The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-04-16

States.e Here, then, they charge President
johnson with being guilty of high crime,
because he wanted to do just what these
senators advised Mr.. Lincoln to do. say
he ought to act upon their advice. For no
matter whether the president is demo-
crat or republican, his advisers should be
in harmony with him! He should not
have man in his cabinet who refuses to
speak TO him, and will not sit in the cabinet
council. r. A voice-Kick him out.1 Yes.
and if Andrew jackson had been there he
would have put stanton out with the toe
of his boot CApplause.1
But we are told the appointment must
be approved by the senate. There is
no provision for removal. I suppose our
fathers never thought man would insist
to stay when he was not wanted any longer.
would not have thought any man was so
mean as to do so. [Applause.] just to
think of Mr.. Stanton being barficaded in
the war Office, sleeping upon his hammock
and having his rations sent him, and re-
ceiving an occasional message from Sum-
ner-" stick"
Stanton ought to have resigned when
Sherman and Grant both advised him to
do so. But Sumner and Wade and their
friends say no, you must not resign. Stay
there. And for what purpose is this ad-
vice! 1t is to get the president to violate
the tenure oc Office bill, so that they may
impeach and remove him, and get some
one in his place, that they get control of
the Offices and money Of the government,
to control the election. Senator Sherman
said the tenure of Office bill did not apply
to job nson, because he did not appoint
the cabinet.
Now, the high crime Of MIR. johnson is,
thas lie takes the same view of the matter
that Mr.. Sherman did. Stanton was nev-
er appointed by johnson. He was ap-
pointed by Mr.. Lincoln, in these words /:
3" You are hereby appointed secretary of
war during the pleasure of the president
for the time being" They are charging 9
johnson with a high crime because be
took them at their WORD.
l don't believe Andrew johnson violated
the civil tenure bill. He never appointed
Stanton, and he had right to remove him.
After Mr.. Lincoln died, Mr.. johnson per-
mitted the cabinet to remain. Stanton
was one of the things left as legacy by
Mr.. Lin coin for his successor. TAp-
plause.1
He has not violated the civil tenure
bill. But suppose he had, he believes it
to be unconstitutional, and takes the wisest
course to have it tested before the supreme
court Of the Unite1 States. He certainly
had the right, which is secured to pri-
vate citizen, to have his case decided by
the court. That was the reason he gave
for removing Stanton.
But this was just what this party was
afraid of. They did not want the matter
to get into the supreme court. General
Thomas proposed to go to Jail. that writ
OF ha5eas corpus might bring the latter
before the supreme court, but these fell
lows went before Judge Carter and request
ed him not to require any bail. "Oh,"
said the Judge, 81 know Thomas. He is
Of doing anything wrong. L
would not think of requiring bail of him.
He can go; he is one Of our eldest and
most respectable citizens" Now, say,
has judge any right to do so!
Suppose a man is arrested for crime,
would the judge of the court have any
right to say, "Oh, I know this man; he
is an old and respectable citizen l will
not require any bail Of him 2" The real
reason why they did not require any bail
of Thomas was that they wanted the mat
ter kept out Of the supreme court. Aud
here is the great danger we are in to-day
Congress is trying to strike down the
coordinate branches of the government,
the executive and the judicial.
What have they already done? They
have been for some time arguing the ia
nous McArdle case, which was brought
up to the supreme court, aud congress
fearing that that court might interfere
with some Of their reconstruction meas
ures, last week slipped in bill to take
away the right from the supreme court to
hear appeals from lower courts. You
need not be sarprised if this trial fails
through the rulings of the chief justice,
if he is not impeached. Some Of them
have already said, off he don't stand up
to US in this hour of trial, damn him, we
will impeach him." [Applause.1
My friends dispatched to me, until l
had hat full of kilograms, saying, "For
Gods sake stand by congress and vote for
impeachment" Applause.] I tell you,
my friends, if you knew the facts as do,
yon would feel like hanging me to lamp
post if had voted for it. 1 would have
voted against it if had known my friends
would have hung me for it. prolonged
applause.]
My third reason for my vote was, that l
saw there was evidently in this whole
thing disposition to bully and badger
the president into doing some acts against
the tenure-ofoffice bill in order to get a
pretense for impeaching him. In fact, I
honestly believe it was purely political
scheme, and therefore a dangerous prece-
dent. Talk now to man in favor of i'm
peaching Andy johnson, and what reason
does he give you? "Damn him, he ought
to be out-he ought to have been kicked
out long ago." All this may be true.
But is that the way you try criminal
Do you decide his case by his character
and reputation, or upon the evidence?
say it is purely political movement.
Eggleston admitted it was such. "Oh,
shame where is thy blush2" TApplause"
He comes and tells you it is purely DO.
ltical movement, caucused upon, and de.
termined before the last evidence has
baan takan that Iohnson's haororo =, Il