-... ho :, oo,,rod;ot.
cd by witnesses OF unquestioned credibility, and
there can be no doubt that to his many previous
outrapes emitting him TO all unenylable I'M