New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-03-28
TIE PRESIDENTS CASE.

THE PRESIDENTS CASE
Considering that 1he World calls Mr.. John
son Republican President, it manifests ex-
ceeding aversion TO his removal from office.
We have a Republican official under impeach-
ment at Albany, and no One-not even Ihe
WorId-pettifogs his case if he is honest and
has been n faithful officer, we doubt not the
Senate will acqut him; if not, we trust he may
be convicted and kicked out: so we all quietly
and patiently await the verdict.
Those who have seduced Andrew johnson
into treachery and violation of law, on the
other hand, are i'll at ease. Their consciences
accuse them; the presence of their victim
oyerwhelms them with self-reprOach Meet
where you may, except in Federal office,
forty men whose votes helped place
Andrew Johnson where he is, and
at least thirty-nine of them, if asked what
they think of his impeachment, will indicate
their decided wish and hope that he may be
convicted and expelled from Office There are
more voters in the United States to-day who
anxously await and demand his expulsion
from the White House than ever wished him
elected Vice-Presdent and the only men
with incODsiderable exceptions) who now
want him acquitted are those who stigmatzed
him in 1854 as q low demagogue and drunken
bOor, and in 1865 insisted-directy after his
Inauguration as Vice-President-that public
justice and public decency alike demanded his
Impeachment and removal from station he
had barely attained, but which he had already
disgraced and forfeited.
The World bOrrows trouble in behalf OF the
Republicans after this fashion:
ave do not believe. II Mr. Johnson ~ removed, that
two years pass by without bringing down upon those
who may decide the severest reprOaches from tIen
own political friends II will be impossible for new Re
publican Administration 10 satisfy the clamOrs OF us
party II the TenuIeOfOce act Is to continue 20 he te
law Of land Yet IL the Senate now decides that tne fes
dent has independent constitutional power OF re-
moving public officers, ard that all removals must py
force OF the Constitution be submitted to the senate Tue
Republican party will have before just these two AFTER
natives il must either repeal the present law In ne lace
OF such solemn and quasi Judicial decision or u l1usl
involve the Senate in every exercise OF the power Oh re-
mova and must Consequently reduce the presde11 no
can have control Neither the Republican nor any
other party will be content with such change III the
structure aud operation Of the Government"
In the case in hand, Mr.. Johnson first tenn
porarily removed Mr.. Stanton from Office, as
the law authorized him to do, appointing
substitute and notifying the Senate OF the
change and his reasons therefor. The Senate
duly considered those reasons and, by an over
whelming vote, adjudged them inadequate and
directed the restoration of Mr.. Stanton, who
thcreupon resumed the office whence he had
been temporarily elected. The President, with
a perfect knowledge that he was defying and
browbeating the Senate-that it did not and
would not assent TO the change-again elected
Mr.. Stanton and undertook to put another IN
his place while the Senate was in session and
in ostentatious defiance of its veto. If the
Senate should now quail before this insolent
usurper, it sinks into the condition of a servile
register of Executive edicts-a debasement
akin TO that of the degenerate, craven Roman
Senate under the worst phase of Imperial des-
pOtSm.
What The World terms "a change in the
structure and operations of the Government"
We hail as a return to the earlier and purer days
of the Republic. Though no Tenure of Office
bill had ever been passed. we deny that a
President had ever the right TO defy and in
suit the Senate as Mr.. johnson did in his re-
iteratcd removal of Stanton. No President be- |
fore Jackson would have dreamed of thus !
boarding his constitutional associates in the re- |
sponsible duty of filling subordinate executive |
trusts; and even Jackson did not know, when !
he removed Duane, that the Senate would not
concur. Johnson did know this-knew it per-
fectly-when he removed Stanton n second
time: did it on purpose and with the fullest |
consciousness that he was daring the Senate to
do its utmost. Having entered upon the con-
test like bravo, let him not crawl out of 1t
like q sneak. Indeed, he cannot.