The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1868-03-06
TIE MISERABLE IMPEACHMENT
FARCE AND las PROBABLE COASE.
QCENCES.
[From The New York Herald |

QUENCES.
[From the New York Herald
Already the lmpueIng and over
Whelmlng proceedings of the House of
Representatives in the impeachment
OF Andrew johnson are assuming the
appearance of Il solemn but ridiculous
farce. Already upon the ease against
the accused II i>apparent there can he
no conviction by the Senate. What
are the high crimes and nIiSdempan-
er- UPON which he il indicted the ov-
ert acls which legally render him sub
ject tu removal from office? The re-
nOVal of Mr.. Stanton as Secretary of
War and tie appointment of General
Lorenzo Thomas to the Office. In this
removal and iii this appointment, il is
charged, Mr.. johnson has fatty vio-
lated tie Tenure of tlilicp law and defipd
The sovereign authority of Congrpe-.
Bat here these questions recur-is Mr..
StantOn removed? and il Mr.. ThOnI;tS
filling his place in the War Office ?
No. Mr.. Stanton still holds absolute
possession Of !he department, and Gen
era! Thomas, after making his demand
for Il surrender OF the off. -, gracefully
retire@, leaving Stanton still master nt
the situation. Stanton sticks 10 his
post; but Mr.. Sumner, in his hot haste
III enjOining him to stick" has spoil
ed the impeachment of Johnson.
In pOln Of fact, however, Stanton l.
the man who ought to he impeachcd !;
for he is clearly guilty of the "high
crimes and misdeme lnOrs" of re-i- z
the authority and di>regartiiIg the or
ders of his superior officer, AN" of re-
turning and remaining in the War OF
flee against the CApre>S commands of
the President. What is the Govern
ment but that of Il mere cabal or French
directory If this or that subordinate Of
ticia can tiout and defy his superior be-
cause the subordinate is under the pro-
lection of the dominant party for the
time in Congress We say, in this
view, that no conviction of the Presi-
dent can be secured in the Senate for
his efforts to get rid of This obnoxious
and intolprabie subordinate, Stanton.
Twice before has the House of Rep
rpsentativeS attempted the inpeach
ment of Mr.. johnson upon "high
crimes and nIi~denr anOrS," such aS
usurpatiOnS, briberIeS, cOrruptiOnS, etc; ;
Iut in both instances the attempt WAS
signal failure, first before the ouSe
Itself, aud, secondly, in the prelini-
nary investigation by the Committee
IN Reconstruction. The same COM
mittee, 10y Il party vote upon this third
experiment, did make up Il case, and
the House, by clean party division,
has sustained and reported that in be-
haif" of all the people of the United
States" the charges to be preferred
will be made good before the Senate.
The Indictment, then, is this time Il
success but the trial has yet to come.
The Senate in this trial assumes the
character and responsibilities of Il court
uf Justice. Party considerations, party
annoyanceS and party prejudicea must
bp cast aside, and the guilt or Orinn0crnce
of the accused must be determined by
The law, the facts and the evidence.
From this ordeal ne HldPrfdke to S(ty
that there iCiH he no cOHUicfiOR, but THAI
the Presi dent will come off The victor
from the field for lack of law. facts and
evidence upon which to condemn him.
What then? The next thing, then, i'll
order will be the imi eachment of this
Radical party in Congress before the
bar of the American people. Nor will
there be any s,anty budget OF high
crimes and miSdpneanOrS" in the gen
eral Indictment against them. Their
attempts to take away the constitutions
al powers of the Executive Depart
ment; their efforts To upset the Judi
clal Department or to ruduce it to Il
mere party machine; their negro su-
prenacy policy 0f Southern reconstruct
tiou; their financial follies, eXtraVagan-
ces, spnliati0ns and corruptions, will
all be in the bill and we shall pr0ba-
bly, have an inkting in the approach
ing New Hampshire election Of What
is tn come iii the adtumnai Congress-
.0nal elections.