Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1867-07-24
DEBATE IN THE HOUSE ON THE VETO
MESSAGE

to leave the House without entering his protest.
lie read the paragraph toward the close in which
the President holds up the threat that he cannot
be held responsible for the non-execution Of the
law, because it takes away some of his perogatves
and therefrom made a strong appeal for his i'm
parchment lie declared that this menace only
made it more plain TO him that the country could
have no sure peace till this is removed from
his place lie spoke Of him as an obstruction that
reason and argument could not reach-an executive
who used his great Office to foment disturbance
hinder Justice and defeat the will Of the people
He said the chief magistrate was guilty, openly
and deliberately guilty, as sworn evidence shows,
of appointing men 10 Office who he knew could not
take the oath described by Congress lie knew
it was said bat eighteen months Of this mans time
remained SO that the country could endure him to
the end Speaking for himself he profoundly felt
that it was best to examine the evidence, present
the articles and press the tia to an issue, even if
It shortened bis official existence for but day.
Such a course would be OF incaculabe benefit to
the country. 1t would be better to present the
articles even if failure to convict before the SEN
ate were certain, for thereby would be taught
lesson to future bad men that they cannot unchal-
lenged, irhe with the liberties Of people.
Mr.. Randall Of Penn. driveed through twenty
or thirty maudlin aud incoherent sentences, one
OF which that the republicans dare not impeach
the President.
Gen Butler said / would ask the House to
pause in what we all understand to be our primary
duty. The message which we have Just heard did
seem to me to require single remark or two.
First upon its tol e, and second, as to some asser-
tons Of facts do not propose to deal with the
arguments IN the message, but l do protest in the
name of the people, and in the name OF the House,
against the Executive slauderng the Congress OF
the United States by declaring to IN an official
paper, that we have put upon twelve millions of
the people of the country a despotism more ntol-
cradle then ever was borne by any other people.
| give the exact meaning if not the exact words.
OF the message Either that is true or false. If
true we are unworthy of our places here if false
the man who makes the charge ought not to hold
bis place single hour longer than is necessary in
order to take steps to remove him. ! admit that
the gentleman from Pennsy wanna (Mr. Randall
uttered one truth in his remarks and that was
that we dare not do our duty IN that respect.
With shame and confusion Of face, | for one bow
to the truth Of that remark, and the question is
how soon we will be ready to do our duty; how
shall we meet this man when shall we say to
him in the language OF the orator Rome,
"Quousque tandem abutere nostra patientia Cata-
lima How long shall remain here to be
charged with enacting laws which work a despot-
ism TO the country Passing from that | desire to
call attention TO one two of the assertions in the
message | do it not because they new, but
because never here in this place, far as know,
have they been made. The first assertion is that
we, as members of Congress- have declared these
State governments illegal with breath, while
with the other they have sustained them, and he
ins stances various occasions where have called
those States for matters OF legislation, and argues
that we have ratified their existence as States by
sending the constitutional amendment to be raii-
fed by them pray the Judgment of the House.
Show ne any law or any section OF any law, any
where, where Congress has sent any of the
constitutional amendments TO be ratified by one of
these States. We have sent them to be ratified
by the country. and his Secretary OF State, taking
advantage Of his construction has sent the consti-
tutonal provision in reference to the abolition Of
slavery TO the so-called States erected by Execu-
tive order and by no atherpower whatever Again,
he says that we have provided for, and the Senate
has confirmed, the appointmet of Judges for those
States. l again take issue on the act We have
provided for Judges and District Attorneys of the
United States in certain districts Heretofore de-
clared by law and defined by law, ana not Tor any
State Judges whatever. Our legislation has be
for United States officers. Again, we are told in
the same message that the Supreme Court of the
United States has recognized these States States
by assigning their On cults aud usiug their boun-
DIARIES AS convenient designations | deny again
the fact. The Supreme Court has nowhere gwen
any opinion direction ON The subjebt, and that
doctrine cannot be found in its action in any de
gree. The President declares that no particle OF
/ the land IN the Southern States has become the
property of the United States by conquest /
cannot, Tor an Instant allow that statement to go
unchallenged. Every foot Of land that was ocou-
pied by the public enemy of the United States
aud was by the Valor OF its soldiers repossessed by
the United States, became thereupon the property
OF the United States. To say that title by con
quest pertains only to personal property and NOV
able things is to ignore the entire law of nations.
For while it has not been usual in conquering
tons to appropriate the proprietary title OF the
land from motives of public policy yet 1 think |
I ma he af tyrf fers nm fha
rights of war, and ask if there can be found any
one line in denial of the right to appropriate land
thus acquired. shall therefore ask the consider
alton OF the House TO the fact whether or not this
right by conquest is not perfect one to be exer-
cised IN our Judgment as may seem best, either in
mercy, m clemency, in Justice in right, pre-
cisely as we please and not otherwise. Having
thus brought before the House those statements
OF facts and wrong conclusions of law, | for one
am ready vote that this shall become a law,
notwithstanding the veto of the President, and
then see whether he will execute it or whether the
I House Of Representatives will bring him for his
former violations OF the Constitution before the
Senate for trial according the mode aud the en-
ly mode pointed out by the Constitution to relieve
the country from the approximations Of dead rul-
er.
! lie WAS followed by one of the opposition side
boyer of Pennsy lyania--who Valiant, defended
the President He made way for Judge Williams
of Pittsburg, one of The members of the judiciary
committee, who spoke loudly and freely for about
ten minutes, in favor of impeachment, declaring
that the evidence before the committee was con-
elusive; that he had thoroughly informed himself
as 20 the law on the subject that he was ready for
the contest and would maintain himself against all
corners, Hard begging got five minutes for Gen.
Schenck, aud he too, hercely demanded impeath-
ment.
Mr. Stevens then took the floor to close the de-
bate aud the members quickly gathered about his
place lie spoke with considerable bitterness, be-
ginning with the remark that he admitted that the
republican party did not dare to impeach the Pres
ident He said he had given up all hope of relief
from that source and had made up his mind to en-
dure this excellent and aw-respecting chief mag
strate I'LL the end Of his term Gentlemen might
talk of impeachment as earnestly as they pleased,
but it was all in vain, all in vain. He had care
fully looked into the composition of Congress
There were secret and invisible influences at work
and he felt certain from the votes taken the other
day that it impossible to carry articles of i'm
parchment in the House, and il they were presen-
Ted he knew they could not be sustained before the
Senats.
There was struggle for the floor when Mr.
Stevens closed, dozen members pressing for rec
ognition, and the excitement was most intense
He, however, called the previous question aud the
speaker was about to put the vote when the chair
man of the judiciary, Mr. Wilson, demanded a