Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-04-07
The Impeachment a Failure.

Benjamin Franklin'S idea OF impeach-
ment was an honest one. Knowing TO what
extent the tendency TO clamor against au-
thOrity might go,and that the accusations of
political opponents are groundless as rule.
he urged in the convention that framed the
constitution an argument in favor of i'm
parchment drawn from that knowledge
Others favored Impeachment as means of
asserting the supremacy OF the law-as
means of Furnishing Jreason-punishing
the abuse OF power-punishing ambitious
assumptions. In the general view impeach
ment was always a punishment. Franklin
favored it as means ofeXploding unfouDd-
ed charges against the EXecutive-as the
true way in which the President might put
before the nation the exposition of the mo-
tives that governed him in cases where his
acts had been misunderstood or misrepre-
sented-as the means of proving his homes
ty. Franklin urged impe achment that the
President might have 1.-THE opportunity of
vindicating his character" and that there
might be a national inquest tor "his hon
Orabe acQuittal where he should be un-
justly accused"
The impeachment trial wonderfully sus-
tains prosaic Old Ben's view of this great
national process. There is no punishment
in the case at all; it is all vindication. For
months the President has been held up by
bitter political opponents as the most afro
cious criminal; and it has been vehemently
declared that the safety of the Government
depended upon his removal. So persistent,
so positive, so eXtravagant have been the
declarations against him of the radical
party, that had there never been an i'm
parchment trial it would never have been
possible to quite etface from the mind of the
people all that has been said the impression
would have gone down to poSterity that in
view of such denunciation there must real
ly have been grave acts OF official miscon-
duct in the Presidents career. But inn
peachment has brought the accusers into
court; it has given them the chance to pose
their charges formally and produce evil
dence. They have now nearly concluded
their labors; and with what result? One
more obvious than all others-the vndica-
tion of the President. They have done
their utmost and find themselves utterly
unable to prove anything to his pref
unable TO show any reason why he should
be displaced, why he has not been good
and faithful servant of the people. I'm
parchment has absolutely no case at all.
Its allegations were pitliul enough, and 1t
cannot even prove those. All the evidence
of guilt it has produced to this hour reacts
against it and proves the contrary to what
it desires. Buffers effort to prove con-
spiracy has made it as clear as sunlight that
there was no conspiracy, and that wonder
ful impeacher was himself ashamed of the
evidence he had brought and tried to cover
his shame with laugh.
But exactly in proportion as the radicals
find themselves unable to carry impeach
ment by evidence and the forms of justice,
so they become more energetic in their at
tempts TO carry it by bullying and outrage.
Old Stevens threat against any Senator
who would "dare" to vote against impeach-
ment seemed at the time it was made TO ava
ken the Senate to some sentiment of the po-
sition in which it was thereby put before the
country. There was some appearance that
the repulsion of that old virago's domi-
neering might stimulate the court to
an honest discharge OF its duty; and we
may hope that the last effort to influenc" a
verdict on matters beyond the record may
have a similar result. We have it said that
General Grant finds it not inconsistent with
his duty as soldier to announce it as his
opinion that the only hope for the peace of
the country is the success of the pending
impeachment trial." Thus it is held there
is mo room for doubt as to the duty OF the
Senate" OF course the allegation III regard
to Grant is an invention. He never said
such thing and never used words that
could be fairly construed to such shape.
But we see here the whole Radical plea
and plan. The Radical cry to the Senate is,
if you cannot convict the President on the
evidence, convict him anyhow: convict him
because General Grant thinks you ought to.
General Grants opinions are of more ac-
count than the evidence. therefore when
you know what he thinks there can be mo
room for doubt as to your duty."-Nelo
York Herald.