The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1868-03-06
Seletted selistrllaag.
NEethod ot T,nnenchmcmt.

The formal impeachment Of the execu
tive head of = nation is n spectacle of rart
occurrence in tho history of the world
The monarches of the old world do no
provide such case. Absolute and con
slitutonal mouarch"s agree in placing tn,
acts of the monarch above the law, Will
only this difference, that in constitutions
mOuarchies the ministers are responsible
to the Legislature for all the princcly acts
which they sanction by their signature. IT.
he struggle of the European countries for
! liberal institutions. the principle Of minis
terial responsibility occupies a prominent
place. The cessation of the principle gives
to the Legislature the right of controlling
and if necessary, impeaching, if not the
nominal at Least tho actual heads of the
state. The principle was laid down in all
the constitutions which owed their origin
to the revolutionary movements Of lS48.
and was last year reintroduced into Aus
| tria.
But though the law makers in Europe
lawlossly endcavored to exempt the NAL.
ieasances of princes IRON the operation Of
the laws, the people have Ir, quently taken
the right OF impeachment into their own
hands. Charles l., OF England, and Louis
XVI, of Frahce, constitute memorable cX
anules OF royal impeaChmeuts in Europe,
aud more recently Louis Philippe aud his
dynasty were deprived of the throne hy a
solemn decree OF the representatives of the
French nation.
III republics, the president is only the
first among the Executive officers OF the
government, and the possibility of his vio
ating the law is expressly provided for
Sill, cases nf the formal impeachment of i
president are exceedingly rare. Instances
occurred few months ago in the United
States of Columbia, when President Mos.
qucra was dcpoSed aud eX,led, and in Ec
uldor, where the President was impeached
by the House Of Representatives, aud cen
snred by the Senate; but more commonly
dlssatisIactlon with the President vents it.
sef in irsnrrectloH and civil war In the
Cmted States, tho impeachment OF the
President Is without precedent. OILY once
in lS43, an attempt Was made against Pres
ident Tyler, hut it failed. There have, how.
ever, been several cases Of the imp each,
meht OF other civil officers In 1897, vii.
liam BIount, Senator from Tennessee, was
impcached for having intrigued to transfer
New Orleans 10 Great Britain in 1903
John Pickering, Justice of the District
Court of the District OF New Hampshire.
was impeached on four charges, one ui
which alleged That he was man OF loose
morals aud intemperatc habits in 1908, The
impeachment of Samuel Chasc an Associatc
Justice OF the Supreme Court of the United
States, was the cause of The great public
excitement; in 1880, James II, Peck. Judge
OF the District Court for the District oil
Missouri, was inpeached of high misde
meaHors. The latest cases are those Of
Judge Watrous, of Texas, who was i'm
peached in 1857, and of Judge Yves, II.
of Tennessee, who in 1862 |
was impeached for completely in tue re-
belIion. Al! thesa cases constitute prece-
dents Of the impeachment of the President.
" hich will be conducted in similar mar. |
her, except that a; the trial Of the Presi
iert of the CbiofJuslice of Supreme Court |
Of the United States must preside The |
main points in The procedure against the
President wiz therefore, be as follows;