Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-02-28
The Political Crisis,

lnaugurate a new political era in the
history of this country. The Re-
publican members will undoubtedly
vote as unit, and thus initiate the
arraignment of the President at the
bar of the Senate, there to be tried
for ahigh crimes and misdemeanors."
His bold assumption of legislative
| prerogatives-assuming TO himself
the right to discriminate between acts
alike binding upon him-and his
equally unjust course in preventing
the will Of the peopse, as expressed
oy their representatives, from being
executed have escaped the punish
ment, thus far, which they merited.-
Emboldened by his previous stems
and assured by the disloyal elements
which surround him that Congress
dare not proceed to the last and only
recourse now left to them, he has
violated an act of Congress, and will
be called upon to appear and give
reasons, if he can, why he has not for
teited the position which he occupies.
1t is not question between President
Johnson and the Republican party
which is the issue. 1t is not whether
the policy adopted by Congress is
right or wrong that is to be adiudi-
Gated upon; but it is to be settled
whether the President of the United
States can willfllly defy the whole
people by assuming the powers of a
| dictator, and, by total disregard
of law, subVert the great principle
of the right Of the people to self gov,
eminent. If he can remove Secreta-
| ry Stanton and place Gen. Lorenzo
Thomas or Thomas Ewing in Office
while the Senate is is session, without
the consent of the Senate, there is no
act which he may not commit under
the perfdious influence of those who
| are his advisers and abetters His
first detection commenced more than
two years ago, when Gov. Aiken Of
South Carolina was brought to Wash
ington by order of the Secretary of
) War. He discharged the guard and
released him on parole, and from that
} day to this, influenced by personal
ambition, he has thwarted, by every
conceivable method, the wishes of the
loyal people for reconstruction and
permanent return TO peaceful rela-
tions between all the States of this
Union. There is not spark of con-
Citation in any act which he has
3 originated. He has irritated the
North, and enkindled the worst pas
. sions of the South, till at last he
reaches a point where he assumes
that he has the right to remove officers,
: that their places may be filled by
those ready to do his bidding. If the
n President can hold his position with
: these facts on record, then all law is
e a mere waste, for the will of one man
l. is all powerful, and Congressional
enactments are of no value.
- 1t will be seen by the summary Of
= the debate in the House on SATURDAY.
g which we publish, that the loyal men.
bers have manfully met the issue
" In the House on Saturday evening the
20 floor of the Hall was crowded N
le every part and the galleries were
is packed. Judge Kelley of Pennsyl-
ot vania stated that the coup d'etat at.
d. tempted by the President was but
re the act of an usurper.
2 1t is the impression that the pro.
d gramme contemplated miscarried
70 owing to the judicious resolution in
PRODUCED by Senator Wilson on Fri
day. With Gen. Thomas in the War
~ Department an important step would
have been gained. OF the calibre
as of this man we need no other evidence
Id to form judgment than the fact that
o. the messenger who delivered to him
the resolution of the Senate found
in. him at masquerade ball. His
II. prompt arrest has induced him to
modify lis somewhat belligeren.
threat to obtain possession of the
Ire War Office by force, and, though he
w also threatened to secure the mails
intended for that Department, the
all budgets which reached Washington
Ito Saturday and also yesterday were
ere duly opened by Secretary Stanton
ial No head of department will Likely
invite impeachment by refusal to obe7
;of the acquisitions of Mr.. Stanton.
If There are few turbulant indivii
,m uals in Washington, some from til
IN South and some from the East-th.
no latter representing the Democrat
party-who are seeking to intimidate
Congress by threat of bloodshed
DIV Mr.. Brooks of New York INDUCED il
list q strain of sanguinary oratory, but,
Gen. Logan pricked that bubble il
len his speech on Saturday night. Gen
om- Logan said he had seen all the blood
shed that he ever desired to see, bu
he stated that such threats would moi
80 lntimidate him from testing the ques
,'-' ton by every legal method known
: and he cautioned the member frou
ned New York not to initiate anothe
ga war, for 1t was barely possible b
the Brooks might be drawn into it.
How long it will require to pre-
IL pare articles of impeachment ant
Dis. bring the case before the Senate il
, he matter of doubt; we arc inclinet
and to think that in much less space Of
,hus time than is expected the trial wi
al. reach a conclusion. In the case Of
Judge Peck there was no debate il
the Senate before taking a vote, am