Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1867-12-04

tisans IN this grave proceeding, we never
theless feel panied by the tone, temper, and
| spirit of their report. But regrets will not
answer the demands of the present grave
| and commanding occasion, and we there
fore respond to them by presenting to the
House the results of careful, deliberate,
and as we hope, q conscientious investiga
/ tion of the case before rs.
Messrs. Wilson and Woodbridge then
proceeded TO discuss the constitutional
question, Nth regard to the impeachment,
ETC., showing by reference to legal author
ities tha. an impeachment cannot be sup
ported by any &C. which falls short of an
indctable crime, or misdemeanor. Eug-
lish precedents are referred to at length
and copious extracts are made from the
testimony of the Committee in order to re-
flute the reasoning, and conclusion Of the
majority. They conclude as follows:
A great deal of the matter contained in
the volume Of testimony reported to the
| House is of no value whatever. Much of
it is mere hearsay, opinions of witnesses,
and no little amount of it is utterly irrele-
want to the case. Comparatively small
amount of it could be used on a trial of
! this case before the Senate All of the
testimony relating to the failure to try and
admission to bail of Jefferson Davis, the
assassination of President Lincoln, the dia
ry of j. Wilkes Booth, his place of burial,
the practice of pardon brokerage, the al
legged correspondence of the President with
Jefferson Davis, may be interesting to a
reader, but is not of the slightest import
ance so far as determination of this case
is concerned. Still, much of the irrelevant
| matter has been interviewer into the ma
jority report; and has served to heighten
its color and to deepen its tone. Strike
out the stage effect of this irrelevant mat
ter, and the prominence given to the Tu-
! dors, the Stuarts, and the Michael Burns,
and much Of the play will disappear; set
tie down upon the real evidence in the
case, that which will establish in view of
the attending circumstances a substantial
crime by making plain the elements which
constitute It, and the case, in many re-
spects drops into political contest. In
approaching conclusion, we do not fail
to recognize the standpoints from which
this case can be rcviewed-the legal and
the political. Viewing it frcn the latter,
the case is a success. The President has
disappointed the hopes and expectations
of those who placed him in power; he has
betrayed their confidence and joined hands
with their enemies he has proved false TO
the express and implied condition which
underle his elevation to power, and in our
view of the case deserves the censure and
condemnation of every we'll disposed citi-
zen of the Republic. While we acquit
him of impeachable crimes We pronounce
him guilty Of many wrongs, His contest
with Congress has delayed Reconstruction
and inflicted vast injury upon the people
of the rebel States. He has been blind to
the necessities of the times and to the de-
mauds Of a progressive civilization, cnvel-
oped in the darkness of the past, and seems
not to have detected the dawning bright
ness of the future. Incapable of appre-
ciating the grand changes which the past
six years have wrought, he seeks to meas
ure the great events which surround him
by the narrow rules which adjusted pub
lie affairs before the rebellion, and its legit-
innate consequences destroyed them and
established others. Judge him politically,
condemn him but the day ofpolitical inn
peachment would be sad one for the
country. Political unfitness and incapaci-
ty must be tried at the ballot box, not in
the high court Of impeachment, A con-
trary rule might leave to Congress but lit
tie time for other business than the trial
of Impeachment. But we are not now
dealsng with political offences. Crimes
and misnemeanors are now demanding
our attention. Do these within the mean
ing of the Constitution appear Rest the
case upon political offenscs and we are
prepared to pronounce against the Presi-
dent for such offences are numerous and
grave, If Mexican experience is desired
we need have no difficulty, for there almost
every election is productive ola revolution
If the people of this republic desire such a
result we have not yet been able to discern
it, nor would we favor it if its presence
| were I1dIliIcS| "ulC VIC COuuciUH dUC
censure the political conduct of the Presi-
dent and judge him unwise in the. use o
his discretionary powers, and appeal to the
people of the Republic TO sustain us, w
still affirm that the conclusion at which W,
, have arrived is correct. We, therefore
declare that the case before US presented
by the testsmony, and measured by the
law, does not disclose suchhigh crimes anc
misdemeanors within the meaning of the
Constitution as require "the interpositior
Of the constitutional power Of this House.
and recommend the adoption of the fol
lowing resolution {:
Resolved, That the Committee on thc
Judiciary be discharged from the further
consideration Of the proposed impeach-
ment of the President of the United States
and that the subject be laid upon the ia
BILE.
; (Signed,) JAMES +. WILSON,
FREDERICK Z. WooDBRIDGE
Alabama.
L