Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-02-27
OPINIONS OF THE NEW YORK
PRESS


From the New York World. Feb. "A.
"Anger and fury" says Swift, though
they add strength TO the sinews of the
body, yet are found TO relax those of the
mind and 10 render all its efforts feeble
and impotcnt; "a remark which Is yeri-
fed in the preposlerous proceedings into
which Congress is hurried IN thus Hood
tide Of lie rage. Out Of the lurid stmOs-
phere Of Washington, intelligent men can
form but one estimate OF the attempt to
depose the President Of the United States
for 90 frivolous a reason az his unwilling
meas to be on a confidential footing with a
subordinate who openly insults and defies
him.
The crime for which the President is to
be impeached consists simply IN the eKer-
else of right which has been enjoyed by
all his predecessors, and belongs 10 the ex-
ecutive head Of every government in the
world. This right is called in question by
a pretended law, which is in such fragrant
violation of the constitution, as well as OF
all precedents, that this same Stanton, who
Is a lawyer and has been Attorney General,
advised the President 10 veto ii. And now
the President is to be impeached IN Stan
toms interest because he believes the law
10 be unconstitutional, aud institutes pro-
ceeding 10 bring it 10 a Judicial test Ii
the precedent now set is 20 be followed, At
will be in the power Of any future Con
gress to summarily eject any future Pres
ident. Congress has merely to pass some
unconstitutional law which reVerses the
whole past practice Of the government, and
when the President takes the first steps for
bringing il 10 a judicial test, forthwith put
him out Of Office by articles Of impeach-
ment. We might as well abolish the farce
of Presidential elections if Congress can
thus unmake elected Presidents at their
caprice
From the New York Times (Mild BadicalD
Feb. oath.
In our Judgment, the impeachment Of
the President is wholly out Of place so
long az the constitutionality of this law is
ia controversy If the law is unconstitu-
iional, and therefore null and void, then
the President has committedn no otiense aud
done nothing 10 deserve impeachment. If
the law is valid then he has been guilty of
a high misdemeanor," under the defini
ton of the law itself, and may be arrsigned,
tried and punished therefor. And neither
the House nor the Senate Is the proper
tribunal for deciding this question. II Ger
tainly would be a very extraordinary
spectacle to see Congress pass law creating
an oifense and prescribing penalty, and
then acting at once az prosecutor, Judge,
Jury and executioner upon the President
for violation Of its provisions, Such
proceeding coniounds all our ideas of the
distribution of power among different de
psriments of the government. We do not
believe the Senate will take such action in
the present case. That body will probably
await the action Of the Supreme Court in
the case growing ont Of Mr.. Stanton's pro
ceedings against Gen. Thomas. IL the law
is sustained by the court, impeachment
may 20 on. II not, il will probably be
dropped-for we do not think the Senate
il prepared 20 set aside that court or TO
disregard its decisions altogether.
From the New York Herald. Feb. "a.
The impeachment, then, is TO be hurried
through but we shall be Every much dis
appointed" il Mr.. IpgersolPs expectations
are realized. Stanton himself stands COM
United as a constitutional adviser of the
President against this tenure of Office law
as an unconstitutional act. Some Of the
clesrest heads Of the Senate on the Repub
licAn side have expressed their doubts con-
corning it. But before this impending in
dictment from the House can be pushed
through the Senate, the people will be apt
10 enter into the general argument before
the court The New Hampshire election
doth Of March, is too far of. There is no
time TO be lost, and from the visible and
universal commoIion among the people of
this metropolis the public mind is fully
Impressed with the dangers of the crisis and
the necessity Of immediate action. How ?
Through the only available constitutional
method left the people, OF immense mass
meetings, here, there and everywhere, and
of earnest and emphatic resolutions sgainst
this impeachment and all the other Tevo-
lutionary measures and tendencies of this
Radical Congress. The city Of New York,
which gave, in her memorable Union
Square msssImeeting of April, 1861, the
grand impulse 10 the war Tor the Union
which saved the Union from dissolution
this imperial city, we say, should, az she
doubtless will in this crisis lead off in
another initial popular uprising in behalf
Of the constitution against a consolidated