The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-05-12
impeachment from an English Point OF
View.
From the London Times, April 2s.l


The great State trial of the New World is
rapidly approaching, its close, and any hour
pronounced upon Andrew Johnson by the
American Senate. It ID q strange end Of a
mighty confict-a singular example OF politi-
cal bathos. The most gigantic, costly and san
culinary struggle ever known has dwindled into
prosecution Of which we, in this country, can
only think that it need never have been insti-
tuted at all. Whether the President Of the Re-
public did or did not commit the offences i'm
puted to him is question which it really seems
hardly necessary to entertain, 80 plain does the
conclusion appear, according to Eughsh opin-
ions, that these offences were not such as
should have put him upon his trial.
The whole charge against PRESIDENT Johnson
amounts to little more than this, that he placed
himself m opposition TO Congress-. The Exec
utive and the Legislature have been for some
time at variance, but that is misfortune which
might occur al any time. The constitution
gave powers to Congress and powers to the
President, and it was always possible that
these authorities might differ in opinion. No
doubt such an antagonism might be carried by
q President to such point and be supported
by such measures as would justify an impeach-
ment, but it seems impossible to regard in
such light as this any Of the proceedings
ascribed to Mr.. johnson. That he did not SYM
pathize with the views Of Congress is, OF
course, notorious, but in America opinions are
surely free; that he spoke without much re-
spect OF Congress may be admitted, but in
America speech is very free indeed. We know
ject which might not have been said Of Parlia-
ment or ministers here without creating more
than passing remark, and certainly members
of Congress have spoken as hardly OF Andrew
johnson as ever he spoke Of them. There was
political feud between the parties, and party
feeling ran high; but as things go in America,
and, indeed, in all free countries, it seems out
Of all measure to make angry words the ground
of solemn impeachment.
The impeachment of the Chief Magistrate
of nation is On act Of extreme gravity, to be
justified only by overpowering considerations
Of public welfare. We fail to discern anything
resembling such justification in the case be-
fore us. Itappears to us only an unmeasured
expression Of sparty feeling. A Republican
President and that is all. 1t is certainly pos
sible that majority Of the Senate may rule
conscientiously as well as rightly that MIR.
Johnson's attempt 10 dismiss Mr.. Stanton Was
q violation of law, but it will not be held in
Europe, and We should think it would not be
held in America, that the act was such viola
ton Of law as 10 demand these extreme pro-
ceedings. 1t will be far easier to rule that the
President has occasionally been indiscreet OF
speech, but this, too, will give very little sup
port to the case Tor impeachment. Nobody
can deny that Mr.. Johnson's conduct has
fallen short OF the dignity Of his place, but we
are bound to add that, upon the whole, it has
been as becoming and as polite as those
who placed him in Office by their votes were
entitled to anticipate. Taking his official ca
reer from first TO last, he has certainly ex-
ceeded the expectations which were formed OF
him. It is not for us to beg the question by
deciding between the claims of Republican and
Democratic principles, but even If it be as
sumed that the policy pursued by Congress
was right, and that advocated by the President
wrong, there was no reason ON this ground for
putting the President on his trial Congress
had its own way, though with a little opposi-
ton. Itwas thwarted, but it could not be con-
trolled. The President, as q matter OF fact,
did not succeed in removing MIR. Stanton, nor
could he enforce his own views on the recon-
struction of the South. It cannot be pleaded
that there was any necessity for depriving him
Of the power to dc, evil. He vetoed the mea-
sures Of Congress, but Congress passed them
again over his veto, and the actual policy Of the
United States was not Democratic, but Repub--
lican. Congress had the upperhand, and
might have been content with its power. 1t
would be better, Of course, that the Executive
and Legislature should be in harmony with
each other instead of contending in daily con-
fict, but such differences are the natural incl
dents Of political freedom.