The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-01-11
THE PEOPLE WILL UPH0LD THE
HIGHT.

The Constitution of the United States
grants the power of impeachment to Con-
artess, and''that body must, Of course, be the
judges Of the propriety of carrying their un-
questioned power into effect.
In pursuance of the provision of the Con.
ssitution, a member of the House introduced
resolutions Of inquiry, which were properly
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary,
toreport to the House upon the truth and
suficiency of the charges made. And, OF
course, after action on the part Of the Com
mittee, it is ~presumable that the House will
consider the matter in due form, and take
such action ia the premises % the facts and
circumstance seem to require. There seems
to be nothing improper, nothing revolutions
ry, in this course; but, on the contrary, II
strikes US as entirely regular, digni6ed, and
Constitutional in every particular. And j,
should be a matter of qualification and pride,
to every patriot and lover of free institutions,
that so grave and important q measure, as
the trial of the Chief Magistrate of the coun'
try, can thus be carried forward in obedience
to the provisions of the Constitution, and with
all the safeguards and forms of law.
In other countries, and in all the monarch.
les and despotisms of the Old World, an at
tempt by the people, or the representative:
of the people, to require the ruler of the
country to answer for usurpatons Of power,
or misdemeanor in Office, would be resisted
by violence and civil war. But here, the
principles Of freedom, the power Of thu
people and their right, through their Repre-
sentatives, to hold the highest, as well as tn,
l~owliest, of their servants amenable to tn.
laws and the Constitution, is so well estab'
lished and SO generally conceded. that tn.
impeachment and trial of the Chief Magis-
trate will progress without any other commo
ton or resistance than shall proceed from tn,
declarations and threats Of stump speaker
and partisan editors.
That the rebels Of the South should threat
en- TO annihilste Conuress by the sword, ant
that some excitable and windy sympathizer
with the traitors should counsel a resort t.
military power and revolution, rather thai
quiet submission to the Constitution Ght
laws, was TO have been expected. Sucl
c~onnsels and such threats have already bee
uttered by the rebel oligarchy of the South an
by the aristocracy of the North. And as event
progress these manifestation will ~increas
and the Copperhead and Rebel leaders, hav
ing failed to learn anything by the expert
ence of the war, may seek to array their par
~ on a platform of violent resistance to th,
Constitutional action of Congress. But the
will find, as the Copperhead leaders found, Il
their cost during the war, that the people viii
not follow them into any measures of resist
ance Of aw or revolution in the Government
The people may not have made up thei
opinion as 10 the guilt or innocence of tn
President, or the propriety or improperly 0
an impeachment of that high functionary
But they have made up their minds to sup
port the Constitution and laws, and to sustain
Congress, the chosen Representatives Of tn,
people, in the exercise of their Constitution
al powers in the premises. And knowing, a
the people do, that Congress is clothed witt
the power Of impeachment, they will defen,
II In the exercise Of that power, MS the yer
last bulwark Of Constitutional liberty, an
the most sacred palladium OF the power Q
the people, delegated to their Representa-
tves by the great charter of Constitution
al popular Government.
The people have already decided agains
the Presidents policy in the election Of thei
Representatives to Congress. They hav,
entrusted these Representatives with the ex
erclse OF the powers conferred upon Congress
by the Constitution, and they will uphol,
them in the discharge of their function
against all opposers in whatever shape, an,
with whatever power they may come. Il
doing this they recognise that they simpl.
sustain the Constitution Of the country, an
vindicate the Constitutional rights aud pow
ers of the most important department of th,
Government. This the people win do, i'm
PEELED by their love Of the Constitution ant
Government of their country. And all who
love their country will do this, whether the,
agree with Congress in the propriety Of TIL
impeachment or not. That question is lef
by the Constitution to the discretion Of Con
gress, and all who stand by the Constitution
must stand in defence of its plain provisions
and the great mass Of the people SO under
stand their duty.
Hence, let all who anticipate trouble, o
seek to excite armed resistance to the i'm
parchment of the President, take warning il
time, before they dig their own politica
graves.