Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-12-04
Gbe fireman..
MONTPELIER, VI:
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 4, 1867.
IInneacl.Inent.

We give in another place in this paper, a
summary of the conclusions arrived at in the
majority and minority reports Of the Judicial
~ Committee upon the subject of impeach-
ment \ criticism of either of these reports
Is hardly necessary, as there is now only the
smallest possibility that the House will agree
20 the majority reporter if they should
agree to it, there is only the remOtest proba-
hiIity that the trial could proceed so as to
come To any conclusion before Mr.. johnson
term Of Office would expire by its own limita-
ti1n. and he would have accomplished all the
mischief it Is possible for him to bring about
The question Is, moreover, embarrassed by
tnc absence Of legislation IN defining what
crimes and misdemeanors - are impeacha-
bic offanses, and also in determining whether
an ,.h.iaI. when on trial, is To be allowed te
exercise the usual functions Of his Office ane
any Elf ,rt To settle these matters by legisla-
ton now, - as to apply to President John
son : case. would, manilestly, be CT post tacfo
and unconstitutional
Tire points of difference between the Re
publican members Of the committee are rs t.
what constitutes impeachable oifense
Aiessr- Wilson and Woodbridge arguing thai
it mast he a crime defined by statute, anc
the majority of the committee holding that
the constitutional expression, . high crlme'
aud mis-, lcmcanors, leaves it with the House
to decide in each case what acts come within
that expression In this we think the ma
- bot IL Local
pr,per AMI constitutional to impcach Il pub
lie official for conduct for which he could
not he made answcrable before any other
tribunal UsurpatiOn, refusal to execute
the laws, corruption habitual drunkenness,
would seem to be sufficient grounds for i'm
peaching any public officer; and if one can
not be impeacheI for such conduct, that form
OF trial dosen't amount to much As remedy
for abuse of mes office and its powers. But.
as lawyers disagree upon this question. and
very likely judges would, little if any prac-
teal good can be secured by going ahead with
= trial without a perfectly clear case both in
law and in fact, as such trial, under the
circumstances, it is morally certain would
result in a failure to convict, and would
strengthen President johnson, by giving him
the sympathy of those who would think he
WIS being illegally and unconstitutionally
pat upon his trial
We have never hesitated to express our
opinion that President johnson had been
guilty Of improbable ofTenses, but we have
always doubted whether any good could be
accomplished BY bringing him to trial; and
the delay in bringing the matter before the
House, has only strengthened the conviction
Of the inutiIity of continuing the prosecution.
1t was barely possible, one year ago. that the
Presidents term OF office might be short
,-neI, and the country receive a benefit by his
trial but that possibility long since ceased 70
exist. What good can be secured by going
through the form of trial. which cannot in
any human probability, terminate before Mr..
johnson Is out of office
And we are by no means certain that the
results of the recent elections ought not to
have weight with Congress in the matter of
impeachment. The object of impeachment
Is not the punishment Of the offender, but
the good which Will result to the country BY
HE removal from an Office which he uses i'm
properly or criminally. But large and i'm
portant states like New York, Pennsylv MIA,
and Ohio have, practically, recently declared
that in their Judgment Mr. Johnson's conduct
in office is satisfactory 70 them and while
the people out of Congress are not agreed as
to his criminality, would it not be better to
let the people try the question next No
vember-beforea trial for impeachment could
he ended in any cvent-than to take up the
time Congress might, if it would, devote to a
much better purpose than 10 the protitlcss
prosecution Of an offender whom the people
can vote down in an entirely legal manner :?
This is a government of the people, and We
are decidedly in favor of allowing the people
to choose their own officers and in the long
run, we arc quite sure that it will be about
as well to turn political offenders over to
them TO be dealt with at the baIlot-box, to
attempt TO remove them by the unusual process
of impeachment ahd this certainly ought TO
be looked upon as the remedy against anun-
just president whose official life will be brief
at the longest, and when parties are so evenly
divided as to leave it doubtful what the
dict at the baIIot-bOx would be.