The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1867-11-29
The Impeachment Question.

The Impeachment Question m
The Judiciary Committee of the House of
Re ,resentatives, to whom was referred the task
of searching for evidence upon which to base an
impeachment of President johnson, have made
one majority and two minority reports to the
House. The majority report, which is signed by
Messrs. Boutwell,, of Massachusetts, Lawrence,
of Ohio, Williams, of Pennsylvania, Thomas,
of Maryland, and Churchill, of New York, ex-
hibits the most vinictve partisan spirit and
seems intended for political effect, and to divert
the minds OF the people from the great wrongs
committed by Congress, and to fix their atten-
tiou upon those which they charge against the
President. 1t concludes with the following res
oluton, the adoption of which they recommend
'Resolued, That Andrew Johnson President
of the United States be impeached of high crimes
and misdemeanors."
One Of the minority reports is signed by
Messrs. Wilson, of low, and Woodbridge, of
Vermont, both Republicans, who, while they
dissent from the temper and spirit of the ma
jority report censure the President for What
they conceive to be derelictions of duty, and as
sert that the evidence against him is not of such
character as would be received by any court
in the land. The report concludes as follows:
"Resoloed That the committee on the Judiciary
be discharged from the further consd-
Grafton of the proposed impeachment of the
P resident of the United States, and that the
subject be laid upon the table,"
The other minority report is signed by Messrs.
Marshal and Eldridg,, Democrats. This report
- hat
Woodbridge, in asserting that the evidence does
not show that the President has been guilty of
any crime for which under our Constitution and
laws he can or ought to be impeached, proceeds
as follows
j! Mr.. johnson is censured for things that Mr.
Lincoln was applauded Mr. Stanton gave
his approval ofacts for which Mr.. johnson is M
raigned. The President has used ev-
cry means within his power to bring tie great
State prisoner Jefferson Davis TO a speedy trial.
and yet he has been denounced throughout the
land for procrastinating and preventing the trial.
while the judges and prosecuting officers having
entire control Of the matter have been deemed
worthy of the most hOnored plaudits.
The President is gravely arraghed orarraying
himself against the loyHl people OF the country 10
vetoing tine miscallcd reconstruction acts of Con-
eress Congress itself has for these same acts
first received the most whitening condemnation
and rebuke OF the entire people, from Maine to
California The imptachers, forgetting that
they have been themselves impeached, and that
the verdict Of the tribunal of last resort has al
ready been rendered against them, still persist
10 trihing with the peace, safety and prosperity
of the country by perpetrating upon it the dam
gerous question at II lime 50 critical rs this.
We cannot doubt that the evidence herewith
this day submitted will at once lie received
i'll mil h,trot S,f tnI.n L.,
the American people. 1t they retain any just
pride in their country ard its institutions, they
will hlnsh to find that the chief ufficer OF their
government }as for ten months been suhlect"d to
tho scrutiny of a Secret Star Chamber iaqusi-
ton unparalleled in its character in the annals
of civization. A drag net has been put out to
catch every malicious whisper. Spies have been
sent all over the land to find something that
might backen the name and character of the
Chief Magistrate of our country. Unwhipped
knaves have given information of fabulous let
tiers ond documents that, like the ignis fdtuuS,
eternally eluded the graspof their pursners.
That most notorious character, Gen'l L. G.
Baker, ''cbief of the detective force even had
the effron,ery to insult the American people by
placing his spies within the very walls of the
Executive Mansion The privacy of the Presi-
dents he, his private lite and habits, and most
secret thoughts have not been deemed sacred OF
exempt from invasion the members of his house
hold have heen examined, and the chief prusecu-
tor has not hesitated to dive into loathsome dun
geons and consort with convicted ielons for the
purpose of accomplishing the object OF arragn-
ing the President charge OF Infamous crimes.
Concerning Detective Bakers testimony the
report adds In every important statement he is
contraGicted by witnesses of unquesioned credi-
biliiy, and there can be no doubt that to his
many previous outrages, emitting him to an I'M
enviable immortality, he has added that of will
fnl and deliberate perjury, and we are glad TO
know that no one member of the committee
deems any statement made by him as worthy of
the slightest credit.
Clothed with power by reckless administra-
ton, that creature not only had the license to
arrest, without crime or writ, and imprison
without limit.any citizen of the republic, but
that he actually did so arrest thousands all over
the land, and filled the prisons all over the coun-
try with the victims of his malice or that of his
masters.
1t is not our purpose now to attempt an analy-
els or discussion of the evidence taken before us,
or to point out the gross absurdities and incon-
sstencies of a very large per ion of it.
1t will be read and considered by the American
people, and we cannot doubt what their verdict
will be when those who have been attempting to
load with disgrace and intany the chief magis-
trate of our country shall sand pilloried 10 the
undy ing scorn and Indignation of a great PEG.
pie, he, after passing through his fiery ordeal,
we have no hesitation in predicting, will have
and retain all over the land, even to greater
extent than heretofore, the respect and confidence
of his countrymen.
% PoIsoNED.-On Saturday last, child about
3 years of age, son Of Mr. Hugh Friel, living in
this place, was poisoned from eating the feeds of
the jamestown or Gympson weed. Shortly fter