Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-03-13
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BELLOWS FALLS, MAR. 10, 1868
Speech of Judge Poland.
FEBRUARY "a, 1868.

FEBRUARY "a, 1868.
Mr.. Speaker, l desire to say few
words in explanation of my own position,
and of the vote which l feel compelled
to give upon the important proposition
now before the House.
1t is we'll known to the members Of
this House, to my constituents, and to
the country, that voted against prefer
ring the articles of impeachment of the
President which were reported by ma
jority of the Judiciary committee at the
commencement of the present session.
1t is not needful that ! enter into any
detailed statement of the reasons upon
which the vote was given. But | will
say that from careful examination of
all the evidence taken and reported to us
by the Judiciary committee was not sat
isfied that the President had been guilty
of any such express and specific viola
tions of law, or of any such willful and
corrupt official misconduct as would le-
gally authorize conviction by the Sen
ate. The President and the Congress of
the United States were Numerically op-
posed in their views as to the proper pol
icy to be pursued in the restoration of the
states lately in rebellion. The political
party in the country opposed to the ma
4 =
jority in both Houses Of Congress had
rallied to the support of the Presidents
policy, and in opposition to that of Con-
gress; and the President had joined his
political fortunes with the party in oppo-
sition to that which placed him in office.
1t did not appear to me that any such
special and definite ofense could be
proved against the President as to give
his impeachment or conviction any other
appearance or character than a political
one, and l greatly feared that we should
thus establish precedent which might
seem to justify any future Congress in
removing from Office any President on
account Of mere political differences. 1t
is known, too, that very great differences
existed upon the law of impeachment,
and whether the President could legally
be impeached for corrupt misconduct in
office when no law had been passed de-
claring such misconduct to be crime,
and enacting penalty against it.
| In the feverish evaporation existing
between the President and Congress ]
thought it especially unfortunate that VIC
should be called upon to establish pre-.
cedent that wonld have the force of q
law upon that subject. The country had
just emerged from terrible war for the
nations life, which laid upon us stag
gering debt which required all our effort;
to meet !; our national finances were in 9
precarious situation the reaction in the
business of the country, caused by the
change from the immense demands O.
war to the lesser ones of peace, had ere
ated a general depression in all the in
dustries of the country, which were labor
ing under heavy but necessary burder
of taxation.
Under these circumstances, when every
effort and energy of every department o
the Government was needed in aid of tn,
business and industry of the country, i
seemed to me unwise to add new ele
ment of excitement to the financial ed
dies and whirlpools, and another cause
to distract the attention of Congress from
proper effort to ameliorate the condition
of the country.
l was not, perhaps, as much affected
by the political aspects and consequence
of the question as some other persons
here and elsewhere; but | could not re
sist the belief that under the circum
stances a prosecution of Impeachment
against the President would be regarded
by the people as political persecution
and prove disastrous to the party upol
whom must rest its responsibility.
DtSiucS tncsc TcstSUlis, L ucSlTcy IL pOs
sible,. to avoid the disgrace and obloqu,
which such proceeding would brin,
upon republicon institutions and govern
ment among other nations and peoples 0
the earth. ~ ~ .-.ss3
l have not been able to approve tn
course of the President for the last tw
years more than other members of m
political party. considered that il
Congress, as the law-making departmen
of the government, rested the power an
duty of prescribing the forms, terms, an
conditions upon which the seeding an
rebelling states should again be restore
to their places in the union, and whe
the determination Of Congress had bee
Expressed on that subject by the const
tutional majority over the objections 0
the President, that it was his duty I
forego his own private views and in goo
faith to execute their law as the will c
the people. That he did not do so, bu