The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-03-05
IMPEACHMENT.
MR. WILSON'S SPEECH.

MR. WILSON'S b SPEECH.
Mr.. Wilson, Of Iowa, who wrote
the able minority report of the Ju-
dietary Committee against i'm
parchment when the matter was
up before, now speaks as follows:
Mr.. Wilson, Of Iowa, chairman
Of the Judiciary Committee, in
support Of the impeachment reso.
lutions said: ...t .,-f
Mr.. Speaker, the peace of the
country is again disturbed by the
President Of the United States. He
denies to the nation that repose
which it so much needs. He will
not obey the law, and by it he must
be judged. | do not approach the
case under the spur of bate or heat
of passion. It's presence I'deplorc,
but its demands l will respect and
obey. AS a Representative, it is
my duty to sec that the laws OF
the Republic are not defed by q
criminal in Office, if within the
terms of tho Constitution remedy
may be found. The presence Of
the criminal is "a palpable fact.
Tho remedy is plain and indispu.
table, and from the performance of
the duty l will not shrink. An
impeachment of the President OF
the United States is made inevita
BILE by his own deliberate criminal
conduct, as presented TO us by the
case which now commands our at
tention. We can not escape this
cohclusion if we would, Tor the
President would hedge us about
with new acts OF greater enormity,
if there be any logic in his course
of procedure, which would at last
compel us to take up the gage that
he has now defanlIy cast at our
feet. No ...n.i. ..H
Heretofore his challenges have
not been, in my Judgment, in due
form Of law, or stamped with the
character of real crimes and mis-
demeanors, and therefore l have
resisted a resort to the extreme
remedy which the Constitution
has placed in our hands. Perhaps
| have been more cautious than
most men would have been, but no
regrets come TO me on this account,
for | believe | did my duty, The
considerations which urged upon
my mind and moulded my con :
duct in the case with which the
committee on the Judiciary of this
House was charged, are not to be
found in tho present case. The
logic in the former case is made
plain, not to say perfect, by its Sc
quence in the present one. The
President was working to an end,
suspected by others, known to him.
self. His then means were not
known to the law as crimes or mis-
demeanors, either by the common
law or by tho statute, as We Sc
pronounced. He mistook our ju dg
mcnt for cowardice, and worked
on until he has presented 10 US, as
II sequence, a high misdcmeanol
known to the law and defined BY
! statute. II we permit this to pass
+ unchallenged by that high power
with which the Constitution ha'
clothed us no man can measur,
the future troubles of this Repub
lie. p If II1h.A1 '.-.H>'- '.'''
For one l am not willing to wal
foran ascertainmont OF tho un
known quantities of future Presi
Dental crimes and misdemeanors
We have before us the element
and the quantities ascertained, ant
= | am in favor of wiping it from th
black board by an impeachment 0
" tho criminal who placed it there
Its presence is q source of regre
TO me, and it must be OF mortifica
ton to the people of this Republic
e but | will face it, and they vii
]; it, by asserting the subordi
j nation of the President to the lax
+ of the land. uo is not maker Q
IS law, nor a judge thereof and it i
q enough for him to know that th
I. Constitution which he is sworn {
&c preserve, protect and defend, say
that he shall take caro- that tn
q laws shall be faithfully executed
What laws? Those which ar
passed in pursuance of the term
of that Constitution which he
N sworn to preserve, protect and dt
a. 'P0"u'' P""t' lnsi'sr.D ,s.Y veT ,fI,
z And how are these laws passed
10 By the two houses of Congress
with the approval Of the Presiden
= or in such case as he does not AZ
prove, ho shallreturn it, with h
objections, to that house in whic
it shall have originated, who shal
,s 'cs onter the objections at large @
in their journal andproceed to recol
of slider it; and if, after such rccoI
nal sideration, two,thirds of the hous
F shall agree to pass the bill, it sho
be sent, together with his obje
. tions, to the other house, by whic
rE IL shall likewise bo considered, ar
I if approved by two.thirds of tn
II, house, it shall become q law. VIII
l.. l.. a. .,,l,s,L