Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-02-21
gradfurd Repurter.
Towanda, Thursday, Feb. 2l, 1867.
THE IMPEACHMENT.

doubts the right and Constitutional
power of the two Houses of Congress
to exercise such authority-not be-
cause it even doubts the guilt of the
President, but it fails to discover the
of the measure, and believes the in
terests of the country can be better
protected against his encroachments
upon the rights of the people in some
other way And we have reason to
suppose the views of the REPORTER
on this subject are substantially in
harmony with the great majority of
the Rpublican press throughout the
country.
But Notwithstanding this attitude
of the Republican press, which doubt
less reflects the views of a great ma
jority of the party, the prospect of
impeachment is more imminent now
than at any other time Why? Be-
cause of the attitude and action of
the Democratic party. The criminal
folly Of the friends of the President
who at the Democratic Conventions
and such papers as the Washington
| Constitutional Union and the Demo
cratic press generally, openly threat
ened armed resistance if Congress
should exercise its express Constitu-
tional right of impeachment, has
done more to make an impeachment
probable than all other causes to-
gether. If Congress can not take
an undeniably Constitutional step
but a faction in opposition must in
woke civil war, we ought all to know
it. And if it be necessary to i'm
peach the President in order to prove
that fact, while we are opposed to
the plan naturally, we say by all
means let him be impeached. From
1860 to the present time the Demo
cratic party has tried to carry every
election and to secure all it's meas
ures by threat of civil war JOHN
VAN buren, at the Cooper Institute,
in 1862, and JAMES BRooCs at New
Haven, and EDMUND BURKE at Con
cord, in 1867, resort to the same
menace. 1t should not be disregard
ed. Such men should be taught,
whenever they invite the issue, that
the people of the United States are
not yet Mexicanized, and that they in
tend to settle all questions by peace
ful methods until they are openly op-
posed, and will then forcibly over
come the opposition, that peaceful
methods may be resumed.
If the evidence laid before the
Jud iciary Committee shall show that
the President has unquestionably at
tempted to subvert the Government,
directly or indirectly, by usurpation
or by corruption, or by inaction,
whatever may be opinion of this or
any other Journal, he will be i'm
peached and tried, and if convicted
he will be removed from office. And
whoever undertakes to resist by arms
the process or the decision will fare
as other rebels have lately Jared. 1t
is one of those great and grave
measures which only extraordinary
public emergency can justify. 1t is
indeed strictly Constitutional, as the
war-power is Constitutional. If the
Constitutional authority be offensive
ly denied, the country may demand
that the issue be raised. But no
sensible man can be Indifferent to
the Importance of such action, and
will therefore neither passionately
nor fippantly invoke it.
This is undoubtedly the attitude of
the country at this moment. Nothing
will change it but the continuous fol-
ly Of the Presidents party. If they
and he are wise, they will patiently
await the action of the Committee
If the Committee report that ample
grounds for impeachment exist, and
state their nature so that the country
can clearly comprehend them, the
President,if if wisely advised, will abide
by the Constitution and the methods
it prescribes. That, and that only,
will be proof to the country that he
sincerely believes in the Justice of his
position. That, and that only, will
incline the country to judge dispas.
sionately the evidence of the defense.
Mad and reckless as his words and
measures have been, fatally encour-
aging to the rebellious spirit, and de-
structive of the hopes of loyal and hu-
name citizens, his acts are not of me-
cessity to be interpreted as conceived
with an intent of overthrowing the
Government An obstacle to the 10y
al and generous purpose of the coun-
try he plainly is but not and obsta-
Gle, obviously, to be removed by i'm
parchment But the moment he re-
sists simple Constitutional process,
that moment he judges himself. And
when the Democratic party declares