The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1868-03-06
o. HOWARD CO, IOWA. MARCH g. 1868. ~ WHOLE NO. 43

IS ...@., NV WHOLE NO. 43l
The Impeachment Of Pre- 81
...n,r, dent johnson. .n n.;+
" (From the n. 7. World q the 26,h.. ult,)
= = This hot and headlong haste Is a
confession BY Congress that it does
not stand on tenable ground. Con-
gress itself has evidently no sincere
belief in the constitutionality Of the
law which it arraigns the President
for violating. The Republicans
know that every reasonable prcsump-
tion is against it. They know that
the same identical question was de-
bated in the first Congress, and de-
cided against the doctrine now set
up by the Republicans. They know
that Madison, Fisher Ames, and the
other great lights Of that Congress
argued with convincing cogency that
the Constitution left to the Prcsi-
dent the right Of removal. Ttey
know that this right has been cxcr-
cised by every President from Wash
iogton down to Lincoln. They know
that Stanton himself, the m IN whose
quarrel they have espoused, and in
whose behalf they are acting, advis.
cd the President toveto the Ten urc-
of. Office bill as repugnant to tho Con
stitution. They cannot expect that
the considerations which controlled
decisions of the first Congress, which
gave steadiness and uniformity to
the practice Of seventy years, which
constrained the judgem ent and cx-
tortcd the condemnation Of Stanton
himself, they cannot expect that
those powerful and convincing con-
siderations will be without weight
with the Supreme Court, calm tri-
bunal presumed to be exempt from
the violence Of party passions. Con-
gress dare not await the decision Of
the Supreme Court, which would
probably deprive them Of all color
able ground for impeachment. The
indecent haste Of their proceedings
betrays . consciousness that their
cause is to rotten to pass the ordeal
Of . judicial inquiry. Hence their
desperate attempt to fling the Pres
ident suddenly out Of Office and head
of an adverse decision by the Su-
premc Court. The country will re-
gard this fore=talling haste as q
confession by Congress that they
arc wilfully trampling upon the
Constitution. 80 sss %.#
The impeachment Of President
johnson is a sign cfparty dcspcra-
tion. Congress see that their re )
construction sshemc 'fsa pitfabie
abortion. They justly infer that as
Alabama, one Of the two or three
States in which there is a prcpon-
derance of negroes, has voted it
down, it is doomed to defeat in eve
ry Southern State with the possible
exception of South Carolina. They
dare not face the people, in the
Presidential election, with q ship
wrecked policy which leaves the
problem Of restoration more difficult
and it's solution more remote and
hopeless than at the close Of the
war. They need scapc- goat to d.
vert publit attention from their
scandalous failure. They hope, by
impeaching tho President to shift
upon him tho blame Of keeping the
Union shattered and discovered, the
business Of the country prostratc,
and the North and South in state
Of chronic cxasperation. Their ap-
o!ogetic cry in the Presidential
election is to be, eve WOULD have
restored tho Union, but johnson
foilcd U.S. The removal of Stanton
is not the reason for impeachment,
but tho prctcxt. The President is
impeachcd because majority OF
the registered voters in tho South
have determined to stay away from
the polls. Congress wrcak upon
him their rage and vengeance at the
damaging miscarriage Of their re-
construction policy. hoping to make
the people believe that its failure is
due to bis opposition and not to its
monstrous absurdity.
If they succeed in displacing
President johnson and putting Ben.
Wade in his place, they will regain
control of tho Federal patronage to
DO used in the Presidential election.
They understand how urgently they
need it. l'hey have abandoned all
hope Of clecting their candidate
without this great engine for infiu-
encing votes. Impeachmcnt is an
act of desperation; but acts Of des.
peration are seldom wise. A party
which, has kept the country en-
broiled for four years aftor the re-
turn Of pcace. carrying matters oon.
stantly from bad to worse, aud end
ing by convulsing the country with
a fresh act Of revolutionary violence
will find the Government patronage
feeble instrument for stcmminp
public indignation. Tho country
yearns for peace; it will no longer
tolerate party which inaugurates