The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-02-29
Impeachment! Impeachment!

last week one would suppose a new rebellion
had broken out, or at least that an attempt
was being made by the ''rcd handed traitors"
and bloody coppcrheads" to thrust the rump
out of the capitol. Such excitement has not
been witnessed in Washington, say the des-
patches, since Sumpter was fred upon. What
is it all about Impeachment Impeach
ment :" is the affrighted answer The Presi-
dent has removed Stanton, violated the tenure
of Office law, and been impeached by the
house
Who is Stanton lIe was Lipcoln's Secretary
of War. When an all-wise and mercitul Prov /,
idence removed Abraham Lincoln from the
Executive chair and gave his place to Andrew
Johnson, (this, we believe, was the fayorlte
cant in which the radical papers spoke of the
event at the time,) this man Stanton was al
lowed to retain his seat in Andrew Johnson's
cabinet He was mean dog, however, and
though protesting to adhere to Johnson after
his breech with the ''rump," was base enough
to play the spy upon him. and for year or
more made regular business of tale bearing
between the rump and the private consulta-
tons of the president and his cabinet. Being
but clerk or undcrstrapper of the President,
as all cabinet officers are in contemplation OF
law, the President, on discovering his base
ness, showed symptoms of removing him. The
rump, unwilling to lose their spy, projected
and passed the tenure of office law for his pro-
lection. The law was papably unconstitu-
tional. Stanton himself, in tho cabinet con-
situations Though doubtless Approximately
admitted its unconstitutionality, and wrote a
part of the presidents message vetoiny the
bill on that ground. But the r0np passed it
over the Presidents head and the President
was obliged to remove Stanton in spite of it.
The peculiar feature Of the tenure Of Office law
is, that, as the Presidents appointments must
be confirmed by the senate so his removals
shall also be confirmed by that body. The
President removed Stanton last August when
the Senate was not in session. When that
body got together in December, they refused
to assent to the removal; whereupon tire Pres
-
OF the Senate. This second removal is made
the ground for impeachment.
And now, wherein consists the 'shieh crime
and misdcmeanor' of this Presidential act
The President sent to the Senate on Monday a
message in which he states the grounds upon
which he maintains his right to remove Sian.
ton. They are two-fold. First-believing the
tenure of office law to be unconstitutional. he
made the removal so as to have an opportu
nifty by suing out a writ of quo narruato from,
the Supreme court, to test the constitutional.
ity OF that law. This the President had an
undeubted right to do, as any private citizen
has right to bring an act of congress by
which he is affected to the test of the iudici.
airy. secondly--the President shows that he
has not even violated the provisions of the ten.
ulc OF office law. BY the 9th section of that
law 1t is provided that cabinet officer shall
hold his office during and for one month after
the expiration of the term of the President by
whom he was appointed. Stanton was an
pointed by Lincoln and not by Andrew John
son 80 that one month after Lincoln's death
his time had expired by limitation of law, and
from that day to this he has held office only
by suiterancc Of President Johnson or his neo
iect to put another man in his place. His ten
ure OF office is gone. Either of these ground.
Is conclusive as to the rightfulness of the Pres
ioeht action, and must certainly acquit him
OF the charge OF high crime and misdcmeanor
The intense gleean excitement of the rum,
on finding, as they supposed, the president en-
trapped in the meshes of the tenure of offic,
act, after their signal failure, by hard labor TO,
TWO years, to rake up charges of Impeachment,
against him, has led them. as Mr.. Woodward
Oh pennsylvania so truthfully told them in his
speech in the house, into the commission n
what the great French diplomat said was un
pardonab!e--a blunder. The movement was
ushered IN with tremendous dramatic display
Inc most stunning scenes Of the Black Crook
were no comparison to it. But the thing was
immensely overdone-thc excitement was to.
overwhemins-the tension too severe to hold
out. When the gauze and tinscl and glare o.
fireworks, and all the demniton rattlcdebane
OF the opening scene have passed away. anf
'hc business comes down to the duh. slow, te
dious, matter-o'-tact cool-bloodcd and coo
headed affair of deliberate trial of Andrew
johnson on the frivolous if not wholly r,dicu
!ous charges preferred in the high court of tn,
senate, where every word of tcstimonv cror,