The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-12-03

impeachment.
the reports of the House Judciar,
Committee on the impeachment question
had been given twelve months ago th,
excitement of the country would hav,
been very great. But now the nationa
pulse, MS indicated by Wall Street spccu
lations, is rs nnmoved as it would be 10y
the uttcrances Of self constituted body o
South Sea Islanders. The truth is, every
body Knows ii don't mean anything -
There were three separate reports ma.
j"rity and two minority reports. The
mnjorit, report finds grounds for the i'm
peachmrnt of President johnson and
recommends it. This report was signed
by McsSrs. Boutwell,, of Massachusetts,
Williams, of Pennsy lvania, Thomas of
Maryland, Lawrence, of Ohio, and
Churchill of New York. Mess Wil5on
of Iowa, and Woodbridge of Vermont,
diSscnted from the conclusions of the
m,j,r;ty nd'presented a minority report
which is much ccmplimentcd everywhere
for its candor and freedom from partisan
language and temper. Mcssrs. Marshall
Of Illinois and Eldridge of Wisconsin
agreed with the conclusions arrived at by
Messrs Wilson and Woodbridge, but in
order to tickle their Democratic Consiit-
uents they found it necessary TO vent
their party spleen in language of their
own Hence two nhs.osiiy reports.
The majority report fails 20 ,aakc that
profound impression which was expected
by the friends Of impeachment. Dispas-
siunate thinkers arc inclined to weigh the
cv !cnce and not rush headlong into con-
illusions which are not warranted by the
evidence in the case. As stated by Mr..
Wilson, "The report of the majority
resolves all Prescriptions against the Pres
i'lent, closes the door against all doubts
nflirms facts as established by the testi-
mony in support Of which thlre is not
particle Of evidence which would be re-
ceived by any court in the land The
csol and unbiased Judgment Of the future
wG,en Gie cgo:temonts in the midat OF
which we live shall have passed away,
will not fail to discover that the political
bitterness of the present time has, in no
incensiIerable degree, a;1on tone to this
document.
We cannot bu. feel proud Of the noble
stand taken ny Judge Wilson and CIR
own honored repre- sentative in this matter
1t undoubtedly required nerve to meet
without aincling, the cta.ge which they
knew must be flung at them, of political
unsoundness, if they dared to differ from
the clamorods majority. But they have
stool up nobly, and their high position
will soon be recognized. So far as the
testimony before this committee has been
made public, there is not particle Of
doubt but that they are in the right
The President deserves the scathing GEN.
sure administered, in all kindness, by this
report, for he has " disappointed the hopes
anil expectations Of those who placed him
in power. lie has betrayed tneir conf
dence and joined har.ds with their ene-
mics. lie has proved false to the express
and implied conditions which underle his
elevation to power, and the censure and
condemnation of every well disposed cit
izen of the Republic" And yet it is ex-
ceedlngy doubtful whether there is evil
dence of impeachable crimes which war;
rants further action.
OF the other minority report, it is suf-
fcent to say, that, while its conclusions
are undoubtedly correct as to what ought
finally to lie done with the subject, the
method 81 handling it is purely Demo-
cratic, obviously partisan, and calculated
only to awaken bitter partisan feelings in
opposition.
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