Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-11-07
LfPEAcH HIM

We live in an age of revolution. The
smooth water is not yet reached. 1t is folly
10 cry, Peace Peace when there is none.
With the ships amid the breakers shall
the pilot go to sleepa
With the war unended shall the army be
discharged?
With usurper in the Presidential chair,
guilty of enough high crimes and misde-
mcanors to justify the impeachment of
dozen Executives, is the false conservatism
of timid men, the influence Of selfish men,
the outcry of bad.mcn, to check the repre-
sentatives of the people in the performance
OF their plain duty?
Is Congress once more going to temp0rize
with usurper Is the Senate once more
going to barter in offices with him, winking
at his outrages upon the peoples rights and
liberties?
We hope not. We believe not.
Experience has done her utmost to teach
us to fight the devil with fire. 1t is folly to
expect to propitiate him with sugar plums.
Let us apply the lesson.
OF what, then, has Andrew johnson been
guilty9
OF these high crimes and misdemeanors,
among many others: That in 1865, when the
war ended, and there was such an s'extraordi-
nary occasion" as demanded that Congress
should be convened, he neglected or refused
10 perform that duty, 10 the end that he
might usurp the powers which, under the
Constitution, belong exclusively to the Leg
isative branch of the Government.
Chat this was his object appears from the
steps he took.)
lie issued seven proclamations, assuming
10 appoint seven civitian provisional
governors" holding no military commission,
and without the advice and consent of The
Senate He created the office, for it was
unknown to the Constitution, and assumed
to fix its period of continuance, viz during
lis pleasure ! This, too, without the ad
vice and consent of the Senate. He assumed
to prescribe the salary these creatures o.
his will should be paid, viz $4,000, year
and without authority, corruptly ordered
them to be paid, out Of the Public 1red
Suy,
lie assumed the power and more o
this, mark you, as military authority, in Iii
capacity of Commander in Chief-to cloth
these officers with power to cause cleo
tions to be held for members of Conven
tons, to create State governments by amend
ing their Constitutions in a mode diiferen
from that prescribed therein. He fixed tn,
qualification of the electors, and of mem
bers OF the convention, requiring them t
take an oath which their old State laws an
Constitutions had never made necessary, br
which had the effect of eniranchising ever
rebel, guilty of the crime of treason, VIII
would take it, lie assumed the power
lisfranchise the whole of the freedmen col
stituting nearly one-half the adult ma
population, and nearly the whole of thos
who had been and remained friendly to Il
Union These men and their families he u
tempted to place under the heel and at Il
mercy of the rebels whom he favored. An
the Constitutions thus formed he decided
be valid without any vote of the people
ratify them.
But after these governments had been c
,ablished, as he prescribed, he retained Ii
control over them, ordering the ''provisio
III" Governors, his creatures, to remain
the exercise of their functions, till rclev'
by his ''express direction"
Such were some Of Andrew johnson
usurpations in his so-called "policy of r
construction" How much farther the 1
might be extended, everybody knows. p
such outrages upon the rights of the poop
it is the duty of Congress TO impeach hi
If they fail to discharge it, not only will I
country suffer ao,o, but the consequences
tho future no man can forctell