Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-12-30
The ImPea chment Reports.

. C. 4
These reports are now distributed in doc
.ument form, from the Government press,
and the public can make their own judg-
ment on the arguments. The whole docu-
ment embraces Ill pages, of which the ma
jority report occupies 50 pages; that OF
Wilson and Woodbridge 46 pages and the
remarks of Marshall and Eldridge pages
, p 1t is to be regretted that the House and
the committee had not the benefit of proper
law counsel for the lack of which they
have been drawn into an inquiry both use
less and expensive. 1t might be expected
that the House would be swayed by partisan
indiscretion; but calmer and juster views
would be looked for from a committee on
; the Judiciary. - '-s- ~-
The resolution of the House referred to
the committee, authorized an enquiry into
the official conduct OF Andrew johnson,
Vice. President of the United States, dis
charging the present duties of the Office OF
President" Why this language of unwil.
lingness to treat Mr.. johnson as President,
charging the present duties of President?'
The Constitution says i'll terms that, in case
of Vacancy iu the office OF President, the
Office deuolues upon, the Vice President. Ii
he is not President they cannot impeach
him as President, for he would still be Vice
President, and clear of impeachment in
that, if he has done no impeacha BILE act in
that office. And if he is still Vice-Presi-
dent, what is to hinder his going into the
Senate and taking his seat as President OF
that body, and sit with them in executive
session and have casting vote on his ow n
nominations.
And then the subjects of inquiry were
these whether the said Andrew Johnson
while in said office, has been guilty of acts
which were designed or calculated to over
throw or corrupt the government of the Uni
ted States or any department or office,
thereof; and whether the said Anurew
johnson has been guilty of any act, or has
conspired with Others to do acts which in
contemplation OF the Constitution, are high
crimes aud misdemeanors requiring the in
terposition of the House. Now. if by cor:
rupting an officer was meant bribery-apd il
conspiring toith others to do acts. meant actual
treason us defined in the Constitution. here
were two charges ambiguously stated
which might be regarded as coming within
their proper range of inquiry. As to all
else in that loose authority for loose in
quiry, if they had been lawyers and law
yers of pluck which Amer, can lawyers do
greatly lack,-they would have decided
at once that they could not act. The Con-
stitution 'contemplates" nothing ss q high
crime and misdemeanOr unless it has been
made so by legislative act. a
- The style of the majority report is of the
order called claptrap, and it is no wonder
that Nj. Boutwell,, when Introducing it to
the House, took occasion to cast the author
ship upon Mr.. Williams, of Pennsylvania
But Mr.. Boutwell, should have remember d
that it is less creditable to adopt the bad
performance of another than to be tile act
ual writer.
The leading charge against the President
is usurpation of power in assuming to re-
construct the States. As the President
alone is vested with power to determine
tcto xx,t .
ceases, he might be regarded as -excusabe
if he should overstep the bounds OF his
power if he acted with no guilty purpose
His real powers were at an end when
he could see the laws executed
without resistance anywhere. The com
mittee pretend to talk of conquered terri
tory-which it is not. We simply regained
ereign power of the nation residing in its
Representatives" They have no such pow
er and their acts are clear usurpation; and
they further talk of the ''local governments
swept away by rebellion" That is a bald
assumption directly in the face OF truth
Congress have no police power in the
States, and all their acts in that direction
are the sure guarantees OF future mischief
and renewed disturbances =n. .79i {:
MEM.-Some eXpletory discussions have
been had since the impeachment question
was decided, in which the advocate:
OF the largest ~ liberty take the
ground that if they are confined to in
dictable offenses, Congress can enlarge
the list of crimes. This is mistake
Congress has very limited Jurisdiction
over crimes, and the cases in which thtJ
may act are specified in sec. s, art. l. They
can provide for punishment of counterfeit.
ing the securities and current coin of th
United States, but not for the counterfeit
ing of anything else. They can provide
for Furnishing murders in plrces of whicl
. they have exclusive jurisdiction, but no
for Furnishing murders anywhere else
and so of other offenses. m .- r az