Buchanan County bulletin and guardian. (Independence, Iowa) 1866-1869, 1868-06-12

hao Ourht dowN 10 deeply into Ae heard o
all loyal citizens, that his arraignmeut bc!or,
the Senate wns received with umboandcd sa.
isfaction. With guilt so palpable--so self
apparent to every loyal HEART, seemed i'm
possible that any man cf AL the loyal coan
try>loving men ofshc Senate could be found
TO deliberately place himself as shield 4
the President against deserved resrihation
!, scas simply" because Senator Crime.
did thus stand up in defense of the second
great head Of treason, and did coolly and
deliberately spi, in the faces ofall loyal Iowa
tina, his name has now become odioas Il
those who honored him while he vas true e
liberty nd worthy Of hcaor. And it was be.
cause the people had 80 implicitly trusted
him tina, his fall was so grea, and disastrous
What is the excuse Of this man who place.
a, defiance the wishes of ,hoss he was elected
to represent aud counts as nothing the jude
meat Of his united constituency That when
he took An oath TO impar,ially try Andrew
johnson, he ceased to be representative oi
The re plc, and became simply J. ". Grimes
Of Burlington, fo-a, a juror in case Al
Law; that as such Juror he acted in accord
dance with his conscience Now il MAJ,
desired an excuse, this is upon its face, 4
plausible one; ba, il is based upon : prin,
cirle dangs rous to the liberties OF the reSpls.
The Senate Of the United States can take no
action, exccp, as a Senate, acting k~ the Pc
rle, in accordance with express provisions Of
the Constitution. which vesss ~ Jsdicia!
power in the Supreme Cour, and its suhordin-
ate courts, bu, which further provides that
the Senate shall try all imrcachmen's, Thus
making positive distraction between judi>
cial posss and the power to try impeaca>
ments la trying i.upsachments the Senate
is only performing one Of those Senatorial
duties required vi il BY the Constitution.
With equal prOpriety Nr Crimes might claim
that when he sock Mxved Senatorial oath be
became ameusSle only to Ais conscience.
and his conscieoce thus be made he seape>
goa, ior every action which Ne kncv coah
aoa Be approved By those he vas elected 10
apsssssl Ne DO not claim that Senator
saosld vjslaAsaAn ssaanisnne, bat whoa his
coas<isnce viii - rsr~a hin aassaa - those
he represeu.s desire him y act il connection
waA III The duties which the Consultation
provides b sAall resfRn - a SenasOs, every
consideration Of honor snd iecency vcsld
demand tha, he resign the trust committed
to him. A man NAV claim conscienticusRcss
IN the performance of any disrepusabls &C,
and NO one can gaipsay il through positive
proof Tor every man is the custodian OF his
own coasscicnce.f l, is absurd to suppose
Tia, Mr.. R.<h can know anything of Mr..
Grimes' conscience. save from circnm>
siantiai cvidence.-and We judge also. from
ci-camsssnsial evidence. Mr. Grimes wAs
elected 70 &C, .,cr us; be acted agoiast n
and eiams conscien,iousness - ~ ex.
cuse. Shall that claim be allowed to cover
up and excuse every act ofa representative
which 10 . clear misrepresentation
eniss We have . right 10 question
To cur mind. it seems Reasonable to suppose
that il Mr.. Grimes heart had been ~ ht, the
fac; would have been indicated by his bear
ing during the trial. On the contrary, his
votes with reference 10 shc admission Of esi-
dencc and bis manifest contempt ofihe wbok
proceedings would have done justice " the
meaness Copperheai in the Senate. His
conduct At the close of Mr. Biagham's speech,
when the grea, heart OF the people Was NOV
ed to applause, disclosed m aaimrs which
cannot well be explained On the ground OF
conscience. He acted during The trial pre-
cisely as il he had made up his mind in ad-
vance against impeachment and vas dsAer-
mined to defeat il and not Is IL be siseerely
desired to falfil the vii Of The people, but vas
regretfsllr compelled by his conscience to
run counter 10 it; Again, Mr.. Rich repre-
senss tina, j. cost Mr.. Grimes a terrible ssrug-
gle 10 act conscientiously. Does On honest
man, Who 10 fully satisfied that be Is dong
right, and xhose conscience is perfectly
clesr as to his duty. allow Considerations of
party or policy for q moment to struggle
with him fer the mastery? Does be moi,
rather stand serenely rrcud Of his honor !;
unaffected by dishonorAble considerations !?
On the ether hand. is il not The violasor Of
conscience, the man conscious Of disAonor-
abs motives, Who under circumstances Of
momentous importance, writhes AID strsg>
glcs because Of the performases Of dn.
honest act. The lsshiass Of soascieacs nsy
dive even to paralysis isssH.
Mr. Gnmes says tnat no power could
force him to decide IL sncs cese, contrary
to his convictions, to suit the requirements
Ct q parry" The plain inference j. that il
was oaly the supplementary oath taken in
connection wi.h the trial that could induce
Mr.. Grimes 10 act in accordance With bis
conscience or prevent his doing wrong to
snii the requirements of his party. His con
solsnce is entirely inactive while acting un-
der the sacred oaths Of Senator be is then
n'sssly the political deRagouge, willing 10
surrender principle and conscience. 1ssees-
ssry, at the behests Of party. Ah!thers was
] more revealed there than Vas expected
Out upon ssch demagoguer. TIE people
Of Iowa sent Mr.. Grimes 10 The United States
Senate 70 ezPsess ead easvy into sascs tbsis
principles and wishes. IL nouusut hsiis.
1
| covered b could net coaseieusiossly DO / y
no matter in what senatorisi capacity -
~ aosis& he shpuld have resigned, and
leh the peopss re n, secure sepresents-
tive tsue to themselves. No legal sophistry
san blind the eyes Of the psople to this
simple fact.
We have given some reasons why We are
I'D 10 doubt tbs conssientisusness Of Mr..
Crimes. We might addnce many Others Blu.
for lack Of space. We now wish 70 aho~
that even gantiag Mr.. Grimes claim Of con-
scientioaaness. il was the conscience OF the
mule, rendssiac him m nnGs rsrssssrtsiivs
Of the people Of lows
1t ia matter of TACT thaa hr. Grimes
WAS opposed TO impeachment from the stast
his decision was not affected By anything
which appcArd in eyideace during the trial,