Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-10-30
Reasons for Impeachment.

Congressional investigating committee,
this speech indicates the coming bill of
Indictment;
The military power cannot, without
the sanction of Congress, establish per-
msnent civil governments for times OF
peace. When aagrant war ceased an
extraordinary occasion had arisen
which made il the duty Of the President
TO convene both Houses of Congress
Refusing to perform this duty, which he
knew to be necessary for this and other
| purposes, he issued seven solemn procla-
nations, assuming to appoint seven
civilian provisional governors, holding
no military commissions, and without
the advice and consent Of the Senate
BY these proclnmations he usuIped the
power to create an Office unknown TO the
Constitution or the laws; to fill that
office with incumbents holding by the
tenure of his pleasure, without the sd-
vice and consent OF the Senate, with
salaries fixed by no law but his will, and
to be paid out of the public treasury in
violation Of the law. He assumed the
power to clothe these officers with
authority; to cause elections to be held
for members Of conventions; to create
State governments by amending State
constitutions in mode different from
that prescribed therein, and without the
sanction of Congress. He prescribed the
qualifications OF electors and members of
conventions, requiring of each an oath
not required by former constitutions and
laws of the States. By his edicts he en-
franchised every rebel in these States
who would take the oath he prescribed,
and excluded loyal freedmen, constitu-
ting nearly one.half of the population of
these States, from all right TO participate
in the elections, or otherwise in the po'
litical power. He put it in the power of
rebels, contrary to his former convictions
of duty, to institute governments forever
denying freedmen the political and civil
rights of citizenship. The President
assumed the right to determine when the
new State governments should go into
operation, requiring the Provisional
Governors to remain in the exercise of
their functions until relieved by his ex-
press direction.
A President whose conduct is marked
by acts which may define him tyrant,
is unfit to be the ruler of free people,
and deserves impeachment In thus
devising the scheme of Acknowledgement,
the President seems to have been guided
by purpose to speedily secure power to
the rebel States, rather than by sense
of duty, if he did not act contrary to his
own convictions expressed at an earlier
l.. htyt hn M
is clearly impeachable and the mode by
which he sought to accomplish it and
force it upon the country, not only ag-
gravates the crime, but, in view of his
motives, constitutes additional grounds
of impeachment. To achieve his pur.
poses he was guilty Of many unnecessary
and unauthorized usurpations and acts
Of oppression. He held the liberty of
the press subject to his sovereign will
and control, suppressing the publication
of such newspapers as he disapproved,
and, permitting them to resume publica-
ton contrary to the advice Of General
Grant, by exacting a pledge to support
the policy of his administrators, when he
was advised that his order was improper
and mischievous in its tendency. He
held large portions of the rebel popula-
ton in abiect servility, not as measure
of safety to the Government, but that he
might bribe support of his policy by the
exercise of the pardoning power. He
has restored to rebels property of the
value of many millions of dollars, in
violation of law and in disregard of the
rights of loyal citizens. He has without
authority and without consideration and
in violation of the law, transferred to
corporations controlled by rebel railroads
constructed by the Government in part
at cost of many millions of dollars, as
he has also other property used for in
surrectionary purposes. He has without
authority and in violation of law sold
railroad rolling stock and other property
of the United States of the value of
many millions of dollars IN long credit,
with insufficient security, for less than
its value, to corporations controlled by
rebels, and when payments fell due he
has corruptly and without authority
suspended the performance of their
obligations. He has prostituted the
power of appointment to and re-
moval from office to the mainten.
ance of his policy, regardless of
and to the great prejudice Of the public
interests; corruptng by IT, as far as pos
sible, all who were base enough to aban-
don principles, and exerting it in spirit
of prescription, and to an extent un-
known in any former administration
He aimed blow at the Constitution and
the liberties of the country by retaining
men in Office regardless of that body.
He made an order removing all penalties
from large number of persons marked
as deserters on the rolls of the War De-
partment, for the purpose of securing the
election Of favorite candidate for Con-
gress in West Virginia, regardless OF
duty and without evidence. He assume I
a power to dispense with the acts of Con
gress, and appointed rebels to office in
violation of law He refused to execute |
laws for the punishment of traitors, or
for the con6scation of their property, or
that used for insurrectionary purposes.
By his proclamation of April 2, 1866, |
and by other acts, he assumed to himself |
the right to determine when war had |
ceased, without consulting the law-mak-
ing power by whose authority alone war |
can be made and peace declared In case |
of rebellion. The assumption Of a power
to declare peace, to say when or how
long the laws Of war shall continue, is
simply a power to terminate war at the
pleasure Of the President, and might be
made fatal to the national existence.
While these usurpations were being
the President maintained the
Of martial Law in rebel States,
from the right to hold Office
under the so-called State authority,