Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-03-09
Conspiracy Against the Gevsrnmsnt--who
il Guilty

Congress, even the country, might have
doubts of the Presidents guilt under oil
former charges; but this should be q
sockdologer and no one should dare TO
doubt Such is the appearance and ex-
preston Of the thing
The committee had at first intended
to rest its whole case on the removal Of
Stanton; but having gone over and un-
der and through that point, and having,
by the exercise Of the most astonishing
legal ingenuity, stretched il into nine ar
ticles-so as to try the President nine
times for the same act-it seems TO have
occurred to some member Of the commit
tee TO read over these nine articles. His
evident CONSERVATION induced another
member to read them. So it went round I;
and the committee, having calmly read
all the nine articles over, was in despair.
There was actually nothing in them-no
case at all. 1t was Stanton, Stanton,
and nothing else; and the very impeach-
ment committee itself saw that it would
not do to 20 before the country charging
the President with nothing worse than
an act that had been done, without
question, by every President Of the
United States, and for which George
Washington had declared President
must have full authority. Drowning
men catch at straws, and when somebody
said conspiracy it was caught at as the
very thing. Conspiracy is a good word,
and " hen the elder Weller dwelt on the
character of "circumwent he evidently
had not learned to spell conspiracy" ="
| Conspiracy suggests to the popular mind
so much of mystery and evil, such sly
and malevolent lodges, that conspir-
acy was determined upon mem. con and
it was all the better for being con-
spiracy with Emory, who is a Mary
lander.
Looked full in the face, what does this
conspiracy amount to2 The actual
charge in the bill is that the President
did, "on the 22d day of February, in the
year of our Lord 1868, at Washington, in
the District of Columbia" declare to
General Emory, commander of the troops
in Washington, that the second section OF
certain act of Congress was uncon-
stitutional." Pretty bad. No doubt a
very bad and outrageous thing for man
to do He declared an act of Congress
| uncOnSututlOutil Ou INC NAu Vi GU
rusry, too In Washington 1t is no
defense to say that there is clause in
the Constitution providing that there
shall be absolute freedom of speech in
this country. That part of the Constitu-
ton means, as the sixty lawyers in
Congress can abundantly show, moth
ing-nothing whatever. But there is a
point here that should give us pause.
If the President is guilty of conspiracy
for having said that an act of Con-
gress is unconstitutional, which one OF us
is innocent2 Who is in condition to
cast the first stone2 There is hardly a
sane man in the United States but has
declared one or other of the laws of Con
gress unconstitutional. We have even
heard that Chief Justices the Supreme
Court have done it; all the politicians
have done it except Thad. Stevens, and
all the orators except Wendell Phillips;
and as that is the only thing he has
never said, people suppose it may be
true. Here, then, people ought to re-
member that the Presidents case is
theirs, and that if he is punished no man
may escape; there is guillotine for all.
Nothing else, be it remembered, is
! charged. No act is alleged; no step
was taken to obstruct the law; no COM
mand given as to the movement of
troops Emory's testimony printed in
the Herald OF Sunday tells the whole
story, and the conspiracy from begin
Hing to end consists in the President 8
telling Emory that law "was uncon-
stitutienal." A high crime, no doubt;
but if he is punished for it men who
have said the same thing to their wives
had better make up their domestic quar-.
rels.
Seriously, has there not been worse
conspiracy than this set on foot within
short timer Enough is now known to
fix the fact in the public mind that a
faction in Congress is seeking to set the
| Executive aside by any means, foul or
fair. This is the real conspiracy against
the government that it behooves the peo-
pie to keep their eyes on and that it be-
hooves the President also to provide
against. 1t is his duty to see that the
laws are faithfully executed; and the
first of all the laws that he must guard
and execute is the original law, the con-
stituton itself. He must defend it not
only against foreign but domestic foes,
| and as well against the fulminations of
a faction coming in the shape of laws as
against any other danger. All the legiti-
mate action of Congress is entitled to
respect, and the privilege of members
covers all that they may do in Congress;
but it is worthy OF present thought that
all these proceedings against the Execu-
tive have been planned and arranged IN
conspiracy, in secret meetings called
caucuses, in which what is done is not
covered by that mantle Of law that pro-
tects the utterances of members In de-
bate; and it is worthy the consideration
of the Presidents law advisers how tar
the proceedings of such assemblages, IN
which all this removal Of the President
has been deliberated, come within the
terms of the law of 1861 ito define and
punish certain conspirscies." Let us
know is really guilty of conspiracy.
News About the Working People. =
1t is reported that help is very scarce
in Vermont at two dollars a day to get
out timber from the forests and prepare
it for market
The announcement is made that
there will be unusual activity
in building in Chicago this spring, There
are more contracts for new residences
and stores than we're ever made before.
The working men Of Nashville, Tenn,
are subscribing stock for the establish
ment Of cooperative store. The shares
are s. each.
The Kalmia Is. C.) Cotton Mills,
erected at great expense, have failed,
owing to the impoIsibility Of raising cap
iial to operate them in the present con-
dition Of the South.
From Belgium, it is stated that a strike
and serious disturbances have taken place
10 the Msreinelle and Gilly coal mines,