Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-11-26
THE IMPEACHMENT.

and two minority reports of the Judiciary com
mittee. The report of the majority, consisting
Of Messrs. Boutwell,, Williams, Lawrence,
Thomas and Churchill the latter gentleman
having, it is alleged, undergone a change Of
opinion at = very pportune momentzfor party
purposes in favor of impeachment. Messrs.
Wilson chairman of the committee) and
Woodbridge, republicans, make minority re-
port, dissenting from, the conclusions fof the
majority, aud Messrs.i Eldridge and Marshall,
democrats, another minority report, sustain
ing, in the main, the views Of Messrs, Wilson
and Woodbridge, but differing from it in some
particulars. r lie. reports Of the committee are
very long, covering hundreds of pages re s"
The summing up of the majority report is
in these words:
'sIn accordance with the testimony herewith
submitted, and the view OF the law herewith
presented, the committee is of opinion that
Andrew johnson, President of the United
States, is guilty of high crimesand lsdemean-
ors requiring the interposition Of the constitu-
tional power Of the House, in that, &c. - 2l
= It closes with this resolution :ja qrjf.g IL !,
S 'Reyozuel, That Andrew Johnson, President
of the United States, tie impeached tor high
crimes and misdemeanors. . 100 ~ " ,5#
The reading of the resolution was greeted
with az outburst OF applause from certain parts
of the galleries, clapping of hands on tho floor,
&C., while counter. demonstrations OF. ;hissibg
were made also, on the floor and galleries, che
Speaker alllthe time hammering with his gayel
to restore order.E610 ATg &Es 20 - Q :, 80
When the demonstrations subsidized, the
Speaker declared that any person in the gale
ries manifesting applause or Kissing, would be
removed from the galleries taijgas2!2 ~ Lay
Mr.! Wilson, aof Iowa, chairman ol the com.
mittee, presented a minority report Tor himself
aud Mr.. Woodbridg e--the conclusion OF which
iissas follows - ar.,s ia 4, :. azEsr
7"We therefore declare that The case before
us presented by the testimony, aud measured
by the law, does, not disclose such high crimes
aud misdcmeanors within the ,meaningo OF the
Constitution, as require the interposition of
the constitutional power of this House, and
recon- mend the adoption of tho following reso:
luton: Ei%1. 4I.@.a3-s.
.:Hesolved That the , judiciary Committee
be disch arged from the further consideration
OF the proposed impeachment of the President
Of the United States, and that the subject be
laid ON the table Il ..e...gs algz .&
Mr.. Marshall, on behalf of himself and Mr.
Eidridge, stated that they fully concurred in
the resolution just offered by the chairman
and also concurred entirely with the arguments
presented by the chairman With reference to
the law governing the case, and the appllca-
ton of the evidence thereto; but there were,
on some points, matters OF difference between
then and their associates, (Messrs. Wilson and
Woodbridge, and he therefore presented the
,,;o,, ~ b;,,,a md Ar EI1ridno
We sutjoin the conclusion Of the majority
report, containing the charges against the
President, on Whichit is proposed to order the
Impeachment
"In accordance with the testimony herewith
submitted and the view of the law herein pre-
sented, the committee are OF .opioion that
Andrew Johnson, President of tho United
States, is guilty OF high crimes and misdc-
meanors, requiring the interpositlon of the
constitutional powers of this House: u
In that upon the final surrender Of the rebel
armies, and the overthrow of the rebel Govern.
ment, the said Andrew johnson, President OF
the United States, neglected to convene the
Congress OF the United States, that by its aid
aud authority legal and constitutional measures
might have been adopted for the organization
OF loyal and constitutional governments in the
States then recently in rebellion. ~
La that in his proclamation to the people of
North Carolina of the Goth day of May, 1865,
he assumed that he had authority to decide
whether the government OF North Carolina
was republican in form, and that inhis Office OF
Prcsidenti it was his duty andwithin his power
to guarantee to said people arepubllcan form OF
government, contrary tothe Constitution, which
provides that the United States shall guarantee
to every State in this Union a republican form
of government; and contrary also to a dellber-
ate opinion Of the Supreme Court, which. de-
clared that Congress is vested exclusively with
the power to decide whether the government
of State is republican or not.
In that he did thereafter reorganize and
treat PLAN of government, set up in North
Carolina under and in co1ormity to his own adj
vice and direction, as republican in form, and
entirely restored to its functions as a State,
Notwithstanding Congress is the branch Of the
Government in which, by the Constitution,
such power is exclusively vested; and notwith-
standing Congress did refuse to recognize such
government as legitimate government, or as
a government.republ in form.
In that, by public proclamation and other
wise, he did, in the year 1865, invite, solicit,
Gently in rebellion, conventions of persons,
been organized In an attempt to overthrow the
Government of the United States, and urged
and directed such conventions to frame consti
tutions for such States
In that he thereupon assumed to accept,
ratify, and confirm certain so called constitu-
tions, framed by such illegal and reasonable
assemblies of persons, which constitutions
were never submitted to the people Of the res
nectivn States nor ratified md confirmed hv
the United States, thus usurpirg and cxercs
ing powers vested by the Constitution in the
Congress Of the United States exclusively.
In that he pardoned large numbers of public
and notorious traitors, with the design of re-
ceiying| their aid in such conventions, called by
his:advice and direction, tor the purpose of or
9snts n the States then recentlv in rebellion
prior to the annual meeting of Congress, with
the intent thus to constrain Congress to ac-
scept, ratify, and confirm such illegal and un-.