The Portland daily press., 1868-05-16
I'M P E A II M EN- T.
Republican Mass Meeting
The Largest Republican Meeting since
the Close of the War.

the Close of the War.
City Hall was crowded to its utmost capac-
ity last evening with citizens who came to.
gether to express their regret at the possible
escape of recreant President from the pun
ishment he has deserved. The size and enthu-
siasm of the meeting were ample proof that
whatever diversity of opinion may exist among
Republican Senators with respect to the guilt
OF the President there is certainly none what
ever among the Republican voters of Maine.
The meeting was called to order by N. A.
Foster, Esq., Chairman of the City Committee
and organized by the choice of Mayor McLel-
Ian, as Chairman, and Royal W. Lincoln and
Percval Bonney as Secretaries. Governor
chamberlain was not present as expected. A
telegram was received from him at the last
moment announcing that he was detained on
business in another State. The Mayors re-
marks upon taking the chair were so felicitous
as to be loudly applauded. At the close of his
remarks he introduced Judge Kingsbury, who
was followed by Judge Davis, Ex-Gov. Wash
burn and District Attorney Talbot
JUDGE K1NGsBURY's SPEECH.
Mr. Kingsbury said that since the founda-
tion of the world, he doubted if History has
driven her pen with more rapidity, or record
ed more wonderful events, than in the past
few years in these United States During the
four years or the glorious administration of
Lincoln and Hamlin, we passed through a
war unparalleled in magnitude, and saw peace
restored, the Union saved, four million slaves
made free, republican government indicated,
and the nation lifted up to rank with the
foremost powers of the earth. When the i'm
mortal Lincoln was struck down by the hand
of an assassin, the grief of the nation was sub
dued by the thought that his successor would,
| patiroticallyEustaina and couageously work out
| the lofty ideas of his great predecessor In
| those days we had no fears Of Andrew john
| son. His record was apparently clean and
| clear. The man who proffered himself as the
| "Moses" of the colored race, who demanded
| the speedy conviction and execution of the
chief rebels, and shack seats" in the recon-
| struction of the government tor lesser trait
| ors-the man who stood heroically up in his
| place in the Senate of the United States and
| in spite of the treason of his own State, vindi-
| Gated the paramount power and rights of the
Union-this man commanded and received
| the almost unanimous confidence of loyal
| people.
| We judge of men by their avowed principles
and public acts. God has given us no author
| ity over the secret motives. We recognize
those only by their development outward =
| But inward corruption, give it time and tempt
| ing occasion, will work itself into act. We
trusted Andrew johnson. But the record Of
the past three years conclusively shows that
| we trusted man who was, like a more notori-
| GUS character, "deceiver from the begin
| ming" AS soon as he was comfortably seated
| in the presidential chair, and got the reins Of
power we'll in his hands, he began his internal
work of finishing up, by another process, the
end aimed at by the rebels themselves He
has been their supple tool He has, as far as
| he dared, ignored the law-making power, the
| Congress of the United States, and undertak-
| en- both to enact and to execute laws to suit
| himself He has violated the Constitution he
| was sOlemnly sworn to maintain, and failed tt
| enforce the laws he was sworn to execute.
| But the loyal people through all this bold
| treason to law, constitution, the integrity o.
the republic, and human rights, have bee Il
submey patient They have waited unit
| patience has ceased TO be virtue; and, at last
through their representatives in the Congress
| OF the United States, they have undertaken tC
| arrest his course, by the power given them by
| the Constitution. Andrew johnson stands
| impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors
and tomorrow judgment is to be passed upon
him.
No act since the great emancipation procla
| nation of Abraham Lincoln, ever met with
more cordial assent from the people. A shout
| ofjoy, which rocked the nation from one END
to the other, went up. The hour of our deliv
GRANGE drew nigh. His crimes were so numer
| Gus, so patent that none could doubt the re.
| suit. And yet tonight, Mr.. President, in
| spite of all these facts, strong and indisputa
Bile, we have assembled because rumors reach
| our unwilling ears that there are grave doubts
of the issue. We are informed that there are
| Senators-some of them our most trusted lead
| ers-who more than hesitate, while the coun
try is waiting in breathless suspense.
