Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-11-26
,fthe constitution Of the United States.

T.
Office, and for other purposes.
In that he appointed to Offices created by the
| laws Of the United States persons who, as was
well known to him, had been engaged in the
rebeHion who were guilty of the crime OF trea-
json, and who could not. without committing
i the crime of perjury, or otherwise violating
| criminally the said act of July 9, 1862, enter
! upon the duties thereof
l' INT that without authority of law, and contra
~ TO law, he used and applied property taken
| from the enemy in time OF warrior the payment
of the expenses and the support of the said
illegal and unconstitutional governments SO set
4 up in the said States recently in rebellion, and
| for like purpose, and in violation Of the
/ Constitution and of his oath OF office, he au-
| tborized and permitted a levy of taxes upon the
people of said States, thus usurping and exer-
cising a power which, by the Constitution, is
vested exclusively in the Congress of the Uni
ted States. .s@
| All Of which acts was usurpatlon OF power
| contrary to the law and Constitution of the
/ United States, and in violation of his oath of
| office, as President of the United States.
! Y In that, said Andrew Johnson, President Of
the United States, has, in messages to Con-
gress, and otherwise, publicly denied substanti-
| ally the right OF Congress to provide for the
pacifcation, government, and restoration OF
said States to the Union. and in like manner
| he has asserted his exclusive right to provide
governments therefor, and to accept and pro,
claim the restoration of said States to the
Union all OF, which is in derogation Of the
rightfh authority of Congress, and calculated
4 to subyert the Government oil the United
States. ziGa1o@g ~ ~ ,ssE z..s
IL, In that in accordance with said declaration,
| lie has vetoed various bills passed by Congress
i for the qualification and government OF the
! States recently in rebellion, and their speedy
restoration to the Union, and upon the ground
and Tor the reason that the said States had
been restored to their places in the Union by
| His aforesaid illegal and unconstitutional pro
| ceedings, thus SO interpoSlng and using con-
stiutional power Of the office he held as to
prevent the restoratlon OF the Union upon
constitutional basis.
In that he has exercised the power OF reno
walls from and appointment to office Tor the pur,
pose of maintaining eflectually his aforesaid
llsurpation, and for the purpose of securing
| the recognition by Congress- of the State Gov
ernments so illegally and unconstitutonalIy set
| up in the States recently IN rebellion such re-
| movals and appointments having been attend
| ed and followed with great injury to the public
| service, and with enormous losses to the public
| revenue.
| In that in the exercise Of the par1onng
| mower, he issued All order Tor restoration OF
one hundred and ninety-three men belonging
| to West Virginia. who upon the records OF the
War Department., were marked as deserters
from the army in time Of war; and this upon
| the representation OF private and interested
persons, and without previous investigation
| by any officer OF the War Department, and for
| the sole purpose of enabling such persons to
vote in an election then pending in said State,
with the expectation that they would SO vote
as to support him in his aforesaid uDconslitu
tiona proceedings, he then we'll knowing that
the men 80 restored, and by virtue of such res
| toration, would be entitled to large sum OF
| money from the Treasury OF the United States.
In that, by his message to the House ofRep
resentatives, on the 22d day OF j une, 1866 and
| by other public and private means, he
has attempted to prevent the ratification Of an
amendment to the Constitution Of the United
| States proposed to the several States by the
two Houses of Congress, agreeably to the Con-
! stitution OF the United States, although such
| proposed amendment provided, among other
| things, for the validity OF the public debt OF
| the United States, and rendered the payment
| of any claim for slaves emancipated or OF any
| debt incurred in aid OF nsurrection or rebellion
| against the United States, impossible, either by
the Government of the United States or by
| any of The States recently in rebellion he we'll
| knowing that the provisions inserted under
and by his dictaton in the said illegal consti-
| tutions for said States were wholly inadequate
| pie of the United States against the payment
| OF claims on account of slaves cmancipated,
| and ofidebts incurred by such States in aid of
| rebellion, thus rendering it practicable and
| easy for those in authority in the aforesaid IL
| legal and unconstitutional governments thus
set up to tax and Cypress the loyal people Of
such States for the benefit of those who have
| been engaged in the attempt to overthrow the
| Government of the United States
| In that be has made official and other deca-
rations and statements calculated and designed
| to injure and impair tie credit Of the United
States to encourage persons recently engaged
in rebellion against It's authority to obstruct
and resist the reorganization OF the rebel States
so-called, upon republican basis, and calcula-
| ted and designed also to deprive the Congress
of the United States Of the confidence of the
people, as we'll in its patriotism as in it's con-
stitutional right to exist and to act as the de-
purtment of the Government which, under the
Constitution, possesses exclusive legislative
power and all this with the intent of render
ing Congress incapable of resisting either his
said usurpations Of power or Of providing and
enforcing measures necessary for tho pacifca-
ton and restoration of the Union
| And that in all this he has exercised the
veto power, the power of removal and appoint
ment, the pardouing power, and other consti-
tutiona powers of his Office for the purpose of
delaying, hindering, obstructing and prevent
ing the restoration of the Union by constiLu-
tional means, and for the further purpose of
alternating from the Government and laws of
the United States, those persons who had been
engaged 10 the rebellion, and who, without
aid, comfort and encouragement thus by him
given to them, would have resumed, in good
faith, their allegiance to the Constitution; and
all with the expectation Of concliating them to |
himself personally. that he might thereby
finally prevent the restoration Of the Union
upon the basis Of the laws passed by Congress-
And, further, that the said Andrew johnson,