The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-05-21
bunal Of the Senate. They clothed


the Senate Of the United States,
composed Of gentlemen quite rs Ii
able as the members of the House
of Representative to be influenced
by the interests, the opinions, the
sentiments, and the passions of the
people, with power to try, convict
and remove the President, not only
for the commission of high crimes,
but for high misdemeanors. High
misdemeanors may or may not be
violations of the laws. High mis-
demeanors may, in my judgment,
be misbehavior in office detrime ntal
to the interests of the nation, or
dishonoring to the Government. I
entertain the conviction that the
trainers of the Constitution intend
ed to impose the high duty upon
the House Of Representatives to
arraign the Chief Magistrate for
such behavior in office as endanger-
ed the nation, and to impose on the
Senate the duty of try ing, Of con-
victing, and removing the Chief
Magistrate proved guilty of such
behavior. Believing this to be the
intention Of the trainers Of the Con
stitution and it's true meaning, be-
lieving that the power should be
exercised whenever the security of
the country and the liberties OF the
people imperatively demand it, and
believing by the evidence adduced
to prove the charges of violating
the Constitution and the Tenure Of
office Act, and the confessed and
justified acts Of the President, that
he is guilty of high misdemeanors,
I unhesitatingly vote for his con-
viction and removal from his high
office The President is charged by
the House Of Representatives with
violating the Constitution and the
Tenure of-office Act, in removing
Mr.. Stanton from the office OF. Sec
retary of War, and in appointing
Adjutant- General Thomas Secretary
Of War ad interim. The removal of
Mr.. Stanton and the appointment of
lAdjutant-General Thomas, and the
violation ofthe Tenure-of. Office Act,
if Mr.. Stanton be within that act,
stand confessed and justified in the
answer Of the President to the
charges Of the House Of Represen-
tatives. The answer OF the Presi-
dent, without any other evidence,
is, to my mind, conclusive evidence
of his gull. From his answer, con
fession, assumptions and justifica-
tions, l have no hesitation to record
my vote of "guilty." The assump-
tions Of power put forth by the
President, in his defence, can not
but startle and alarm all men who
would maintain the just powers OF
all branches Of the Government
Had the President inadvertently viola-
ted the Constitution and laws, had he
pleaded in justification Gisconstructior
| of the Constitution and the laws
might have hesitated to vote for his
Econviction, but he claims the right tt
remove civil officers and appoint Others
cd Interim during the session of the
Senate. II that claim of power is ad-
mitted by vote of acquitta1, the Pres
ident can remove, during the session O
lie Ccuatt, LciiS VI tIlouSaIuo Oi ciNi
officers with their millions of compen-
sation, and appoint his own creature.
to fill their places, without the advice
and consent of the Senate, and thu:
nullify that provision of the Constitu
ton that empowers the Senate to give
its advice and consent to appoin tments
Not content with this assump ption-o
power, the President claims the righ
to pronounce a law of Congress uncon,
stitutional, to refuse to execute it, al
though he has sworn to do so, and tx
openly violate, with d view of testing
its constitutionality in the courts, al.
though ne means may exist for month;
and wears to come to test the cOnstitl-
tionality of the law in the judicial tri,
bunals cf the country. The President
claims and has exercised the right te
declare Congress an unconstitutiona
| body, Incapable of enacting laws or o.
proposing amendments to the Consti-
tuition, to hold the laws in allegiance, tc
reuse to execute them, and to defiant
! " violate them in order to test thei:
constitutionality.
s.These are the positions assumed by
Andrew johnson. These assumptions
change the character of our Govern
ment.: If they are sustained by q YER
dict Of acouittal, the President ceases
|
comes the master ofthe people, and s
law non-eAecuting power, a law-defy-
ing power, a laW-breaking power, il
created within the Government Instead
of an Executive bound to the faithful
execution of the laws ef Congress. The
nation mas an Executive bound only
to execute the laws according to his
own caprices, whims and sovereign
pleasure. Never can assent. by a yott
of acauittal, to executive assumptions
SO unconstitutional, SO subversive OF
| the Government, so revolutionary in
their scope and tendency. Criminal
acts raise the presumption of wrong
motives, intentions and purposes. The
| Presidents acts, claims and assump-
tions, made against the well known
protests Of vast masses of the people
the organs of public opinion, the Con
gress the United States and the laws
! of the land, afford ample evidence that
his motives, Intentions and purposes
were unworthy, if not criminal. We
are sworn to give this arraigned Presi-
dent trial as impartial as the lot OF
humanity will permit, but we can not
close cur eves to the records of the
past three years, nor can we wholly
sonal knowledge OF his intention, pur.
poses and acts. The trainers of the
Constitution, when they empowered
Senators to sit in judgment upon al
arraigned Chief Magistrate, must have
presumed that Senators would know
Something of the motives and purpt-
ses, and be familiar with the public
record, of him who should exercise eA-
ecutive power in their time. The fra:
mers of the Constitution knew whel
they gave Senators the power to try Il,
arraigned Chief Magistrate, the coun
+ try knows, and we know, that persona
knowledge ard the historic record o.
the country can not but influence ii
some degree the feelings and judg-
!, ments of men. -Four years ago clever
States were wrenched from the Union
their governments were arrayed agains
the country, the land was desolatet
with civil war. the nation was strug