The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1867-12-10

penolDg before 1t, to decide an act OF
Congress constitutional, it should, because
it did not agree to the propriety or poll
cy OF the enactment, declare its severe
censure and condemnation of the Con-
gress for having passed it,who would hes.
itate to pronounce this an unjustifiable
and even unwarrantable interference with
the rights and duties of Congress by the
Supreme Court calculated to disturb the
general harmony of our governmental
system, and 10 bring into unhappy if not
fatal collision the coordinate depart
ments2 Like this attempt to reprove or
censure the President for acts or wrongs
not amounting to offenses subjecting him
to the legal jurisdiction of the House of
Representatives, such an act would be
sheer impudence; an act on the part of
the Court justly meriting obIoquy and re-
proach. Such interference by one depart
ment of the Government with the other,
without authority of law, must and most
assuredly will break off that comfy which
should al al times characterize their rela-
tioDs in intercourse. The end cannot but
be foreseen--the antagonism will ulti-
mately produce enmity and open hostili-
ty and aggressions which must result in
the destruction of one or more depart
ments, aud, as consequence, destroy
our system of government altogether.
With all due respect to the majority of
the Committee, we can not regard the
charges made against the President as
serious attempt to procure his impeach-
ment without dwelling upon their utter
failure to point to the commission of q
single act that is recognized by the laws
OF our country as high crime or misde-
meanor. The inconsistency of the ma
jority cannot fail to challenge the attention
of the country. Acts for which Mr..
Lincoln was clamorously applauded are
deemed high crimes in Mr.. johnson. For
every act SO gravely condemned the Pres
ident bad the sanction and approval of
his Cabinet, and yet while he is arraigned
before the world as criminal of the
deepest dye, they are not only not i'm
peached but are recognized as especial
favorites of the party for impeachment.
The latter have even gone SO far as to
unite in the passage of an extraordinary
and unprecedented law to prevent the
President from removing these officers
from the places which they held Mr..
StaEton, the late Secretary of War, gave
his emphatic approval of the acts for
which the President is arraigned, and yet
the ex-Sccretary is favorite and popu-
lar martyr, and the whole country is
vexed with clamors for his restoration to
power and place. The President is held
criminally responsible for the acts of sub.
ordiuates of which he did not even have
the slightest notice or knowledge; and
yet those bringing him to trial enact q stat
ute depriving him of all controlover these
same subordinates, and they are deemed
worthy of the especial protection Of Con-
gress The President has used every
means within his power to bring the
great State prisoner, Jefferson Davis to
a speedy trial, and vet he has been de.
nounced throughout the land for pro-
crastination and preventing the trial,
while the Judges and prosecuting officers
having entire control of the manner have
been deemed worthy of the most honor
ed plaudits. Were ever inconsistencies
more glaring and unexplicable than these2
And cansEe possibly be mistaken when
we assert. that, however honest he may
be, the majority Of the Committee, the yer-
dict of the country, and Of posterity,
will be that the crime of the President
consists, not in notations, but in reiusals
to violate the laws, in being unable to
Keep pace with the ''party Of progress !"
n theft rapidly advancing movements, or
to step "outsi3e and above" the Constitu-
tion in the administration of the Gov
ernmcnt in preferencs to the Constitution,
to the dictation of an usctuIulous partl-
san cabal, in bravely daring to mest the
maledictions of those who have arrived
at the accomplishment Of most wicked
and dangerous revolution, rather than to
encounter the reproach of his own con-
science, and the curses OF posterity
through all time. If the subject was
not too grave and serious one for mirth
some Of the grounds of impeachment
presented by the majority would certainly
be sufficiently amusing. The President
is gravely arralgned for arraigning him
self against the loyal people of she coun-
try IN vetoing the miscalled reconstruc-
ton acts of Congress, when without
dwelling upon the constitutional right
and duty Of the President in the prem
ises, Congress itself has fer these same
acts received the most withering and IN.
dignant condemnation and rebuke of the
entire people from Maine to California.
The impeuchers, forgetting that they
have been themselves impeached, and
that the verdict Of the tribunal Of
the last resort has already been rendered
against them. still persist in trifing with
the peace safety and prosperity Of the
country by precipitating upon it this
dangerous question at time SO critical
as this. 1t is wicked thus to triHe with
the most vital interests of the nation
and to disregard the voice of great
people when spoken, as in this case, so
emphatically in favor of the preserva-
ton of our constitutional form of gov
ernment, and the rights and liberties es-
tablished by our revolutionary fathers.
We will not attempt to add anything to
the able, and as We believe unanswerable
argument just presented by the chairman
Of our Committee upen the law of i'm
peachment. Had not experience taught
US the wonderful diversity of human
judgements and conclusions, we should
find it difficult to believe, that there
could, upon the questions submitted to