1t is not my province, said the speaker, here
| and now, to pass judgment upon these men
1 will wait patiently, and weigh dispassionate.
| 1y their reasons. But they should comprehend
| that back of them, and far above them, is q
| tribunal to which they are ultimately respon-
sible-their constituents. The high inquest
| of the Senate of the United States is not the
| only court before which this distinguished
| criminal is being tried. The people have read
| the articles of impeachment-have examined
| the evidence-have listened to the arguments
and have sat with the Senate in solemn judg
EMMY pronounced him guilty Hiatt a Verd iH;
may not be recorded in the official records al
| Washington, but it will be recorded in the i'm
| perishable pages of impartial history.
| Whatever may be the final decision in the
| Senate of the United States, 1 have no fears
for the safety of the Nation, or the success Of
the cardinal principles of the Republican PAL.
| ty. Fosslized conservatism may retard, but
| cannot stop the advancement of popular rights
| or the assertion of the popular will "FOr.
| wardl" is the word; and forward will the PEG.
pie steadily move until all the legitimate ends
of equal laws and good government shall have
been attained.
Mr.. Kingsbury then offered the following
| resolution:
| Resolved, That the Republicans and loyal men o.
Portland, are firmly convinced that Andrew John.
son, President of the United States, by his attempts
known of all men and denied by none, and fully
proved the trial before the Senate-to impede and
prevent the execution of the enactments of Congress
in respect to reconstruction, which were the laws o.
the land and to substitute for them and enforce in
| their stead, his orders and DEGREES (which hi
had authority to mako1 has been guilty. of viola
| ton OF his known and sworn duty, and of usurpa
ton OF powers not granted to him by the Constltu
ton or laws Of the land; by his removal of the Sec
| rotary of War in defiance of the act regulating the
tenure of certain civil offices, and appointing Lorenzo
Thomas in his place as Secretary ad interim, Con
gress being in session. thus in effect claiming The
right set at naught the power of the Senate ove
removals and appointments in all cases whatsoever
has committed high crime under the Constitu
ton; by his denals of the rightfu Constitution o
the present Congress and of its legal authority
| by his foul and indecent aspersions Of that body
| plainly intended to break down its authority-ha
| been guilty of high mis- demeanor under the Con
stitution. That these attempts and acts if not re
proved and condemned by his conviction, will b,
likely to effect by their example and consequence
an entire and vital change in this government, by
setting aside the Congress of the United States a.
| know to the Constitution, and making it an advis
| DRY body merely, and by ignoring the Senate as
part OF the appointing power, thus practically ant
| really trans orming the government to a despotsm
and that because of them tthe evidence being clca
| and the purpose Enthusiastically expect and will
not cease to expect while the question remains un
| decided that loyal, law-respecting and intelli
| gent Senate Will pronounce upon this great crimi
nal the only judgment that receive the sanction
OF law ofjustice, of duty discharged and of patriot
ism-the judgment of guilty.
JUDGE DAvISs SPEECH,
Judge Davis began by saying that the ques
| ton of impeachment is proper for public con
| sideration. The members of the Senate are
| but the servants of the people, acting in thi.
| as in other matters, in behalf of the people.
| public meeting to consider this question i.
| therefore as proper as it would be to consider
| the question of peace or war, freedom or slav
cry, hOnest.public faith, or dishonest repudia
| ton.
| 1t has been said that this question should bt
kept free from the faint of party. But if the
faint of party attaches to it, whose fault is it,
Is it not notorious that the great effort of the
democratic party has been, and is, to restore
| the rebels to power again in the South az
natural allies?" The acts charged against the
President are party acts, having the same pur
| pose. To prevent him from accomplishing this
party purpose by these illegal measures he il
impeached. After all the arguments and
| speeches of the last sixty days, nothing new
can be said. 1t is easy for lawyer to take one
| allegation at time, and one statute, or clause
of statute at time, and say that this does
not violate this, and that is no violation of that
| until he goes through the list. But the good
| Judgment and common sense OF the people
| without legal acumen, will conclude that in
| February, 1868, the constitution and the laws
| relating to removals from office, and appoint
| ments to office, were to be construed and obey
| ed, not by tearing them apart, but by Joining
| them together. The removal of Secretary
| Stanton and the appointment of Gen, Thomas
in his place are to be taken together, as one
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