Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-03-05
THE RUTLAND HER AID
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY ~, 1865
The Situation,

legitimate laws nf the land which has,
been enacted after aur consideration ~
the peoples representatives, IN Congress.
In srbitrsrily depo,ing an oil or he set
aside the laws, and il under the eiyil ten
ure act he can depose one, without IN,
consent ~ the senate, he cau depose al,
officers, inclu ling the Congress Of n,
people aud by the saiuv poser h. can
continue himself in office and become q
dictator, rather than President one
usurpation quietly submitted To-, pave.
the way for another Entertainments az
this character should BE- most iealously
watched. for they are the steps which
lead in the direction of monarchy The
people have written in the Constitution Of
the United States that their Representa-
tives shall make laws and the prcsiden,
shall obey and execute them This he
refuses 70 do, and the simple question i,
shall he rrmuiu IN nttirE - u1u rtis
question Congress has acted with uodouht.
full or hesitating policy, and the straight.
forward legal proceedings thus far indi.
cate that this question.will be moro speed.
lily settled than any one anticipated.
The indictment Of the Country pre-
sented against its Chief Magistrate i,
plain and explicit His assumption 81
power, in taking the work of Rcconstruc.
tion into his hands, was wholly unwar.
ranted by the Constitution or hy the ne.
oessities of the situation. His appoint.
ment of Civil Governors in the seeding |
States was high-handed act. worthy OF
potentate, who is the Acknowledged |
corner stone of monarchy The defiance
Of law and precedent in calling elec-
hons, in fixing the qualification Of voters t
and the laying down as conditions prece. |
dent, certain rules of conduct, that IA,
Conventions, which he authorised by an
act OF his own sovereign will, should oh.
serve, is yet fresh in the. rceolections d
the people. He threw himself, though
not, perhaps, in the violation of any off
cial oath, into the contest which attended,
the submission of the Constitutional
Amendment, and succeeded in dofeatin.
that which Congress had submitted to
rsbellious people. A plan the most hu.
name and forgiving that human forbear.
ance ever conceived for traitors. and un.
der which reunion and the burial Of all
sectIonaI resentmonts was possible, wa,
rejected by his agency; since which h,
has lost no opportunity to do violence Il
the great cause of human rights, to which
he owes his election And this course OF
treachery has eliminated in new rebel
lion, of which he is chief; but one as vet
bloodless, for the reason that he lacks the
power to inaugurate u new era of violence
and armed strife
The fragrant disobedience of law ON the
part of the President, into which his last
defiance of constitutional authority has !.
betrayed him, is so clear, that the House
IF Representatives, it would SEEM had no
choice left but to send him impeached to
the bar Of the Senate for trial He will '
not attempt to deny the power of thu p.
House to present, or of the Senate to try
him. The whole matter is now purely q
question Of fact and of law. Legal tricks +
and bubbles cannot avail to save him II
from the consequences of his disregard OF II
law and defiance of authority. The facts q
are pretty well understood now-the law +
will be far better understood when the :
proceedings are completed. Those who c
have hitherto deprecated impeachment be- }
cause they thought it unnecessary and t
impolitic, now believe it can be no
longer resisted, in honor or justice to the q
which we are cndcavoring to /
protect and save. As in the case OF t
treason and rebellion at the commence
ment of the war. it became absolutely inn !
perative on the government to do many I
hitherto untried and extraordinary things, |
TO invoke and use all the inherent and re- {
served powers of the Republic, in order to t
punish treason and break the power OF /
sedition, so now it has apparently become :
As necessary for the representatives, of the i
people to interpose prerogatise and exer- z
Use constitutional power Of dealing y
with law breaking and constitution dis. b
regarding officer which though hitherto ;,
are as undoubted IA their right a;
to pass resolution or law. d,
The duty of Congress in this emergency
is clear II il will but rise to the level of =,
this great occasion. and, with the gravity u
and clearness OF a great tribunal, con- b
duct the trial with that forbearance ia
which the case demands, it will have the i
country's warm and hearty support. The O
country cannot fail to see the gulf which y
the executive opens before it. The Il
supremacy of the rebel elemen, and the /
final sinking of eur institutions tn tire I t
level of Mexican revolutionary anarchy. @
in which Congress is nothing. but the t
President everything, until a new revo- q
luton shall sweep him out Of power c
these are the consequences. of submission g,
to the usurpation that has been at
tempted.
The people of the country remember !
the great days of national and patriotic /,
exultation which followed the Inaugural
ton OF the late civil war The contest
then commenced has not yet been ended
1t only assumes new phase The enc
mics OF the country and of liberty have !
changed their method of attack, hoping to !
win, by executive usurpation, what was a
denied to their arms, to deliver the II
country over to the tender mercies Of those a