The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1867-12-10
5W r EP @ r. rs {,
OF the Impeachment Committee,
WAsHINaToN. Nov. 25.

vi lne impeachment COmmlCIee
/ sse WASHINGTON, Nov. %.
The Committee on the Judiciary, tt
Whom was referred the resolution o
March last, authorizing them to iDquir,
into the official conduct Of Andrew John
1son, Vice President of the United States
discharging the present duties of the of
fee of President of the United States, ,ant
to report to this House whether, in thei
opinion, the said Andrew johnson, Will,
lin said Office, has been guilty of act
which have been designed or calculatet
to overthrow or corrupt the Government
of the United States, or any department
or officer thereof, and whether the sale
Andrew johnson has been guilty of any
act or eonspired with others to do actl
which, in the contemplation of the Con
stitution, are high crimes and misde
meanors, requiring the interpositioh O.
the constitutional power of this House
respectfully report that in the perform,
ance of the important task assigned shem
they have spared no pains to make theil
investigation as complete as possible, moi
only by the exploration of the public ar.
chiyes, but in following every indication
that seemed to promise any additional
light upon the great subject of inquiry;
and they submit herewith the result Of
that portion of their labors in the volu.
minous exhibit that accompanies this re-
port. In order, however, to direct the
attention Of the House to such portions
of the somewhat Heterogeneous mass Of
testimony which they hayesbeen COM
PEELED to present without the order or
arrangement that might have facilitated
the examination as are regarded by them
as most material to the issue, they will
now proceed to state as briefly as posi-
BILE the leading facts which they suppose
theinquiry has developed beyond dispute,
along with their own conclusions there
from and the reasons, by Ehiehithey have
been influenced in rendering them. In SO
doing they must be allowed the indul-
genee which a comprehensive scrutiny,
running over two years administration
of the affairs of a great atgovernment, ,thro'
an unexampled crisis of the state, and In
volving the very high matters, that can
engage the attention of s free people,
would serve to necessitate and must at all
eEentsoexcuse. The charges made, and
to which the investigation iofrthe Com
mittee have beenaespecially directed, are
usurpation of power and violation of
law, in the corrupt abuse of appointing,
pardoning and veto powers in the eorf
rupt interference IN elections, and gene
rally in the commission Of acts amount
ing to. high crimes and misdemeanors un-
der the Constitution, and upon this reel
tai it was charged with the most general
duty of inquiring into the official con-
duct of the President Of the United
States, and of reporting whether he had
been guilty of any acts which we're de-
signed or calculated to overthrow, sub
vert or corrupt the government of the
United States, or which, in ,eontempla-
tion of the Constitution, would constitute
a high crime or misdemeanor, requiring
the interposition Of the constitutional
power Of the House" 1t will be obsefy
ed that the great salient point of .accusa-
ton, Standing out in the foreground and
challenging the attention Of the country.
is usurpation Of power. which involves Of
course violation Of law; and here ii
NAV be remarked that perhaps every great
abnse every flaorant depariure from the
well.settlAd nrinc;nles Of the Government
which has been brought home 10 its pres.
ent administration. Shether discoyeriine
itself in special infractions oe the stat
utes or in the proaieate use Of The bieb
powers conferred by the Constitution on
the President or revealing itself morc
mauifestly in the systematic attemnt to
seize upon IFS soyereiontv and d;snara O.
and sunereet3e the GREAT couno;l fo wb;cI
that soyereienty has been iptrusted in ref.
erence to the one great purpose of recon.
structing the shattered governments Of
the rebel States 10 accordance With his
own wishes, in the interest Of the grea,
criminals who carried them into the re.
bellion, and in such way as to deprive
the people Of the loyal States of all chan.
ces Of indemnity for the past and security
for the future, by pardoning their officers
and restoring their lands and bringing
them back to their hearths unrepenfant
and their hands yet red with the blood Of
our people, into condition where they
could once more embarrass and defy-ii
not absolutely ruleAthe government
which they had vainly endeayored to de.
stroy. Itis around this point, and as
auxiliary to that great central idea, that
all the sneciaI arts of mal.odministrat;on