The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1867-09-21
IMPEACHMENT.


On the 9TH of January, 1867, Ashley,
OF Ohio, in the House of Representatives.
impeached Andrew johnson of high
crimes, charging him with usurpation of
power and violation of the law in that
he had corrupted and abused the ap-
pointing power. corruptedly disposed of
public property of the United States,
interfered in elections. and conspired
with others to commit acts which were
high crimes and misdemeauors He
az the same time offered a resolution
that the Judiciary Committee be author
lied to inquire into the charges and
make report. Spaulding moved to lay
the resolution on the table, which was
lost by 100 nays to 80 ayes, and the com
mittee began the investigation. The
investigation closed on the 23d of July
From the fact that the President was
not at once tried by the Senate, and
from the passiveness with which the re-
port was received il might be inferred
that the investigation had failed to sus
tain the charges. a Perusal of the re-
port dispels that illusion. The investi-
cation had accomplished the desired OBJ
ject. The President had manifested an
antagonism to the acts of Congress, that
if it did not nullify them, chilled the soil
where was being sown the seeds of re-
construction. The impeachment, we
believe, was not intended by majority
of those voting for the resolution to
culminate in final action by the Senate,
but merely intended as twitch of the
curb to show his Excellency how severe
\ ", if necessary. the reins could be drawn.
1t produced the desired effect. Johnson
swung no more in the obstreperous
circle, and although fretting under the
/ Impeachment saddle, made no bad break
until after the report had been made.
Congress was willing to humor him so
/ far as it was safe to trust him, and hav-
ing, as they supposed, by the Tenure OF
Office and Reconstruction bills, rendered
/ it impossible for him to break up the
/ Cabinet of which Stanton was the head,
or interfere with the execution of the
laws, by vesting the removal of District
Commanders in the General of the army,
it adjourned until the first Monday in
December. BY most singular defect
in the Tenure of Office bill, it left the
President at perfect liberty to accomplish
the very thing they designed to prevent,
the removal of Stanton, and il is not sur
prising that he did it. In this, we believe,
the President kept plainly within the
letter of the law. Having accomplished
this, he has gone farther, and by plain
violation ofthe statutes, whose legality,
to say the least, has not been denied by
the Judiciary authorities; despite the
wishes of the loyal people and the pro
testations Of General Grant, he has, by
the removal of military District Com
{ manders, and the amnesty proclamation
broken up and defeated, for the time, the
reconstruction measures. Congress can
not meet, except by Presidential convo
, cation, until the second day of December
but when it does convene, if the first i'm
, portant act is not the trial of the Presi
dent, there will have been some unlock
f ed for change in the temper of th'
; American people, or the press is not |
, good indicator of public sentiment
That the issues between the Legislative
and executive heads of the governmen
r has now been reduced TO that poin
D where it becomes necessary to decid
: them before further progress can b
? made in the work of reconstruction,
, apparent to all. The trial of Congress
. is with the people at the ballot box, tn
trial of the President is with the Senate
e Both will have been held to accoun
Z within the next hundred days, and wha
are now subjects of speculation, viii
have become established facts, whetke
d they be for better or for worse.