Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-03-06
The Impeachment of tho President.

Tho impeachment of President Johhson
srsn still To i- tho ali absorbing question both
lin and out Of Congress The N"uss Of R-I're-
seuta,ivca have nd"pted ten articles Of itnpeach-
men, and have nrromtcd Board Of Mnn-ge,s
with Judge bingham at their hcnd TO conduc,
the prosecution br("r" the zh Court Of the
Senate. These ten articles charge the lr..i-
l.n, vi h violation Of t!:c Constitution and
laws cf .hc Initcl s,i a,es. nn'l especially "f
the Tenure Of ofiire Act, in tbs re,no,a Of
Stanton nnI :ho apl"i'inlcu, Of Th"mas-wiih
conspiracy 10 violate the provisions sf the
said As,-a:.l lastly TO induce G:rc,al Emory
tie con,tn"nder OF The Department ut Wash
inslsn, 10 violate The Ac: Of March 1861 which
r'Iniies all military orders to ts is ued
through the general Of The army. Su.h is the
, fceYc "f the Bill of Indictment whi-, has
bs. n preferred hv the llou.s Of tcrr .rr:niiv's
and wh;c!, has given u tnrcihIr finn 10 the
charges against the Iictilcnt. Imrsa. h:ns II,
bsrrncs n fixed f.ct. .o far ms the H"n.e is
. concerh,d-Lut conviction 10 a vc'y linsrtEr
matter.
! Wash ngion letter writers tell It's that the
general impression in that city is, That The at
ticlrs OF impeachment are exceedingly weak.
| snl That they fail utterly 10 innLe the S.,
| hlance Of a cause FOR arruisnirg the President
| before the Srnnto. Did such conclusion need
! conf m alton it would h- found in the admir-
, able Mrss.g. of The Pre- sid-nt in reply I" tue
! action OF The Senate. In that u"ssage lie
denies the consi,u,iunnIy Of the Tenure of
fil"e Act, az c"n.r"venins the righ'fui pre-
| Il ~ I 1li.(,,l b,
uniform ccns,, ucI inm AID the eritlel rree:ir-
Of the government, and conflicting with ta"se
! principles "l See government which prohibit
! all r+trn.r r"rti.e aud retroactive laws But
wsiv ing the 9nes: ion Cf is con.ttutionnii,y. j..
! he denies tina, the law Ia. any nri lirution To
! the care ot 3r. Stanton. BY the Civil Trnnr"
uf Office Act, PASS. d in 1867. by this very
Congress, II IL set f"rtl "lat the Secrc' al les
Of - War, shall hold i:.eir ,.ii;ces respective
! ~. Jr mel iar;"g :As !:rm 81 ii: ir.1iie't. ky
vaem M'y may haze Ire" "ip.:"f.', and for ON.
mouth ,h-reo f,er. .u j.c. l." r-rr,vnl hy an,l
with The advice aid c'nsent of The S-na'e."
! Mr.. Stanton wa. APPOINTED '.y Mr.. Lincoln
All according I" the construction Uf I'resilent
Johus.'n. his tenure Of "ffire Was gunTa,.t Gee,
only during tl:e trim Of III. Prcxlcnt BY whom
he WAS appended. cn nh. point, lear the
clear or,ls of iLo message:
: ''In tbs CAGE Of MIR. Stanton. the only np-
,.I,oi.iment nader which he h.ld the .f1i .e Of
Secretary of WuI. WIS ihnt conferred OIL hi III
hy ny in,nedi-'e pred. csssor. with the ndvce
aud e"nte:.t of the S.nrtc. liz hn. "erer held
.fr"m me- ory appointment az hs h."i II ns
: War E.fn, tntsnL Whatever light he Lsd tn
t.II ,,IJ,. 4 Al u
rlpoi,I.me,1 nrl my owl. s,ii rnuee. The law
! Was Int intended tn protect such i:.cu,nbsrt
OF the War y, :'ar'm ut. hy king +, on l,e
! fIe-i'lcGt the POWER TO Icf"uvr linn. This, in
my Judgment, is Perfectly clur. s.d tic law
| itself sImi'Aof TO other JUS, jurAt!'e ion."
But even admit TIM, the law is a consliiu-
iiuual one. aud that the President has c,nmt
ted trchaicai violation Of its lr;ncii.l-s in
! the removal Of Stanton. will it be- pretended
| :hat Whilst sudiously rtainng f,o,u the en-
p'"yrhc"t Of fo:cs, a"l adapting the only mode
by which its eon.:itutio"uli,y might be tested,
he Ind subj. c.rd hi,Lselfio the charge Of vom,.
