The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1868-03-27
The Comedy Of IEnpeach.
t% meMt


The Comedy Of Ilnpeach.
5R ment
Is TO be played at Washington
regardless of cost or consequences.
For him who is to be the hero of the
farce, with all democrats. We have
the utmost Indifference. Obtaining
bis election through force, fraud,
and violence, as an individual, it
would not be only emincutly prop
cr, but another instance Of history
repeating itself for those electing
him by these ends to resort to them
again for his expulsion.
But the question involves prin-
eiples Of far greater magnitude than
calamity to any single individual.
In some Of its bearings it Is discus
sed in an article to be found on our
first page, from the pen Of Madison,
the father Of the Constitution. As
an embodiment Of the opinion and
fear Of that great aud cminently
good man, and faithful expoundcr
Of the constitution it is Worthy Of
pcrusal, because sound in theory
and safe in practice.
In the form the subject is before
the country, ifsucccssful the exec
utiye branch Of the government is
oblitcrated from that time, and an
oligarchy established, that will, if
not overthrow, eventually exercise
the power Of every department.
All tho checks and barriers erected
b. the trainers Of the constitution
will have been ovcrthrown. The
Senate will exercise Judicial, Leg
islatiyc and Executive powers by
their nsurpation, thus rendering it
such an object Of fear, crime and
dctestation to American freemen,
as the Spanish Inquisition became
30 the people Of Spain. In this
view we are fully sustained by Mr..
Maids IN, in the article heretofore
referred to.
The crime for which the President
is on trial, il that Of exercising the
same powers of appointment and re-
moval in the Executive department
that were exercised by every one Of
his prodeccs sors. and by his immcdi-
ate pre- deccssor, Mr.. Lincoln, more
unscrupulously than by any other Of
them all.
The congress ot 1880, Immediate
" after the adoption If the Consti-
tuition, composed as it was Of the
men who drafted and adopted it, af-
ter full discussion without dissent
ing voice, conourred in the opinion,
that under the constitution tie
President rightfully had the power
Vt appointing and removing the
heads Of departments. On this sub
jcct ef removals Mr. Madison said :
Vest the powers of removal in
the Senate, jointly with the l'resi-
dent, and you abolish at once tho
great principle Of Unity and res
possibility in the Executive depart
mcnt. If the president should
alone possess the power Of removal
from office, those who are employed
IN the execution Of tho law will be
in their proper situation, and the
rhain of dependence be preserved !;
shc lowest officer. the middle grade.
and the highest will depend on the
psss,dcnt, and the president on the
country
And right here did these sal. ex.
Founders Of tho constitution leave
the power. where they decided that
Instrument had deposited it. Fur.
Their on in his remarks on this topic
Mr.. Madison said.
If any other doctrine is admit
ted. what is the consequence? Yol
act tho Senate at the hoad Of exec
utivc department., and by this means
you link together two branches O
the government which the prsserva
,ion Of liberty requires to be con
stantly separated. II you begi.
with the subordinate officers. tho,
are dependent on their superior. ant
ac on whom! the Senate, q per
maneat body. by its peculiar mode
III election, in reality existing for
ever. Shall we trust tho Senate
responsible to individual legisla
lures. rather than the person who j
responsible to the whole communi
ty? II 10 true the Senators d. not hol
their Offices for life, like aristocra
cies recorded in tho historic page
yet. the fact is, they will not hav
that responsibility for the cxcrcis
Vt executive powers which woul'
:.ndcr it safe for Us to invest sucl