Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1868-03-04
The Effrontery of impeachment.

@Sh ''"'sHVo sia'Ss iui aIt Ine OtbcE races
OF the earth.
The Efrontery of impeachment.
The monStrons efrontcry of the i'm
peachers is past all patience as it is past
all palalrl. Last March Congress openly
uSurprd the Presidents exclusive, indivis-
ibIe right 10 remove public officers That
usarpaton was the Tenure of office act 50
called. 1t was vetoed and passed over
the veto, and thus stands to-day on the
statute books. But it is an open, fragrant
usurpaton Of executive power none the
less for being, and just because it is, an
enac'men Of the Rump.
What las President JOHNSON done -
He has sought to question this usurpation
before the courts. He has sought to PIE
serve unimpaired the Executive authority,
undivided and unshared the Executive
right of removal.
l. Iha: a crime 1t was his sworn duty.
The Tenure of0fiice act reversed that
practice Of the Government through every
administration tlouted the uniform Exec
utiye exeIcise Of the right of removal
bility of that right made by a. Congress
which was not L imP,-the first Congress
and SGpreme Courts recognition of that
right, 1t was scandalous and sheer usurp-
alton. Into the enactment was put
clause to prevent the usurpation from be-
ing declared such BY the Supreme Court
clause to prevent the Presid ent from
lor ~ h..l.
for Judgement, namely, the sixth section,
with its san.ions Of fine an3 imprisonment
But none the less il usurpation just as Ont-
rageous as an enactment woull be that
every President entering the White House
should pluck out an eye aud cut off hand
and lay them on the table of the Rump.-
Would President incur Impeachment
justly for keeping his eve and hand >
Has President JOHNSON deserved it for
preserving the hand and eye Of his execu-
tive authority. his power TO discern his
unfailhful servants of the law and remove
them,--he by the will Of the people, the
snle fountain of the executive authority,
he the sworn preserver, protector, defender
of the Consti ution of the United States
Whence otherwise could resistance to
such usurpatiuu come Was it forever TO
pass unchaIlcuged Was he to transmit
AN impaired authority TO his successor 3
Was he TO consent to the curtailmcnt of
what he was set TO preserve ? If the Ten
ure-of Office act was usurpalion, was in
deed unconstitutional, only by his resis-
tancr, by his questioning could it it be rx
plunged from the statute books; if the
right of r, movsl was indeed by the Con-
sttution vested indyisibly in him only by
his exercise of the right thus attempted to
be usurped could its integrity be main
tanned.
The sole deniers of this vested right are
the usurpers of the lump. It's assertcrs
are every President since Washington,
every Judge since Jay, every Congress
since that Which contained the founders of
the Republic, the trainers Of its Constitu-
ton.
And now these traitors, usurpers, and
revolutonisrs of the Rnmp who fortified
their usurpation with an abaitis of fines
and imprlsonments these thieves of pow
rr not belonging to them, power which
they sought to keep in their possession 10y
threats TO It's rightful owner if he ever dar.
cd attempt Its recovery "these cutpurses
OF the Empire and the rule" now with stu
prndous and amazing cffrontcry 'impeach''
forsooth. that rightful owner as he ap-
proaches to cite them before the Judgment
seat, as he stands 10 preserve, protect and
defend his own, and the Supreme Law of
tue People = WOrtd