! mit'i,.g high crime und niisirn-snor. un
,lii. roiut The Cincinnati f,ommrrc;ri, n R-di-
cal lnnr, makes he frl!owing explicit d. clara
i"n: NO Sum" m"a "M inr.t."IMm M- Pre-
itL-"i CO" be im.,:':n rm."r.l "".'.s IT, .;ot,i,n
"f Ia" Lr ri!jmi ani Im,p;"y. and nof e,rrr,,lb By
any .f.i.. I! ho!ih i"rsjrr'"ti" r H.. ,tal"t.
hre M 2"i'e prcFw' s"v tin! M- !u.- ,cc kare
cn'f'd "W ,.of ia'rtg I.0r tie interpretation ar.
.f''hm*"" pits nr"n Il. "unaciy. M." tie ftrm..;,
J'r -h at L:m"'n -,.d.,i in L:s .;,a:5 md i.ut
fh:S * MT Li"co!"'. frtn hat .j,M.o~'.S
If IL" !nw lie Unconstitutional, ti.c l're.i,i~c,
~ 4 L..
determine tho fue|'nn.of the v.liiy Of the
law c:ently tie !;nIi-,nr t.lr; which Lv
The C.c-,tuii"n is na.:. The ti,.I nr'.r Of Il !:
ii'ese Gne.li"s. IN '"p;,-, Of his view. h"nr
.l,s e.Ee!lsiss argument Of he N,w Yo.k
Iin:ss:
, :'The Impeachment. o! tbs Pr.:i lent. IL pus!,
el 10 tri"l in advance vi such = i'-eis.n by The
supreme C"H't, il IH violation Of Ibis principle.
IL Is MI attempt of one Of the rsrli-s ~ ,I.e
c.uirp, cray 10 decide fnr 10th. II es.um.s
that Congress las ,ieL, To pass a luw-an;:
that the Pr--ilsn'. in denying ,h. right. c",n.
niits crime aud incurs n r'vnalty-noi only
the rs"alry which, The law IseIf pr. seriLr.
tut the higher p'nalsy "f ,ernoval fpm "f.ice
which follows con. isti"n uu.ler p ocss. Of i'm
j reach'sent: and It n.krs the Senate, ~h:-h il
one Of the parties to The nac,mrIt of the
;'law. eoutt for uyirg the Pre.id TT for Sls,
10 an offence only as che law makes il one, sp.l
gives tho Senate the full Power, a!,o. VI d,si.
.'lins tho con.ti,u'i. i.nnli,y Of il. own ac.iu..
Suppose 'h~ tio,l.o sLou!l iap-aeh the Presi
dra'. and the Senate slio-II convict him aud
dcioss hi:a from efIice fvr having netsi in vi,-
la'ion of ibis law. aud the Supreme Court
Ei'oiti afterwards, in due e"ur,< u ia. jul.cis
xrtion. a, eide il,s law to BE- nns"n.,i, u.;ons,
Hhas would b. Tho. snsdi lou of The Pr..ilen
aud Senate Lefors the e-untr,J .lIus, III,
rr-.ijett b, punished for ,uai.i ai,.isg t.s .u-
tvri'y Of tho con.ii' asi"n . gaias. an i.fv al:
law Z Ur h s1!:es;enu,s.s ju. .sneut ~ over, ia
that Of the ShPrrns Cour' ! =.
IL our Judgment ~lLe-imr.achmcnt u Of III,
fTss''''nt is wtsiiy ou, of place 70 l..g as III
so"ss il,rips alay sf L - Law !. In s.utroy. .r.y
!. 1t ras !sw 10 unssn.ii, u.i al, aid ,lss.iu,,
!, 1pa aal vo;d, ,hsn, ,,hs .pre.il.u. has eo:au;i.
= ted is offence. and dute no.hiur 10 ,J..e,y y
:, khpeacss'nent 1f the Ia = fsv.Ha ,k.a 4. ss
tses snhty 81 q '@isis fdisistsra....,. r,,,f.
she d.Hsisiens II the: lav i.ssfl, sni m, . !,
:>rsssns& srlsI sad, s'sn,.'.s,r. ,,h.srf.r. .s.
usitLsf the uouss nor tha Ssnsan 4. ,l.