Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-10-31
The Grounds for Impeachment.

In the Appendix to IHe Con9fessaohttt
Globe for the last session, now just pub |
lished. is speech which was not delivered
in the House, but printed by permission un-
der the rules of the House, by Judge Will
liam Lawrence of Ohio, in which he sum-
med up the grounds upon which he favored
impeachment, We quote as follows, from
his exceedingly able speech:
"The military power cannot, without the
sanction of Congress, establish permanent
civil governments for times Of peace. When
flagrant war ceased extraordinary occa-
sion had arisen which made it the duty of
the President to convene both Houses OF
Congress- Refusing to perform this duty,
which he knew to be necessary for this and
other purposes, he issued seven solemn
proclamations, assuming to appoint seven
civilian provisional governors, holding no
| military commissions and without the adj
| vice and consent of the Senate. By these
proclamatons he usurpcd the power to Gre
ate an office unknown to the Constitution
or tho laws; to fill that Office with incum
bents holding by the tenure OF his pleasure,
without tho advice and consent OF the Sen
ate, with salaries fixed by no law but his
will, and to be paid out of the public
treasury in violation Of the law. He
l
with authority; to cause elections to be held
| for members of conventions; to create State
governments by amending State constitu-
| tions in mode different from that pre-
scribed therein, and without the sanction Of
| Congress. He prescribed the qualifications
| of electors and members of conventions, re-
ouring of each an oath not required by
former constitutions and laws of the States.
BY his edicts he enfranchised every Rebel
in these States who would take the oath he
prescribed, and excluded loyal freedmen,
constituting nearly one half of the popua-
tion OF these States, from all right to partci
pate in the elections, or otherwise in politl-
cal power. lie put it in the power Of Reb-
els, contrary to his former convictions of
duty, to institute governments forever deny
ing freedmen the political and civil rights of
citizenship. The President assumed the
right to determine when the new State gov
ernments should go into operation, requiring
the provisional governors to remain in the
exercise of their functions until relieved 5y
his express direction.
A President whose conduct is marked by
acts which may define him tyrant, is unfit
to be the ruler of a free people, and deserves
impeachment In thus devising the scheme
of disfranchisement, the President seems to
have been guided by purpose to speedily
secure power to the Rebel States, rather
than by sense of duty, it he did not act
contrary to his own convictions expressed at
an earlier date, This usrrpation by the
President is clearly mpeachablc, and the
mode by which he sought to accom-
plsh ii, and force il upon the
country, not only aggrayates the crime,
but, in view Of his motives, consti-
tutes additional grounds Of impeachment
To achieve his purposes he was guilty of
many unnecessary and unauthorized usurpa-
tions and acts Of oppression. He held the
liberty Of the press subject to his sovereign
will and control, ,suppressng the publication
Of such newspapers as disapproved and
permitted them to resume publication CON
trary to the advice of Gen. Grant, by exact.
: ing a pledge to support the policy Of his adj
/ ministration, when he was advised that his
order was improper and mischcvous in its
: { ndency. He held large portions OF the
: Rebel population in abject serylity, not as 4
il measure of safety to the Government, bn
c that he might bribe support OF his policy BY
c the exercise of The pardoning power. H'
h has restored to Rebels property of the valu'
a of many millions of dollars, in 4laiiol o
i law and in disregard of the rights of loya
/ citizens. He has, without authority ant
d without consideration, and in violation Q
it the law, transferred TO corporations CONTROL
= ed by Rebels, railroads constructed by tho
> Government in part Mt Il cost of many mil
j. lions of dollars, us he has also other proper
l. ty used for insurrectionary purposes IL
n has, without authority and in violation o
n law, sold railroad rolling stock and othe
4 property of the United States of the value c
g many millions of dollars on long credit,wit
r insufficient security for less than its value I
Of corporations controlled by Rebels, and whe
S payments fell due he has couuptly and witt
l. out authority suspended the performanc
4 of their obligations. lie has prostltuted til
n power of appointment to and removal frol
in office to the maintenance of his policy, +,
ic gardless of and TO the great prejudice of Il
I'd public interests; eoriupting by it, as lar ;
n possible, all who are base enough to abando
G. principles, and eXcrting it in spirit of pre-
lis scription, and to an extent unknown in an
of former administration. He aimed bio
o. at the Constitution and the liberties OF Il
IS country, by refusing 10 submit appointment
in to office, to the Senate for their advice an
Ii consent, and by retaining men in office r.
r. gardless of that body. He made an ord
mt removing all penalties from large nun
,of Der of persons marked as descrters on Il
es. rolls of the War Department for the purpo
I'M of securing the election of favorite cand
I'M date for Congress in West Virginia, regar
a less of duty and without evidence. He a
wv suned a power TO dispense with the acts
il Congress, and appointed Rebels to office
its violation of law. He refused to cxecu
is laws for the punishment of traitors, or i
res the confiscation of their property, Or th
til used for insurrectionary purposes, BY b
in proclamation of April 2, 1866, and by 9th
W acts, he assumed to himself the right to d
nd termine when war had ceased, without co
,ay sulting the law-making power by whose a
oy- thority alone war can be made and peace d
clarcd in cases of rebellion. The assum
ers tion of power to declare peace, to 81
in when or how long the laws of war sh
an continue, is simply power to terminate "
Dh- at the pleasure of the President, and mig
be made fatal to the national exsten'
re- While these usurpations were being pract
the ed, the President maintained the operati
ith of martial law in Rebel States, suspend
en- from the right to hold office under the
vor called State authority, whomsoeverh he cho
I'M while maintaining the right to try civil
his tenders by military commissions, and TO p,
by ish at his pleasure. His conduct encouras
,lu- Rebels to murder, in cold blood, unoiiendi
t is citizens in the exercise of their peace
ier- rights. Processing to regard Louisiana a
lers regularly organized State, he, in violati