Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-12-23
Opiniena ON she Impeachment
ElN.eC.

0pinfana ON she lmpeacIs ment I
Eiasco.
Several days since we printed extracts
from Western Radical journals OF the de-
fes, % the impeachment business. Eastern
Journals haze since come 10 hand, from
which we maze some extracts. The \. Y.
Tribune says:
The house has closed the impeachment
question. IA We expected. the project has
bson defeated b. dec sivc vote-lvs to %.
We need scarcely say we are satisfied
with ,ns result. We have never felt that
good would come from forcing upon the
country an issue which could only postpone |
reconstruction, emhsrrsss tn finances, and
perhaps impose upon us the responsibility /
Of meeting revolution. ne colh- /
try secs ia Mr. johnson an obstinate man, |
who means honestly T. deal with aqlesiion
which he Of all men is the least fitted to de- |
eide. Mr. do we place on tue shout |
der Of the President all the blame of the
present trouble. lie had Republicans
enough to go with him-to cheer him-io
applaud his course ~ liberal and patriotic. |
lie found republican Conventions willing to
sustain bin, and to sacrifice the negro. pro
vided our office giving Caesar with 10000
palpaole offices could be conciliated. These
men only left Mr.. Johnson when they saw
the cloud Of popular rath rising over his
head. While he was honestly wrong, they
dishonesty followed his lead TO serve their
tura upon him. We forget that in trsvers-
ing his record We traverse . record that
many Of our friends would not care TO face.
When they swiftly changed, and
demanded impeachment, we re listed II as q
concession to popular passion We held
that inpeachment was judicial task, and
not political, and that, unless the hati on's
existence demanded il, there was TOO much
To be lost by entering upon = harrassing
end. purposeless investigation. Wefet this
especially Is success was doubtful, and fall
ure would only restore the rebels 10 power.
We shall have burdens enough TO
carry in the next campaign. without max
ing Mr.. johnson a martyr and carrying
him also, We trust the country will
not fail to note that Congress has acted in
this matter with patience, with wisdom,
with serene dignity, without passion. A
few individual members may have said in
temperate things. but the action Of Con-
grcss has not been incorporate. Impcach-
mcnt has been put to rest. The National
Grand lnqucs, finds no bill Of indictment
against Andrew johnson.
The New York Times says:
The impeachment motion has been
squsshed more summarily and moro dec-
sively than Mt one time seemed probable
Not, however, without . fair exhibit on boil,
sides, and n patient hearing Of oil that was
necessary to an understanding Of the case
Mr. Boutwell, did the best that could be
done for the majority report, and elaborated
| an argument against the President which
would have been more effective bad evidence
b, en- available on its support. Mr.. Wilson
renewed on the floor the mastery argument
which he presented from . minority Of the
Committee /; exposing the worthlessness Of
the evidence acquired during the investigs-
ton, and the hollowness Of the ground on
which Mr.. boutwell, rested his proposition
The terms Of the final division left
nothing TO be desired in respect TO its con
ciusiveness.
| BY IN agreement between the parties, Mr.
Wilson Withdrew his motion 10 lay the sub
let on the table and the vote was taken on
Mr.. Boutwelfs solution-"That Andrew
Jonn. on, President OF the United States, be
.npeached for high crimes and misdemean-
nrS. There was trial Of strength on the
direc, issue. free from all IN umbrances and
he DIVISION hist tells Tie tale Of strict par
~ vnte. FIFTY seven extreme Republicans
supported the resolution, while Of the one
| hundred and eight votes east lanst 1t six-
~ seven were Republican, A majority Of
the Republican Reprrse tatives, therefore,
as well ts majority Of the House, are re-
| corded against the motion.
The result Ia SATISFACTORY 1t removes
huge rilesof rubbish which under the
term OF impeachment threatued to obs,ruct
public business nnd TO devesope the annoy
anee> inseperable from he ated snd prolong ed
discussion on a subject SO full of PERSONAL
ties and anmosIti.s.
The Philadelphia North Amsrican SAYS !.
|. is fitting that Congress should consult
public sentiment in legislstlng on qucstions
50 momsntious IL cannot lie denied
that the great reaction visible in the North
ern aud Western elections indicated de-
sire Tor safe and pruden, measures only in
she present national crisis. However
We may agree that President johnson has
deserved impeachment, majority If the
people do not appear TO have reached tie
same conclusions, and until they do it viii
be an extremely hazardous movement to
undertake 70 dcpose the Chief Magistrate If
the Republic IL there were no other rea-
son this ought to be sufficient Inpcach-
msnt does not command the support of a
majority even OF the republicans, and if We
add the dissenting members Of that party 10
the great mass of the Democrats, the i'm
peschrrs will he left in fearful minority.
| The dread OF such an event has ex-
cited most distracting influence on the
business clrc.cs Of the cauntry, aud caused
great deal 81 iniluctua,ion IN the markets
and whatever good might be reached bv
getting Johnson ont Of power, it would be
TAR more than countcracted hy the loss ot
public confidence aud the destruction OF ali
business contidence'and stability.