The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-02-27
kEOKuK. IOWA:
THURSDAY MORNING, FEB. u.
-u- rowEn 81 Tnr pnnaIDnnT.

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THURSDAY MORNING, FEB. n.
rHr POWER or TRE PR1AIDHAT.
We publish the speech made BY Hon. J.
r. Wilson in favor Of the Impeachment OF
Andrew johnson. His words are not the |
.nsrSs II Sle1lvsof ~ a1izsa, but Ne afoeg /
airniSsd 1beins) i ms iot ,hs Nasioss
.v eiyers. md : statesman. The impeach-
ment Of Andrew johnson il not party meas
ure; albeit the Democratic members OF Ion
press have stultified themselves BY VOTING
against il. Yes dispatches from Wasnins'oa
show a feeling among the Democracy 'nefe
- laen hands off; they concede that An.
drew Johnson has PIT himseifin ~ indeien-
,;ble nlaee; they viii act probably on fhs sss-
aes,;an Of the Chicago Times in its editorial
Yesterday, that what ever may beside' Dem
acr.,;c defenders Of the Constitution may
look on the situation with patience, albert
not able 10 dismiss al feelings Of anxiety
for the fate OF Republican institutions. Inc
situation is not Of their making. lhey arg
neither the prosecutors nor the defenders o.
Mr.. johnson. The fight, SO far as ne, as
noliticisn or an individual, is concerneo'
not theirs. As when he was candioa'e 'or
Tho Jacobin nomination At Baltimore, ne isl
III the Aands of his friends.
The case is plain enough. Andrew johns
- acting President Of the United States,
ba. no power other than 10 execute the laws
He is the special agent Of the people for that
nurnose. As man, be has like any other
nerson, the right to have his own views as 70
no,;,;cs or any other matter. But as the Elk
ecut,ye, he has no right to policy; his duty
il to execute the laws that the representa-
,;yes Of the people enact, whether he hkes
,hose law. or not. Andrew johnson, IS
President, had no more right to make apci'cy
of Reconstruction, than he has 10 sen tne
United States to Great Britain, or to order
men executed without trial. This Ism An
drew Johnson's Government; it is the peo-
pies Government. They viii make their own
policy through their Representatives all Inc
power they have given the President IS 70
carry out their policy be isn't 10 have one OF
his own. And the people can, IN an emer>
gency, require the President 10 exercise ex-
,raordioary powers; and be should obey them
or resign But he has DO right to attempt
their exercise, when there is no emergency
and when the people do not require 1t. An
drew Johnson thinks an American President
ia rulers he isn't any such thing de IS q
special agep, employed by the people for four
years, if he faithfully performs his duties,
and liable to be discharged at any moment, IT
he doesn't faithfully perform his dnties lie
isn't to have will Of his own; he is only to
do the people, will. You say that's humil-
ia,ing position. It makes no difference. II
is the condition Of an agent or servant 1t is
the condition of an American President, who
is but the public agent or servant II man
doesn't iks1be situation he isn't obliged to
take the office; if he does take the otnce' he
is obliged to conf, rm 10 The conditions OF it,
But from the time he took his oath OF Office
Andrew johnson has persistently misapp'e-
hended his authority. He has assumed to be
lust as much the ruler of the United States
as Napoleon is of France. 1t never
seems to have occurred to him that
there is any difference between
the powers of a usurping Emperor Of France
and an American President. At the start ne
acknowledged that Congress had sole power
over the matter Of Reconstruction; when be
found that the policy Of Congress didn't har-
monte with has own individual views, he ar
rayed himself against that body and tried to
make his own views the policy of the gov
eminent. That Was justas much a'usurpation
as though General Grant or General Sherman,
or any private citizen of the Tn ted States
had tried to overthrow Congress and rule the
country. And had the American people
viewed the matter with the alarm they should,
they would have unanimously demanded that
Andrew johnson be hurled from Office the
moment be tried to control reconstruction
That isnta mAV(er that concerns Republicans
alone. /. concerns every citizen who 10 not
willing that the American President shall he
King, instead Of the mere public servan,
which the Constitution intended, and which
the security of our free institutions demand
What will come of this impeachment,
Nothing but good. This clap-t of tender
ing troops aud support 10 Congress or The
President is mere bosh, aad utterly reprehen-
sible. We hope no portion Of the American
PEOPLE will make fool of itself We don,
think it will. When one of our M erchants
employs an agent and the agent transcends,
persistently, his powers and violates his trust,
then the merchant discharges him. And
now, when the public has employed an in
competent and unfaithful servant, who
doesn't keep his place, but tries 10 play The
will dismiss him by the way the Constitution
provides shat is, by impeachment Congress
and the country have borne long enough. Al
we have said, johnson was liable toimpeaeh'
msnt the very moment he assumed to inter
fere in reconstruc,ion-for that interferent
was usurpation For nearly three year.
he has postponed reconstruction, ant
damaged the country and wronged Congress
by continuing his usurpation. Now he de
liberaiely tramples under loot provision o
the Constitutions and law of the Uni,e
States. The country must not tolerate tha
vicious and nnfaithfu servant longer. Sem
him down 10 do the tailoring in some Tennes
see store. Il would be pretty business 70
this country to get into war for SUCH man
that. Wouldn't?
--->-s->-
nut TWO PARTIES.
Douglas said at the ou.bsesk of the war tina
there are but two parties in this country.
was true then, and il still true.
JEFF. Davis was the leader of one Of thos
parties then, and ANDREW Johnson is its leade
nov. 1t Was composed Of rebels and anti