Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-02-25

dent would be wfrheu anu 81 conuuct nlm-
self as TO avoid a resort TO the extreme
,onedv provided by tie constitution But
cverv re, Of forbearance had been fresh
Invitation to further aud more nagrant on.
pfessions until at last he had flung himself
against the very bulwayks OF the consti,u,
tor Defying the laws, overriding the
coordinate branches Of the government,
The time had now arrived when the peoples
representatives. could no longer delay the
vindiealion Of the constitution. To him
tAe pathway Of duty was plain. That
great party which with patriotism, courage,
niriit, and heroism had carried the coun
Try IN triumph and glory through the war,
would not now lie overcome by band ot
merceHary camp followers Of . corrupt and
reasonable administration. The time had
now come when the President 0hould be
promptly impcached for his last great crime
committed against the constitution. His
longer continuance In ONCE was . perpct-
ual and enduring mensce against the peace
and prosperity of the country. Inc
weole official career Of the President had
been marked by q wicked disre-
gard of all his obligations Of public duty,
aud by a degree Of rerfidy, t-eschery and
,urpi,udc unheard OF in the rulers Of free
people, 10 mendacious ~ he was malignant.
had In his official capacity, sought to huri
dow n and destroy the brayesi. the noblest.
the best men in the land. His administra-
ton has been q constant and prolonged
warfare against all the material interests Of
the country. II had impaired business, 1t
had Oppressed labor, destroyed States, i'm
paired the public credit and ssrped the pub
lie morale Surrounded by red handed
| rebels, ad visei and counselcd by the worst
| men that ever crowded, like f1ltby reptiles,
| at the 100. stool OF powe-, he has used all
the vast authority of the Government to
| prevent the union OF the Slaies, the resto
| ration vi harmony, peace and happiness OF
the country. The loyal men in the rebel
States have been brought I, condition
under his administration from the contem
plstion Of which all men recoil with hof-
roy MurIer, rapine, incendiarism. robbie
nv and all other crimes sta k through the
whole land and every day he remains 10
Office adds TO the long list Of victims OF rebel
vengeance, cruelty and hatred, which such
a President entails Nearly all the depart
| ments of the Government had become de-
| moraljzed and corrupt to an extent which
could find no parallel in the history OF any
country 10 any age. The Attorney General
not satisfied With being his medium through
which so many mail robbers, oounterfciiers
aud public plunderers, have been pareoncd
and turned loose upon the country. has
with AN osientatious and boasttu! audacity
proclaimed he will not vindicste the laws
vi Congress Look at the Navy Depart
ment, with its pronigacy, robLeres. and
| persecution Of the most honest and best
naval officers o! the county. The ad-
ministration Of the Treasury Department
was characterized by the most appalling
frauds, with countless millions OF revenue
stolen TO go into the pockets OF thieves, par
| tisans and plunderers, or TO make up a vast
political fund to demoralize and corrupt the
people. The Interior Department, with the
land iobbing and contracts and corrupt ex-
tension of patents; the Post Office Depart
ment, srraigned before the House by com
mittee of the House. and the State Depart
ment, arraiencd before the rulers OF the
earth for its failure to vindicate the rights
Of the nation and the citizens OF the nation.
Confronted as we are this day by this stat.
Of things SO threatening to the national ex-
istence and 60 destructive TO all that is held
dear TO posterity, where is the patriotic man
of any political organization who docs not
call upon Congress to sternly do its whole
duty and purge this Capitol OF the crimes
which now dcfile the nstioDy
During the delivery OF Dir. Washburnes
speech the hour of IL arrived when the
session of Saturday terminated and the
regular legislative session of Monday com.
mcnced.
Mr. Woodward obtained tie floor. refusing
| to yield few minutes time to MIR. WASH
burne TO conclude his remarks because of
the ISLANDERS uttered by INN against the
President anu proceeded To address the
House egains; Impeachment
! He argued that any impeachmcnt of the
| Preslde on the idea that Secretary Stanton
was within the protection OF the Tenure of
Office Bill, was u blunder. Whatever Ex-
! ecutive power the Federal Government
possessed Was vested i'll the President, and
| the Senate was the only regulation for the
| exercise Of that power. II Congress med
| died with it, Congress became a trespasser
He verify believed that the President was
trying to restore the Union, to pacificate the
country and administer his high office with
a faithful regard to the obligations of the
Constitution and the best interests of the
people He seemed 10 him to be true
friend 10 the whole OF his country a faith
| ful public officer and entitled to Cabinet
advisers " no were his friends and not his
enemies. AZ the fisk OF derunciaton, he
! (Woudwardl denied the right Of the Senate
| to tIy an Impeachment. The House was
| not composed as the Constitution required,
OF members chosen by the people of the
several States nor was the Senate composed
OF two Senators from each State In con
Clusion, he said:
Mr. Speaker--so sure am that the
American people will respect this objection
that II | were the Presidents counselor |
would advise him, if you prefer articles
OF impeachment TO demur, both 20 your
iurisdiction.and that OF the Senate, and to
issue a proclamation, that while he hell |
himself imrc ichatlc for misdemeanors in
office, before a constitutional tribunal he |
never would subject the office he holds in |
trust for the people, to unconstitutional |
bodies who propose To strip him of il. Such |
a proclamation, with the army and navy at |
hand to sustain il. would meet the popular |
response that would make an END of i'm |
parchment and the impeachers
Mr. Wilson OF Iowa spoke in support OF
OF the resolution declaring an impeachment |
oil the President was made inevitable by bis |
own deliberate criminal conduct. The |
President, said Mr.. Wilson, is not maker |
OF the law. or a judge thereof, and it |
is enough Tor him to know that the Consti. |
tuition which he is sworn to preserve, |
protect and defend, says that he shall take |
care that the laws shall be faithfully exc
cuted. Ii his conscience forbid he may re-
sign, but Lie has no right to retain the |
power OF public officer and subordinates.
that to the judgment of a mere individual,
Whatever doubt may have arisen in other |
Cdscs, tue Couuuct involved IN this one prl- /
sented no basis on which to res. doub, !
that the President violated penal statute of /
the nlted states, and thereby committed q
high misdemeanor.
Mr.. Wilson proceeded TO argue that q
desire on the part Of the President to test
the constitutionality of the tenure Of Office
act would not justify the commission OF
high crimes or nisdemeanors, declaring
that the public welfare requires that ali
peEsons, official or otherwise, shall be sol.
emily taught that the law of this land is no
respector OF persons
MI. Woodbridge sustained the impeach-
ment, declaring that in NO other way could
the majesty Of the law and TIE future eafety
OF the republic be maintained. In case or
revolt he said ten thousand swords would
leap from their scAbbards and . million of
bayonets glsten in the sunshine to preserve
the honor OF the old Gag.
Mr.. Wood argued against the impeach.
men'. lie contended that the grounds on
which u was sought to maintain the resoiu-
ton were al.iriyolous technicalities, utterly
unworthy Of any attempt at retutation
lie urged that the displacement o. the Pres
icent would BE- In effect q greater offence
than that attempt d by the leaders OF s,ces-
sion IN 1861
Mr.. Parvin followed on the same side.
Mir ['n,ia ri es.oko cnnnore .f sia - |