The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-11-27

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oas os.shs lsiesityI ssst ev& = ~ nj
nory. ~ he Cbssr1 ki6Aal oDnsissss ~
ported Ia Avos q lnpneelnssk Hen. las
?. WilsoSy ch&ffsian {f.ths Judiciary Cor.
nissss, sstnistsd ntsssssy sspest asainss
the Ispsash.sns wsdsssr opinioa onthsir
merits ANN the Reports ars pabhshsd, aaA
the svidsscs dfsssvsrsd By the invsstisasiou
known. The greatest caution ssa The hish.
1T wisdom is demanded Of ths Republican
majority il Congress. Any Iassdsrins On
their part may sadaoger the Republican par.
y, and defeat The great measures With which
that party j. identified, ssd which are neees-
sAry for the prssens and future good Of the
nation. This tu6jscs Of impeachment may
be argued from Two ssand-points; FIRST, from
the point Of Right; and secondly, from the
point Of Expsdisncy. IL may be said that
the latter Is low ground on which to base .
momsntous matter. But after oil, that il an
integer that enters into the product. Even
American humanity 10 much more given to
asking sis i, sxpedisnt.'' than sis it Right
Like the amiable Mr.. Meagles, I'VE are
practical people, you see." But here il .
subject where Aths .qasstion of Expsaisa.y
ma'sss iuso tbai uf Right Impsashasa. il
sssssi, isespedi<ut unless !. be s.,srly right.
Andrew johnson, ~ an individual, i, =
very slight and insignificant thing. Blu. the
impsachmens Of the chief Executive Of III.
United States, even vhsn that Executive il
80 Improper person q Andrew johnson, is
no slight and insignificant thing. 1t il mo-
mentous matter, indeed. And here We ex>
press . very firm conviction Of ours it is, that
She Precedent should not b impeached has
upon grounds 70 clearly legal that the world
will be forced to adm. its justice, and The f,.
turs pronounce i,s rightfulness. We mus.
forget that We are dealing with On odioas in
divldual, and remember that we are makir', !.
prscedsus for The impeachment 81 prss;.
denss. his not suticieus that " 40 10. IN.
Mr.. johnson; il 10 no, su.6c' .,ha, a.,
Justly call him i'll name, !, !. NJ, ..t1; e;sn,
~ - 'ue M -ners OF a boor and clown;
~" ao' tsuir .snt that he gets drunk and
iro'na at re mouth and makes brawling
speech ss it ia no, sutficien, that he has prof.
en a traitor to the party thst made him Vice
President; it is not suficien. tina, we utterly
detest the man and his Policy. Isis suh
cient that no y, seedent must be esfablishsd in
this couatry for tie Impeachment Of an olR
car on political grounds. Here is the crucial
ties. Of this whole question. This includes
the matter Of Right, Tor il would not be right
TO establish such a precedent. II includes
the matter OF Expediency, for an effort to en-
tablsh such precedent, or even success in
establishing such precedent, will lead to the
overthroo Of the party, or men. tbs. do it.
The american people will no, consent to the
introduction into our politics Of a practice
that must necesstate constant faction and
ultimate anarchy. If . President is TO be
impsached whenever the opposition get the
Congress, then tho doctrine would be extend
ed to the Courts and is,o the States, and in
short time our country would be, like
Mexico, the theater OF constant strife
of factions For we may rest as.
s1red that the country will never have
President tina, will not be disiksd by more
or less OF the public, who would like to get
rid Of him. William B. Giles of Virginia
was man Of note in his day, and time and
again IN his place in Congress, during the ad-
ministraton Of President Washington, he
denounced Washington a. the enemy OF his
country. II he had had his way he doubtless
would have had Washington impeached. So
with each successive President, the opposi>
tion have hated them roundly and souudly
enough 10 have impeached them il that had
occurred to them a. the proper mode Of get,
ting the obnoxious magistrates off their hands.
The Wings had majority in Congress. and
with one exception never was q President
hated IS the Wings hated Andrew jackson.
yet who will say that the Wing party should
have impeachsd that Andrew? We have
said that there was one exception: equalIing
Wing hatred Of Andrew jackson: that was
Democratic hatred Of Abraham Lincoln.
And the Democracy really believed Mr.. Lin
coin guilty Of more fragrant breaches of the
Constitution than We have ever thought of
charging Andrew Johnson with. Yet, If the
Democracy had managed during the war, TO
get . majority in Congress, would il have
been wise for them to have impeachel him
The fact 10 there has never been President
from Washington down. but some party has
charged with violation Of the Consultation.
There never will be President that some
party will not SO charge, and In tho heat Of
the momeut honestly think it. To institute
aprscedent to incite that party to impeach
the President, is to inHct the probability of
an Impeachment struggle on the country dur
Ing every Presidential incumbency. How
long would our Government endure such q
constant revolutionary and faclional irri,a-
tienS
But is there no redemption from vicious
Executive rule? Yes. In the Grst place
there 10 the largest room for care in the SCI
lection Of Presidential candidates. In the
next place there 10 the proper, legitimate,
and Constitutional right, to impsach and re-
move President, really guilty Of the high
crimes and misdemeanors for which in law
impeachment lies - remedy. When
Presiden. has been so guilty le, the majesty
Of the law, aud the sovereignty of the peo-
Pile, be asserted and enforced. If Andrew
johnson is shown TO be 80 clearly guilty in
fact and in law, let him be impeached; let
the majesty of the Law and the sovereignty of
loyal people be asserted and enforced. But
We insist that this impeach nent be not based
upon political grounds. That he be arraisaed
by law for law Yinlated mt In The R>nnhE