The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-02-23
!. I q KEoKUK, IOWA. SUNDAY. FEBRUARY a. 1858

UK. IOWA. sUNDA
Office. Nr. Stanton has been instructed to
transfer TO you all records, books, pspers and
other public property entrusted to his charge.
Respectfully yours,
1 fSianed. ANDREW JoHgsos.
To Brevet Major General L. Thomas, Adju-
tant General Of the Uuited States.
| An official copy respectfully furnished 10
Hon e. E. Stanton,
(Signed. l.. THOMAS.
j Secretary Of War dd interim.
Upon the evidence solicited by the Com
mittee, which is hereafter presented by virtue
of the power with which they have been in
| vested by the House, they are Of the opinion
that Andrew johnson, President of the U.
s., should be impeachsd for high crimes and
/ misdem eanors. They, threfore, recommend
to the House the adoption of the accompany
ing resSlution.
(Signed) THADpEus STEVENS,
GEo s. Boutwell,,
/ JSo. A. BINGHAM,
+. G. REAaAS.
C. 7. HuHBuEp,
Jso. 4. FAgsswogrH,
IL. e. PmE.
/ Resolred, That Andrew ohnsou, President
Of the u. s., be impeached for high crimes
and misdemeanors.
4 The report having been read, Mr., Stevens
SAID: Mr.. Hpeaker--It is not mJ intention, in
the FIRST instance. to discuss the question or
| IL there be no desire, on the other side, to
| discuss it Ne are willing that the question
i - Il A. IL 4 AZ
House already has. Indeed, the fact OF re-
moving man from Office while the Senate is
! in session, without the consent of the Senate,
is, Of itself. If there was nothing else, and al
ways has been considered high crime and
misde demeanor, and was never before practiced:
but ] will NOT discuss the question unless the
gentlemen on the other side desire to do so
II they do shall, for the present, give way TO
them aud hear what they have to SAY in con-
clasion.
Mr.. Brooks then took the floor to resist, as
he said, this unholy and unconstitutional pro-
eeeding. Speaking Of the majority, be said,
bid them beware, in no spirit OF defiance,
but from devoted love TO my country.
solemnly bid them beware, and proceed no
further 10 their revolutionary steps. Speaking
in behalf Of those who have sworn 10 support
the Constitution in behalf of my associates
here in behalf of those laundering majorities
whose voices are roaring outside OF this Capi-
ioI, and who are waiting for constitutional op
portunity to enter-I bid ron beware ioaY
impeachment viii avail you nothing. The Pres
dent il TO be tried before the Senate, with all
the forms of law, and before yen can achieve
the 6nal result be will be removed from your
authority By the constitutional terminaiion OF
his Office. II you proceed further and depose
the President by violence-if you suspend him
IF yon throw him on, of office, except by
due process of impeaehment-l tell you IN
behalf OF thousands, and teas OF thousands,
and hundreds Of thousands, ard millions OF
the people, that we will never never 50 help
me God never, never submit Laughter on
the Repablicsn side.l Proceed IN your forms
Of impeachment through all The manipala
tons, and sinuosisies. and tsrgiSersations of
the law, and VIC shall cheerfuliy submit, be-
cause it is our duty go To do, ss constitutional
and obedient citizens; but step al inch fur.
ther, over the bounds Of the Constitution.
as is frequently proposed, in q violent 81 d
revolutionary manner. and yoa preeipilae
violence aud rero!aiion.
Mr. Brooks, in conclusion. said Of prcsi |
dent johnson, that If they THE d. nicer Is |
did not succeed in re-eeeting him 20 the Pres,
idency. they would at least immoralize bis !
name on the pages Of history asihe fEost glo /.
rious defehder Of liberty thateser lived under |
any CONSTITUTIONS Government whatever.
I Laughter among the Republican members ] |
The resolution of impeachment was sup- |
ported hy Messrs. Spaiding aud Bingham. /
Mr. Spaidlng bad five minutes allowed bic, |
from Mr.. Bingham time. II seemed TO him |
the President had for weeks eourfed the very /
hour and the very occasion which is upon us
and the Consequence Of which will be upon |
., f-I ID al II.
,dent has ihfosn down the glove: he has AS
samed the boldness 10 say TO the SENATE +: |
Notwithstanding your reasons to the contrary, !
tha. had no right to suspend the Secretary |
Of War, Assnme the cnnititutioua right 10 |
throw thai officer from his position entirely, I
and do id, your Law and your action 20 the t
contrary notwithstanding. Mr.. Spalding con- !
eluded with the remark | am brought 10 the I
conviction that we must all with nnanimiiy 1
vote for the resolution the day introduced.
Some debate followed Be to when the de- /
bate should close, and Sir. Stevens being ap, 1
Piled TO, said be would say five 0 clock as the !
hour.
Mr. Bin&ham proceeded to argue in sun /
port Of the resolution: be said tho isaae u,
volyed is not, as the gentleman from New
York said, the question of an cfiice, but !.
whether the supremacy of the Constitution
shdll US ~ AuI fcpFtc W tHS -
public The President of the United Stetea
has sssumta 10 Set himself above the nsgs&
tracy Of the law he has assumed to defy; he |
has assumed TO challenge the Representatives
of the people, and to sit in Judgment ef his
malfeasance of Office. Mr.. Bingham, after
explaining his relectaEae heretof0re to favor
Impeachment, said: stand here, however,
to day, fIled with conviction that the Presi- !
dent Of the United States has deiiherateiy
and de6an,ly and esiwinaly violated the Con,
stituton, his oath Of Office, and the statutes Of
the country.
Mr. Bingham went on TO argue the question
Of Law involved in the matter. and TO show
that the President himself had virtually ad-
mitted the consttuiionsliiy of the Tenure Of
Office bill, 'by exercising the power of sus>
pension, and sending reasons therefor to the
Senate, for which be had no authority excent
had told them before to beware of putting the
President on trial He (Binghaml had seen
enough correspondence submitted yesterday
to Justify the House in drawing the inference
that the President is, by this act, guilty of
another crime under another act OF Congress
additional TO the act Of 1861, which makes i
a high criule, punishable By fine and lmpris-
onuent, for any person, by force, threat or in
timidation, TO attempt to prevent any person
from exercising the functions OF an officer
under the Government Of the United States.
he undertook to say that. on q full investiga
ton OF the case, the President would be found
guilty of attempting, by threat and inti,nida-
iion, if not BY force, topFeyens the aecFesarY
af War ffom exercising the duties Of the
Office to which be had been assigned BY
the solemn Judgment Of the Senate.
II panied him to make such an ntseranee,
Ii he Asd any coa.Iol over the President be
would have prevented him from utterlng such
words ~ those which he had uttered to his
Adjuiant General, who had appeared 10 day
in person a. the War Office, demanding the
surrender of the Office. He notified the Secra
tary Of War, he would net abs7 his order
or recognize him - Secretary Of War, and
that he would take possession Of the mats fer
the Department Of War, all by order of the
President There was evidence enough to
satisfy him that the President Of the United
States was so bent on his own destruction or
~ sha aosfrnat;nr, nf tho Rspnhl;o ond thai