The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-04-26
N0RNMo Star AND CATHOLIC HKssKNaKR.
NEW ORLEANS. SUNDAY. APRn s. 1888
The impeachment.

AhO AIPOo~AAAOAAs.
The great State trial ON which SO much
may depend, not only for the South, but for
the whole country, is rapidly drawing to a
close. If acquitted, the President will
probably find all opposition to his admins
tration exhausted, and his policy of recon
struction will triumph. If condemned and
elected from Office, he will leave the ques-
ton as far from o solution as he found it.
The whole skill of legislation, the whole
power of the Executive, will then be con-
.centrated upon the effort to organize the
South into an ally of the Radical party, and
we shall renew our worst experience as con-
quered provinces, not with the comparative
dignity, however, of q national conquest,
but as q party appendage.
As to the real issues involved in the i'm
parchment, we suppose there is but little
doubt in the popular mind. 1t is the Gull
minating point of political contest between
two of the three coordinate branches of
the national government. The legislative
and executive departments have differed as
to the constitutionality of certain laws.
The constitution does not give either of
these departments superiority over the
other, in deciding such questions, but pro-
vides that they shall be carried before the
Supreme Court. Each party is to be bound
by it's decision, and if the President should
refuse to recognize and obey law sustained
by such tribunal, he would be clearly liable
to impeachment.
In the issues, however, which have arisen
between Congress and the President on the
constitutionality of certain laws, and his
duty to enforce them, Congress, instead of
having them brought before the Supreme
Court, has seen fit to consider the assertion
OF the Presidents prerogative as IN infringe
ment of it's sovereign functions, amounting
to treason, or something like it. Not only
does the House ignore the CO. ordinate equal
ity of the Executive, in impeaching the Pres
dent for its assertion, but the Senate ignores
the prerogatives of the Supreme Court, and
usurps its functions by hearing cause, the
turning point of which is judicial con-
struction to be given to the constitution
1t is evident that a successful issue to this
experiment would sanction principle COM
pletely subversive of our form of govern
ment. 1t would effect, in principle, revo-
ting aside the fundamental characteristic of
our constitution, that kind of political trinity
with which it has clothed its sovereignty.
The checks and safeguards intended by
that arrangement, would be gone. Two of
the co-equal departments would be domina-
ted by the third, and their principal pre- |
negatives absorbed by it.
The country, therefore, properly regards
this proceeding, now pending, as of para
mount Importance, and asks with eager
ness what will be the result. 1t seems al
most impossible to arrive at any opinion on
this point. There is party which predicts
condemnation. and another equally conf
dent of acquittal. Washington correspon-
dents of the press seem divided in sentiment,
and different journals, in their editorials,
arrive at opposite conclusions. The friends
of the President rely on the honor of certain
Radical Senators. But it must be remem-
bered that these Senators would ruin their
own party in saving him. His triumph
would destroy Radical prestige at the North,
and enable him to thwart all their schemes
at the South. Can Radical Senators be re-
lied ON for such sacrifice 2" On the
other hand, there is cause for hesitation on
their part. There is danger, they think, of
forcible resistance by the President. His
calm attitude, his secrecy, his well-known
courage, and his peculiar military arrange
ments lately effected, have Il discouraging
effect on the timid. They would certainly
lose more by u civil war than by the decay
of their party. Fear may check them, as it
has already prevented them from suspend
ing the President pending his impeachment.
This much we know, that our form of gov
eminent is in danger. Even if the Presi-
dent should be elected from office Mithoutl