The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-04-10

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and carried out his purposes as fa
rs he was able of removing every
} true man from office, who sustained
the Congress of the United States
and it is to carry out this plan of ac.
tion that he claims unlimited power
of removalsfor the illegal exercise ol
which he stands before you to day,
Who does not know that in pursu-
ance of the same plan he used his We
to power Unfortunately tn prevent
the passage Of wholesome laws enact
ed for the paciiication of the countryi
And when laws were passed by the
constitutional majority over his We
toes he made most determined Oppo-
sition both open and covert to them,
and for the purpose of making the OPP
position effectual he endeavOred to
array, and did array, all the people
lately in rebellion TO set themselves
against Congress and against the true
and loyal men, their neighbors, so
that murders, assassinations and mas
sacres were rife all over the Southern
States; which he encouraged by his
refusal to consent that a single muir
derer be punished, though thousands
of good men have been slain. And
further that he attempted by military
order to prevent the execution Of
acts of Congress by the military
commanders, who were charged
Herewith. This, and his concurrent
acts, show cOnclusively that his at
tempt TO get the control of the Mill
tary force of the government by the
seizing of the Department of War,
was done in pursuance of his general
design, if it were possible, to over.
throw the Congress of the United
States and he now claims by his own
will, for the execution of this very
design, the power to remove every
officer of the army and navy, the civil
and diplomatic service of the United
States. He asks you here, Senators,
by your solemn adjudication. to con-
firm him in that right; to invest hun
with that power to be used with the
intents and for the purposes which he
has already indicated. The respoD-
sibility is with you. The safeguards
OF the Constitution against usurpation
are ia your hands The interest and
hopes of free institutions wait on
your decision. The House of Repre-
sentatives has done its duty. We
have presented the facts in cOnsti-
tutiOnal manner. We have brought
the criminal to your bar, and demand
judgment at your hands for his great
crimes. Never again, if Andrew
Johnson go quit and free this day,
can the people of this or any other
country, 10y Constitutional checks and
guards, stay the usurpations of Exec
utive power. i speak therefore not
in the language of exaggeration, but
the words of truth and soherness, in
saying that the future political wei
iare and liberty of all men hang trem-
bling on the discussion of this hour.
Mr. Bingham, of the Board of Man.
ayers, rose and said:
Mr.. President The Managers on
the es~t Vi ...e. Heess, ere reedy to
proceed with the testimony to make
good the articles of impeachment ex-
hibited by the House of Representa-
tives against the President OF the
United States, and my associate, Mr..
Wilson, will present the testimony.
Mr.. Wilson. wish to state in be-
half of the Managers, that nOtwith.
standing the meaning of the dOcu-
ments, which we deem important to
be presented in the evidence, have
been set out in tue exhibits accom-
panying the answers. and also in some
of the answers, We are still of the
opinion that it is proper for us to in
trOduce documents originally by way
of guarding against any mishaps tina.
might arise from imperfect copies set
out in the answers.
Wilson then offered in evidence
certified copies of the oath OF office
OF President Johnson, OF the appoint
ment of Secretary Stanton by Presi-
dent Lincoln, and of the ratification
of said nomination. Johnson's CON-
municatiOn to the Senate assigning
reasons for suspending the Secretary
of War, after which the Senate ad-
journed till twelve o'clock to morrow,
and the Chief Justice vacated the
chair. Adjourned.