The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-03-07

.,..,,on All voters who supported
the nominees and principles Of the sepuoi'.n
the lsst reusrai election. o. are sincerely toPsA
not having dous 90 cordially invited % taAe pal
sanding delegates 10 this Convention.
n, order Of the Republican ssAss Central COMMITTEES
G. @. N0uRsH, Chairman.
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wrNDELL PHILLIPS ON IAPEACH-
MENT.
Wendell Phillips iectured at Cincinnati
few evenings ago, and he said what follows
about impeachment. His statement OF the
grounds and principle Of impeachment may
be q little TOO broad, but the instances ne
cites in illustration are direct and right
enough. We mean too broad for the pres
ent. We believe that the time will come
when the people of the different govern
ments-when the people of this Government
will lmpeach and remove their officers on
inst such grounds as Mr.. Phillips states. We
believe that the time will come when our peo-
nile willbs rsised 90 Ear above faction, will
be 90 Enlightened, 90 imbued with virtue and
Justice, will have SO clear q perception OF the
reciprocal rights of individuals and OF the
general good, will be SO capable of self gov
eminent, that written Constitutions can be
thrown aside as imperfections and hlndran-
ces, and Governments will have their sole
existence, policy and protection in the daily
virtuous judgment Of enlightened freemen.
That is the theory of democratic government
that America goes on to realize. The trouble
with Mr.. Phillips is that he anticipates the
realization; he would have now what can
only come in the future. We wish the full
ness Of that time were already come. We
wish there WAS such universal enlightened
virtue pervading American society now, that
an Improperly and wrong in an official
would appear equally an improperly and q
wrong to every soul in the nation. And that
when an official does an act, instead of ask
ing, is it constitutional? all would unite in
asking, is i. right? But we cannot precipi-
tate Gods years. That which certainly will
be stable and secure Liberty in the Future
would be disturbing elements now. IN those
questions Of Right and Wrong in the Gov
eminent, upon which, in the "Good time
there would be only faction and partisan yio-
lence now. The time will cone in this coun>
try, when the people will endure nothing hu,
good government, and upright officials, and
they viii have it, say in the Presidency, for
instance. if they have to appoint and remove
score of men before they get the right one;
and they will do it all peaceablY, quietly,
without faction or public disturbance. I'm
less government By the people is q hnmbug
and falsehood, we must ultimately stand up
on that high ground. We cannot do it now.
But we can enforce existing law against cor
rupt officials and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., and We
should do it.
Here is what Wendell Phillips said
One of your journals said this morning
that they could not see why | should speak
on impeachment; that knew no more about
1t than anybody else. | don't pretend to;
but it is the duty of all to contribute what
little we can to the general knowledge This
is the necessity OF the hour; that we have go
either by law, military or civil, to let in upon
the South the great forces Of the elements OF
the nineteenth century. Mr.. Johnson's
crime is that he set himself to defeat this pur-
pose. From the first moment his hand and
mind we're felt in the Government, he under
took to turn back this great purpose Of TIE
nation. Ny wish to impeach him tonight is
not technical. but because the man, by either
his conscience or perverseness, had set him,
self up systematically to save the South from
the verdict of the war, and the necessity o.
the epoch 10 which we live. Every single
act since the summer Of 1865 points in thai
direction. He undertook, without authority
to restore oil the property of the South into
its hands. He would build up its stronghold
by giving it all the capital which he could
command. He undertook to anticipate Con-
gress by bringing to the front exactly the ell
ement which revolution puts in the rear
Disregarding the statutes, he placed as Gov.
errors and oiher high officials men incompe-
tent to lake the oath of loyalty. He then al
lowed the violations of unappeased hatred oil
the malignant white race to wreak itself un-
needed on the Union whites, and on the
black race, and as the work proceeded, he
let loose the massacre at New Orleans the
blood at Memphis, and the uublushing muir,
der of 400 unoffending men in Gen. Thomas
District, and 2, 900 men in Texas.
he has been impeaehed for single legal
technical offense, and the article in your pa
per to which referred, which undertakes to
arraign my right TO speak about impeach-
ment, goes on with great ignorance to state
that no matter how foolish the President was.
ne could not be arraigned for his folhes
weaknesses or errors. He must have com,
mitsed some great fragrant malignant act
There was never greater misunderstanding
OF the nature of impeachment. Never more
forgetfuluess of the fact that Impeachment
is the act Of reserved sovereignty of a "a.
ton. Stepping outside of sll It's laws, aetna
ted by no precedent, responsible to no Judge,
bound to give no warning, at liberty to violate
every legislative principle. You can not be
indicted for an act which the statute has no,
previously warned you Of But the nation
leaves itself at no such mercy in regard TO its
great executive officers. Anything which, in
the judgment Of the people, makes an Exec
utive Magistrate unfit for his place, no matter
whether the law has warned him Of it or not,
u IS the law which the people make in the
emergency, ana the emergency makes the
iaw: An Executive not indictable for his
ioilies ana weaknesses! Suppose Chief Jns-
him Chief Justice while he lives? You In.
peach him BY . tribunal as solemn as the
Senate, declaring that he is unfit for his Office.
suppose the President becomes incapable
from delirium fremens [apptsnse]. shall We
reisr him to ajury of doctors? But no, if he
Goes thing that renders him perverse and
unit TO discharge his duties; il his brain soft
snsi # habits unfit him; If be turns the
nite Rouse into brothel, and diseraces the
nauon; be does anything that makes the
magistrate unit IN the eyes of the people 10
execute the sacred trust committed to him.
then the sovereign. people by impeachment,
70 git in Judgment upon him. A New H.mns
shire judge was impsached in the beeinninrp
OF the nation f0r loosa moral. "a .s-- ..sS