Middletown transcript., 1868-01-04
Tns impeachment F.aseo.

The historic page win afford no enviable
place to the authors of the scheme to i'm
peach President johnson. Posterity will
view the attempt with abhorrence, when
reviewing the himsy and futile evidence
on which II was based, Fur months this
nefarious project hung, like dark cloud
|ofevil portent upon the political horizon,
filing the country with alarm, creating
uneasiness and distrust, and arousing fears
of anarchy and civil war. But all ut once.
it evanished like the mists Of the morning.
In House that had uniformly cast over a
two-thirds vote againstthe President, only
ifty-seyen affirmative responses could be
heard when the question was brought to a
vote. Mirabsle dictui What was the
cause of this? Was it the sunlight Of re-
turning reason, dispelling the mists Of er-
ror, passion and prejudice Or was it the
wholesome influence of the late democratic
and conservative victories, achieved at the
late fall elections We leave the reader
to answer. In accounting for this most
salutary result, perhaps we ought not to
overlook the stern note of warning con-
taincd in the Presidents annual message,
a warning which he was all too tardy in
giving utterance, but which doubtless had
its effect in determining the result. We
quote from the message:
'fHow far the duty of the President f'to pre-
serve, protect and defend the Constitution re-
quires him to go in opposing an unconstitutional
| act Of Congress, is very serious and important
question, on which have delberated much, and
felt extremely anxious to reach proper conclu-
| sion. Where an act has been passed according
| to the forms of the Constitution by the supreme
legislative authority, and is regularly enrolled
among the public statutes of the country, execu-
tive resistance to it, especially in times of high
party excitement, would belikely to produce vio-
lent collision between the respective adhcrents Of
1 the two branches OF the government. This would
i be simply civil war; and civil war must be re-
sorted to only as the last remedy for the worst Of
evils. Whatever might tend to provoke it should
he most carefully avoided. A faithful and con-
scientious magistrate will conccde very much to
honest error and something even to perversc
malice, before he will endanger the public peace;
and he will not adopt foreible measures, or such
as might lead to force as long as those which are
peaceable remain open to him or his constituents.
1t is true that cases may occur in which the Ex-
ecutivc would be compelled to stand on its rights
and maintain them, regardless Of all consequent
ces.
''If Congress should pass an act which is moi
only in palpable conflict with the Constitution,
but will certainly, if carried out produce hsane-
diate and irreparable injury to theorganic struc-
ture Of the government, and if there he neither
judicial remedy for the wrongs it inflicts, mol
power in the people to protect themselves without
the official aid Of their elected defender; if, fol
instance, the legislative department should pass
an act even through all the forms of law to abol.
ish a coordinate department Of the government
in such case the President must take the higl
responsibilities of his Office, and save the life o
the nation at all hazards.".gs Etf.g d.s 3g-7.,
Let us hope, now that the crisis il
past, that the spirit of faction win subsid'
and pass away altogether, That Congress
will address itself to course of proper le
gislation, admonished by the late popula
rebuke it has received, and that it will NJ
more imperi the life of the nation.