Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1868-03-19
impeachment and Partisanship.


would be deplorable to have the
Chief Magistrate of the country ar
raignea and condemned upon charg-
es tlias should have no standing out
side of Republican convention
We are very sure this will not hap.
pen in the present Senate.
The Impeachment question has
been singularly free from partisan
ship, so far as the Republican party
is concerned. If there had been the
least desire to impeach Mr.. Johnson
because of his inidelity to that par
ty, it could have been done at any
time. We had the power, and GER
tainly-the temptation. Here was the
candidate of our cboice-our Presi-
dent-fresh in office, with the sacred
duty of reconstructing the Union be-
fore u.s. 1t was annoying to see him
deliberately begin his Administra-
tion by a conspiracy against the
party, by giving offices TO Demo
Gratis, refusing aid to the Republicans
in their New-York canvass, and,
finally, by his Philadelphia Conven-
tion contrivance-in itself perlidieus.
If the Republican party had been ac-
tuated by motives of partisanship,
it might easily have found pretexts
for the impeachment of the Presi-
dent We believe not one in ten of
us but felt that the New Orleans riot
was in itself an impeachable offense,
as well as the swinging around the
circle expedition. These were major
grievances. We knew they affected
the conscientious mind of Mr.. Ben
nett so acutely that he clamored for
impeachment in season and out of
season, while even Mr.. Raymond
was so concerned that he feared the
''safety and unity of the Republic" -
demanded harsher means of re-
''straint." Our own feeling was
and we clung to it until we stood
almost alone = that Impeachment
should be avoided until it was neces-
sary for the peace OF the country
Impeachment for political differences
of opinion, or for merely moral of
fenses, would be unwise, and SO we
constantly argued. We knew the
tremendous power of party holding
almost absolute possession of Con
gress, and under q high stress of
party discipline, the temptation, the
danger, the impulses of anger and
revenge that surrounded it. To its
praise be it said that the Republican
party held this power and patiently
endured Mr.. johnson for three years.
1t would have endured him until the
end if he had not presumed upon its
forbearance, and, regarding patience
as cowardice, openly and insolently
defied the law.
Here was q plain transgression of
the law. Not one of his defenders
denies it, Even the Editor of Tile
World, who has never scrupled to
defend everything Democratic, in
sists that We must not judge the act
Dtlt tttG flOUlN C-hG InuoI ilOG SOilOlN-
er his deeds, but sit in inscrutable
judgment upon the intentions. In
stead of defending the President,
bis best friends have apologized for
him, and sought reasons for his con
duct. He did not mean to break the
law, and therefore should not be held
to answer He wanted to know
whether the law was law, and so
trsnsgressed. a man may doubt the
constitutionality of the criminal law,
and test it by stealing his neighbor's
watch We fancy that Recorder
Hackett would not permit the pris-
oner's legal scruples to induce stay
of sentence Robert j. Walker, q
Democrat high in the party, and a
lawyer learned in the law, fully ex-
pressed the opinion of every honest
Democrat. 81 tod Gen Thomas,"
said Mr.. Walker, ''that he had no
''right, nor had the President, to dis
"obey law of Congress upon the
assumption that it was unconstitu-
tional; and that if this were not so,
''the President might set aside all the
claws OF Congress since the founda-
''tion of the Government, upon the
''ground that they were unconstitu-
"tional. That the President possess
"ed no such power, because it was
"not an executive, but exclusively a
Judicial power, and that all the laws
"of Congress must be obeyed and
"executed by the President, unless
"their execution was restrained by
"the highest Judicial authority
This is plain, logical, just. The Re
publican party having twice rejected
impeachm ent because it might posi-,
bly, have partisan tinge, now finds
itself compelled to notice an EXecu-
tive act which the Democrats them
selves admit to be illegal. Yet what
course do the Democrats take? Ger
tainly, if the President breaks the
law. he must answer for IT, If, as
they contend, he has done SO unwit-
tingly, or for wise purpose, then
they owe it to him that he should
have an opportunity of making a de-
fense In a court of impeachment
If the Democrats were true to their
professions, they would most certain
ly have voted for Impeachment
Conscious of the Presidents limo
cence, strong in the knowledge of
his rectitade, all they could desire
would be court to acquit him of the
most serious charge that can be
brought against Chief Magistrate.
This has not been done. The
Democrats have acted in partisan
manner In all the debates of the
House and Senate they have voted
as party to delay, obstruct, and de-
feat this most solemn and righteous
proceeding. Read the speeches oil
Mr.. Brooks and Judge Woodward
as illustrating this tendency. They
threaten defiance of the law, and ad-
wise usurpation, while the Senators
| from Kentucky insist that the Senate
should declare itself not a Senate.