The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-11-28
THE PROPOSED IMPEACHMENT.
ACTION OF TIE HOUSE JUDICIARY CONE
MITTEE.
THREE REPORTS PRESENTED
THE MAJORITY OF THE CoMMITrE RECOMMEND
THE HOUSE TO PREFER ARTICLES OF I'M
PARCHMENT TO THE SENATE.

As briefly stated in our Washington kilograms,
three several reports from the Judiciary Committee
we're presented to the House of Representatives on
Monday last on the proposed impeachment of the
President The majority report, concluding with
resolution recommending impeachment, ID sign
ed by Mess1s. Boutwell,, of Massachusetts, Law
renee, of Ohio Williams, of Pennsylvania, Thom-
as, of Maryland, and Churchill, of New York. 1t
is extremely len ythy, coyerin5 several hundred
pa ges of closely written foolscap. The chairman
of the committee, Ar. Wilson, OF Iowa, presented
minority report, signed by himself and Mr.
Woodbridge, of Vermont, taxing the ground that
in view of all the evidence which has been present.
ed there is nothing to require the interpostion OF
the constitutional power of the House, and recon-
mending that the subject be laid on the table.
The only Democrats on the committee, Messrs.
Eldrdge, of Wisconsin, and Marshall, OF Illinois,
also presented minority report agreeing in the
main with the conclusions arrived at by Messrs.
Wilson and Woodbridge. We give below full alb
stract of the
MAJORITY REPORT.
The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was
referred the resolution OF the 7th OF March last
authorizing them to inquire into the official con-
duct of Andrew Johnson Yice-President OF the
| United States, discharging the present duties OF
the office Of President OF tho United States, ana
to report to this House whether, III their oplnlon
the said Andrew Johnson, while IN said ofhce, has
| been rultv OF acts which we're designed or cacu-
| lated 10 overthrow or corrupt the Government or
the United States, any DEPARTMENT or officer
| thereof. and whether the said Andrew Johnson
has been guilty of any act, or has consplred with
other. to do acts which, in the contemplation OF
| the Constitution are high crimes and miSGemean-
tha intnrDOSItiOn Of th CONSTITUTIONS
| FL power of this House, respectfully report;
! That in the performance OF the important task
| assigned to them, they have spared no pains TO
make their investigation as complete as possiDie,
not only by the exploration Of the public archives,
but in following every indication that seemed to
promise any additional light upon the great sub
| 1cct of inquiry and they submit herewith the re-
suit of that portion of their labors in the voluml-
| nous exhibit that accompanies this report. In
order however, TO direct the attention OF the
| House to such portions of the somewhat hetero-
| geneous mass Of testimony which they have peen
compelled to present without the order OF arrange
| ment that might have facilitated It's examination,
as are regarded by them as most material 10 the
| ssne. thev will now proceed to state, as briefly as
| possible the leading facts which they suppose the
| nn,li,y to have developed beyond dispute, along
with them own conclusions therefrom, and the
| reasons by which they baye been influenced IN
| reaching them. In SO doing they Wust be allowed
| tnc Indulgence which comprehensive. scrutiny,
| RUNNING over two years administration OF the
| ,tf,i,-a ~ n great Government, through an un-
! exampled crisis of the State, and involving the
very highest matters that can engage the atten-
| ton OF free people, would seem 10 necessiIa'e'
| and must, at all events. excuse;
| The charges made, and to which the lnyestlga-
tions OF the Committee have been especially dlrect-
ell arc usurpation OF power and violation OF law ~
the corrupt abuse of the appointing, pardonlhG anu
veto powers in the corrupt interference IN cleo
tions, and generally, in the commission OF acts
amounting to high crimes and mlsdemeanofs ul-
der the Constitution and upon this recltal II Mas
charged with the more general duty ol lnquirille le
into the Official conduct OF the PRESIDENT oi ~
| United States, and of reporting "whether nc naI
been guil,y Cf any acts which were designed or cal
| culated to overthrow subvert or corrupt the gov
| ernment OF the United STATES or which, IN con
temptation of the Constitution wolld constitute
| high crime or misdemeanor requiring the lhterpo
s,tion Of the constitutional power of the House."
| IL will be obEeryed that the great salient POM
| Of accusation standing out IN the foreground ant
challenging the attention OF The country Is usurpH
ton OF power, which involves, OF course, viola
tion of law. ind here it may be remarked thai
| nerhaps every great sbuse, every hagrant depar
| tnre from the well-setted principles OF the Gov
ernme,.t, which has been brought home to 1t:
| present administration, whether discerning ltsel
in spccial infracti0ns OF the statutes OF III th'
nrotiioote use of the high powers conferred by tht
Ennstitntion on the President, Or revealing ltsel
moro manifcstly i'll the systematic attemp, 70 selZ
upou its sovereignty and disparage and supers5d'
the great council to which that sovereignty ha
been entrusted in reference to the one great pur
| pose Of reconstrueLng tic shattered Government'
of the rebel States in actClGanaa with his owl
wish, in the interest of tie great criminals wh'
carried them INTO the rcbellion and in such wa!
rs to deprive the people of the loyal States OF al
chance Of indemnity Tor the past. or security TO
the future l:y par1oning their offences, restoring
their lands aud bl.nging them back, their heart:
unrepentant and Their hands yet red with thu
blood OF our people, into condlti0r where the,
: could once more embarrass and defy, ii not abso
luteiy rule the Government which they had valnl.
endeayored to destroy It is around this point
and as auxiliary to that great central idea, that al
: the special acts OF maladministration we have wit
messed VIII be found to grautate and revolve; ant
Il key which uulocks and intcrprets ali of them. tina
the attention OF the House will be first directed.
II is fact OF history that the obstinate and pro
t;acted struggle between The executive and legis
lative departments, arising out of the claim o
more than kingly power on the one hand and q