The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-03-13
4 M Pc ACHmENr
OF
THE PRESIDENT!
SPEECH OF HON. SID. CLARKE,
Delivered iss the House of Rep
s'esentattces, February FIFTH,
1865.
I From the Congressional Globe. ]

IL Is not my purpose TO occupy the time
of the House In any elaborate defense of
the vote shall give in favor of the mo-
mentous question now submitted to the
Judgment and conscience of this body.
The constituency I have the honor to
represent upon this floor require no
such defense at my hands. In common
with large minority, heretofore vot-
ed i'll favor ofthe impeachment of this |
great political criminal. Not alone, sir, |
because in this instance lie has violated
the express provisions ola statute, be- |
cause he has placed himself in opposi- |
ton on this point to the Constitution,
shall give my vote in the affirmative
on the pending proposition. For many
months have been ready for this issue.
For many months past, expressing not
simply my own convictions; but those
of the gallant people who sent me here,
1 have not doubted the plain duty that
was before MS as Representatives of the
American people, nor for one moment
swerved from firm conviction that
sooner or later 'to this complexion
must it come at last" The people of
Kansas sent me back to the Fortieth
Congress to vote for the Impeachment
of Andrew johnson. The famous rec
ord made by the President was present
| cd to them
In their name-that of people in
whose midst the first forcible usurpa-
ton was attempted; whose blood was
the first shed in defense of liberty as
sailed by treason; whose State organi-
zation was barely recognized when the
signal gun at Sumpter proclaimed the
opening of the shareholders rebellion;
but who gave more men and lives pro-
portionally to their numbers than any
other of the loyal States for the suppress
sion of that rebellion-in the name of
people thus educated and strengthen
cd, stand ready to vote for the i'm
parchment of Andrew johnson, not
demeanor," but because he has been
guilty ofmany others.
) In the name of the people represent,
charge Andrew j Johnson, acting Pres
ident of the United States, with having
5 usurped the legislative functions of this
: Government, and by means of the au-
| thority thus wrongfuily obtained, and
for purposes inimical to the preserya-
ton of the integrity and security of the
: Union, sought to re-establish in power
: the unrepcntcnt enemies of the Repub-
lie.
: Andrew johnson is guilty before the
: bar of a loyal public opinion of having
thus attempted to replace i'll power
: within ten States, whose governments
had been subverted by armed treason,
: the men who had directed that treason.
: believe him guilty of deliberate
| conspiracy to destroy by treacherous
plots the fruits of the victory which pa
triotic sacrifices had won.
e 1 believe him guilty of deliberately
seeking the nlargement-with a pur-
t pose inimical to republican institutions
t of the executive Office. taking unto
y himself more than imperial powers, and
e insolentIy denying to the supreme and
t sovereign law-making function of the
e Government the right to examine into
). these acts.
n 1 believe him guilty ofsceking to con-
troll the exercise of the franchise; die
tating, within the rebcllious regions,
who should or should not be voters
. what laws should or should not be pass
: ed; what acts he required to be or not
h to be done.
q 1 believe him guilty of appointing
officers unknown to the law of multi
flying law in that he had caused the pay
ment of persons thus Illegally appoint
cd by him who could not take the oath
of Office required by the statutes of the
Hand; of corruptly using the pardonirls
> power for the conformation of the cries
y of traitors, and for the purpose of re-
) storing them to political power and
e privileges; of having fraudulently re-
stored property taken from rebels and
properly held by the Government, alike
:, by the laws of war and the statutes OF
the land.
I believe him guilty of denying to
Congress the rightfuI exercise of its
powers and prerogatives; in impeding
the course oflegisiation by corrupt use
: of the veto power, and in constant en-.
deavors to bring the national Legislature
! into disrepute, and make it the subject
of revolutionary violence by seditiou;
and infiammatory harangues addressed
to disorderIy assemblages IN that hs
= has sought to excite violence against ths
q persons of members of the American
Congress, as we'll as against othel
;, equally honored citizens of the land /; il
: that he has attempted to ipfiamc thu
d vilest passions of the disloyal and dis
y orderly by allegations of fears of assas
sination and by the perversion of his
= tory in that he has brought his higl
= Office into disrepute by making of him
= self a demagogue, seeking to aroused al
Il the hateful passions which defeated trea
= son and open sympathy Herewith hac
9 left in the land.
s believe him guilty of aiding ant
le abetting in the murder of thousands o
= Iloyal citizens throughout the South i
! that he has encouraged the spirit of re
= beIIion and melted the hand of tn
traitor to renewal of persecution, mo
% law and assassination.
In the eye Of history and before tn
loyal people of this land Andrew John
son stands convicted of the two hun
s. dred and more murders of loyal meI
=. which at New Orleansa year and hal
~ k,t1 = = a., ,,-fir,l, nth 411ai,. a,<s,