Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-02-12
Impeachment of the President.

A correspondent of the Baltimore Gazette,
writing from Washington, under date of Janu-
ary 31st says:
In my letter published ON the 18th inst, !
stated that the 5th of March had been selected
measures for the impeachment of the President,
and that Butler was the appointed instrument
through which the purpose was to be effected
in the House IF any doubt has existed as to
this important fact let the public ponder upon
the proceedings of the Southern Republican
Association" at the meeting held in this city
last evening. A resolution was adopted calling
a National Convention Il quote from the report
Of the Intelhgencer) s'to meet in Washington, on
or about the 4th Of March nert, to represent the
loyal spirit Of the einapeachment party and there
by instruct the Fortieth Congress that it is the
will of the nation that Andrew johnson should
be impeached, as the only hope of the Southern
States for speedy reconstruction. Pending the
adoption of the resolution to further this meas
ure, it was elected from the various speakers
that Hon. Thaddeus Stevens, Hon. Mr.. Bout
well, and Hon. Benjamin F. Butler, who had
been consulted, were friends of this movement -
That this movement" contemplates the use
OF force both to procure the impeachment and
to carry it into effect, cannot be doubted. The
purpose is plainly set forth in the annexed par
agraph (which contains the gist of the speeches
at the meeting, and which unmistakably con-
templates the assemblage of a body Of men,
ready armed and equipped for any emergency
THE last and the surest hope would be in
the assembling of National Convention, COM
posed of delegatss from the East and the Vest,
the North and the South, and let them declare,
under the shado,o of the Capitol, and aoitzin
hearing of Congress, that 1t IS the aciH of the peo-
pile that the President should be inapeached at
once sl aa E1a ,iL 40!
The significance and Importance of this mani
festo of the Southern revolutionists will be fully
acknowledged when the reader is informed that
they are confessedly acting as the jackalls of
Mr.. Ashley and the Judiciary Committee, as
thus shown:
Zone of the gentlemen announced that he
had yesterday obtained very important informa-
ton desired by Mr.. Ashley and he hoped every
member of the association would be as active as
the committee had been in strengthening the
hands of the Chairman of the Impeachment
Committee. -
What will be the ultimate fate of the Presi
dent, should the objects of the conspirators be
successful in forcibly 'sejecting" him from his
position, may readily be inferred from what
Forney, in furtherance of the views of the
Southern Association, suggests:
''The course he (the President) is taking in
constituting himself the State, and ignoring
the great popular representative bodies, is SO
abject an imitation of the worst tyrant in Euro
pean history that in seeking transatlantic au-
dience before which to rehearse his invective,
and to illuminate his threats, he is playing only
natural parts; and if he should unconsciously
complete the parallel by securing his election
from the post he disgraces at aoiW be because the
glorious example achich led to the decapitation
of Charles and the accession of the Lord Pro
tector has not been forgotten by people who
are carefully studying the lessons of those in
structive times