The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-09

of punishment was wholly secondary con
sideration. The main thing was to get him
out of Office. He was an 'obstacle" to the
accomplishment Of political purposes. He
stood in the way OF cherished political designs.
Until he could be got out of the way those
schemes must halt. This is not matter Of con
iecture-it was avowed. We are not inferring
motives, we are simply assigning the motives
which were distinctly declared. Wendell Phil
lips said the removal of the President by inn
peachment was necessary-not because he was
guilty of crimes, but because he was an "ob-
stacle' to the reconstruction of the Southern
States. Mr.. Boutwell, said publicly that
nothing could be done towards Just and safe
reconstruction so long as President Johnson
remained in office. And General Butler has
repeatedly assigned the Presidents resistance
TO the public will as the reason for his inn
peachment and removal.
We do not believe that either Congress or
the country shares this feeling or would
sanction impeachment on such a basis. They
will not justify resort to it as a weapon of
political warfare, first because it is neither
Legitimate nor just, and next because it would
establish a most mischievous and fatal prece-
dent. Impeachment was intended to be the
remedy for great evils-the penalty of great
crimes If it may be used as a weapon of
party warfare it will belong to all parties alike,
and while one may use it to-day, another will
use 1t tomorrow. Whenever Congress and
the President shall disagree, the natural opera
ton of the Constitution will be overborne
and set aside by this process. This would be
simply to substitute force, under forms of law,
for the constitutional mode of administering
the Government.
Each party will use it against the other
whenever the occasion shall serve. General
Butler maintains that a President may be inn
peached for Offenses that are not crimes; that
witnesses of his guilt are not necessary,
but that he may be tried upon common
rumor; that Senators are not disqualified from
trying him by having expressed opinions of
his guilt; and that he may be removed from
office before trial and without conviction. Let
this be established as American constitutional
law and practice, and how long would any
President hold his place when the House of
Representatives should be controlled by
majority made up of his political opponents
If Andrew Johnson has been guilty of "high
crimes and misdemeanOrs'' in the discharge of
his official duties, the people will not only JUS
tify, but they will demand his impeachment.
Their regard for the honor as well as the safety
of the nation will require it. If a preliminary
inquiry by the House of Representatives dis
closes facts which show that he has been thus
guilty, that House will not only be justified in
impeaching and sending him to the bar of the
Senate for trial, but it will be held inexcusable
if it fails to do so. 1t is quite just and proper
that the inquiry already commenced should be
continued. But it must be judicial in its tenn
per and just in its forms and modes of pro-
cedure. 1t must aim at TRUTH and not at
party victory-it must seek the vindication of
right, and not the consummatiOn Of party
scheme. We believe the country will accept
the action of Congress in continuing the inves-
tigatjOn in The hands of the Judiciary Commit
tee as all Indication that it will be conducted
in this spirit and for the attainment of these
ends.