Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-02-27


WASHINGTON ID. c., Feb. 2l, 1865.
srR The Hon. Edwin NJ. Stanton having been
removed from Office as Secretary Of the Department
Of War, you are hereby authorized and empowered
to act as Secretary of War ad interim, and will
immediately enter upon the duties pertaining 10
that Office. Mr. Stanton has been instructed to
transfer to you all records books. papers and other
public property entrusted to his charge.
Respectfully, yours,
lsignedI ANDREW JOHNSON.
To Brevet Major General Lorenzo Thomas, Adju-
tant General U. 5. A.
Official copy respectfully furnished to Hon
Edwin NJ Stanton.
tsignedI L. THOMAS,
.u Secretary Of War. ad interim
Upon the evidence collected by the
Committee, which is hereafter pre-.
sented, and in virtue of the power
with which they have been invested
by the House, they are Of opinion that
Andrew Johnson, President of the
United States, should be impeached
for high crimes and misdemeanors.
They therefore recommend to the
House the adoption of the accompany
ing resolution.
GSigned] THADDEUs STEVENS,
GEO. S. Boutwell,,
.ap JOHN A, BINGHAM,
F. @. BEAMAN,
.eJ1AI.- G. T. HuLBURD,
M JOHN f. FARNswoRTH,
II Il. PAINE.
ResolVed, That Andrew johnson, President of
the United States, be impeached for high crimes
and misdemeanors.
The report having been read, Mr.
Stevens said Mr. Speaker, it is not
my intention in the first instance to
discuss the question, and if their be
no desire on the other side TO discuss
it, we are willing that the question be
taken on the knowledge which the
House has. Indeed, the fact of re
moving man from office while the
Senate is in session, without the con
sent of the Senate, is itself if there
was nothing else, and always has been
considered high crime and misde.
meanor, anG was never before prac-
ticed. But j will not discuss this
question unless gentlemen on the 9th
er side desire so to do If they do, |
for the present give way to them and
say what | have to say in conclusion.
Mr.. BRooKs then took the floor.
and after referring to his want of
time to prepare minority report,
said be was utterly inadequate to dis.
charge the duty which had devolved
upon him on this august day, tho an
niversary of the birth of the Father
of his Country, and to express him
self with that solemnity which he
felt in rising to resist that unholy
and unconstitutional proceeding. He
knew not why the ghost of impcach-
ment had appeared in a new form.
IL had been laid hitherto in the
House, but minority of the mem.
bers on the other side, forcing its
influence and power on the ma.
majority, had at astsucceeded in com.
pelling its party to attempt the i'm.
peachment of the President.
We have, he said, been long in the
midst of revolution Long has the
country been agitated in the throes OF
a revolution, but We are now approach.
ing the last and final stage of that
revolution. There is nothing new in
what we are doing. We but repeat
the history of the past. We are ira
versing over and over again the DAYS
of Cromwell and Charles the First and
Charles the Second, and we are ira.
versing over aud over again all the
scenes of the French revolution. We
have been told though not here aud
now, that the President should be i'm.
peached because he was an obstruc.
tion IN the way of reconstrueting Ger.
tain States, or rather an obstacle to
The party which would be but is not
directly in power Sir, we are all alb.
structlons to that party, my associates
myself We all have been and intend
TO be obstacles in the way Of its high.
handed proceedings, and if the Presi-
dent is TO bo removed as an obstacle
10 the way of the party in power, It is