The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1868-04-04
rae Impeachment Trlni.

a. a lever 10 work Tor future success, Is gOnc.-
hMr. johnson 10 not removed, the democratic
party may well congratulate itself upon having
good hope Of soon regaining control Of the
government. Viewed In political light, the
issue 10 just simply, bu, surely, that. II Is not
now TO be learned that the offices Of the gov
ernnent exert great influence in popular cleo
tons The agents Of the government in the
shape Of cuslom-housc officers, revenue officers,
poslmaslers, &c, with iheiI clerks aud employ
ees, form very large aggregate vote in the sew
erAl States, and, with their influence constitute
In closely contested districts q controlling pow.
or. There may be here and there an honorable
exception, In the person Of some officer whom
the alluremenls Of office have no, been strong
enough TO seduee from principle bu, the great
body Of the federal oiiicr-holdcrs Of the country,
whatever may have been their political views
three years ago, now render homage TO Johnson
and will use all the means at their command To
keep him in Office now, and TO rc-elcci him or 10
choose q successor TO him who reflects his views
We are approaching an important campaign
one in which the best energies Of both parties
will be excrted, aud whoever has the control Of
the great lever we have mentioned will have no
small advantage TO star, with. Who shall have
1.-THE democrat or republican party? II John
son continues President. the democrats will II
be is turned out, and Mr. Wade is inauguraicd
President in his stead We can, by the election
b. rid Of mighty engine of opposition.
We would not. OF course. advocaic the turn
ing out Of Mr.. johnson merely that our party
might have control Of ihcse Offices hut when il
Ia clear tina, they will bc used rs a means To de-
feat % and TO cOniinu" IN IOwer the copperhead
faction, TO give n new lease Of life To the same
party that lately so nearly caused Our Icslruc-
ton, sound policy would seem tn indicate that
the power thus ia the hand- of the democratic
party should DO removed There are in our
country, and In authority too, some men who,
while they Oppose Mr.. johnson aud his policy
aud admit that he has done wrong aud violated
Law during his term Of office. would vet let him
remain in the Presidential ollice until the
18th Of March next. To do so. In the prcscu, as
peet OF affairs, would mAke our party appear
contemplate, would leave vast power in the
hands Of our opponents and would bring 10 their
support so much Of the floating, unsettled vote
Of The country as 10 lender the issue OF the COM
ing campaign extremely doubtful
In the opinion Of nearly al the honest think
ing men OF the country. Mr.. johnson. when be
attempted To turn Mr.. Stanton from the War Of
flee, violated a law Of the land, and is clearly
anienabls to all its penalties. lie has no more
license 10 fail TO execute n laM than has a Judge
upon the bench OF our Circuit Cont he has no
more authority to transgress law than has the
poor seoundrel who Is placed in the dock Of our
Cour, TO be tried for stealing horse or a suit Of
clothes. Yet Mr.. johnson has done both. lie
has assumed n preroga,ive belonging only 10 the
Courts Of the land, and has pronounced a Law to
be unconstitutional, and has then followed up
this cPision BY action refusing TO execute or re-
gard 40 binding upon him law which legally
passed In our National Legislature These are
hgh'handed outrages they constitute oiI,nccs
which would not be overlooked in lesser erimi-
nals-,hey should not be smoo,hed over where
even such great man ms the President OF the
United States ought 10 Be Is the aggrcssor. lie
has been regularly indicted for the grave offence
he has committed, by the proper authority 10
take cognizanee Of such violations Of law and Of
fetal duty, and now, before the Senate Of the
United States he stands upon bis defence. Their
seems really to be no dOub, Of his guilt his Of
eyes Of the world, 10 a spirit Of bravado and
reeklessness utterly condemned BY all his coun-
sellers and advisers aud friends and which
would seem TO indicate that Mr. Johnson actual
~ courts the notoriety which his turning out OF
Office would give him. The evidence against
him is documentary In character, embracing the
various orders he has Issued Ia his wild endeayor
TO remove n faithful and mer,oriOus public ser
want from Office, and II he is not removed from
his position these orders must ever remain re-
preach 10 Nc, assuring future officers that they
may violate law with impuniiy.
Happily, although there are sorAe good Re-
publeans who would prefer TO scc this violation
Of law smOOthed over, and Mr. johnson allowed
TO remain 10 the Presidential chair until the 18th
Of March next, they are but few. The grea, bod
Of the party Is anxious for his removal, while
thousands Of the democrats are perfectly indif.
fercn, as TO the result, The good Of the country,
whose laws he has violated, demands that Mr.
Johnson should BE- removed the interests Of the
party that once trusted Mr. johnson and eleva-
ted TO Office and which he so grossly deceived,
requires prompt action now to repair the evil BE-
has wrough, u, and where the good Of the coun.
try and party interests demand stern action, W,
cannot think there will BE- any Sinking OF
shrinking from responsibility.
We have seen u stated that this trial ~ ih'
l. F
ton and desperation, the in.inaaiion being that
he should no, bs tried at ALL ~ his offence Is mol
one entitled TO any degree Of punishment. II q
very true that the President Is no, charged with
such an ofIeacc underwriting 20 convey PROF.
erty Of the United States into The hands of for
sign saemy, but he a. charged With the deliber
aie violation ola Law, With the usurpation 81
The powers Of the other two branches Of the gov
eminent, And HE character aud career oompc
candid man n regard the offence Ne fully intend
ID nor do Ne anppos- that any sane man donbii
that had be been allowed impuniiy IN setting
aside the Lao, under any preiense whatever, biz
asxi step might have plunged the country inis
terrible confusion. The plea which he inccs
sanily urges that he merely wished 10 test ihl
consliiuiionali,y Of the Law Is entitled TO pre-
eiseiy the sane respec, ito use thu language Of :
eotcinporary) with the declaration Of q certain
RIas. that, From considerations Oraaeeiion To-
my beloved people. and from regard Tor pub
81 Nc order, the freedom of,he Preasis abolished
Men Who mean mischief are not IN the habit q
saying that they mean H.
Il is said iha, the I'resiicB, had heen shorn o
power, that he had hcen readeFed harmless, ant
that therefore there was all the leas reason o
imPsaehing him, sHesP, for the highest possible
offence. but how had he bscn shorn Of power
Merely BY the laws Of Congress, Of which IN
,enuFe-ol-OiIlee Law was ouc. And for what 4
be impsaehed For violating one Of those laws
uauilllug 10 he restrained. aud resolved, &c pos