Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-03-13
5iafGllaneQu8.
THE IMPEACHMENT.
THE oo1NoN-sENsE OF THE sITUArIo,

After week Of great excitement, during
/ which many ignorant and nervous people
( imagined that the Nation was driving into
a new revolution, we find everything set
tling down to quiet, with the net result Of a
decided fall in gold.
This is just what was reasonably to have
| been expected, and just what we predicted
would follow impeachment, more than a
| year ago. MIR. johnson position was un-
derstood by intelligent men Of all parties to
be revolutionary one. La fact, Ee took up
/ the purposes of the rebellion Just where
General Lee had laid them down. and, sum
m0ning its defeated chiefs around him,
/ through the tWenty-thousand- dollar pardon
clause, promised TO restore the South to the
/ political ascendancy, which il had lost in
arms. The plan was, that he should, of his
/ own personal authority, re-admit the ten
reFolted States, with prevailing rebel sui
4 frage; and that for this service the South
should unite with the Northern Democracy
to make HIM the next President The plan
/ seemed feasible; but 1t had one great obsta-
Gle, and that was, the Congress was the sole
legislative power in the State, aud couse-
quently the President had no light to a plan
or policy Of his own upon the subject.
lie had the right, IL is true, Of recommend
ing measures, but Congress could shape and
alter them according TO Its will and his sole
pTerogatiye, IN relation to those measures
was, that when he disagreed with them, he
| had simply the right to request Congress
to please think the matter over once again,
before requiring his approval That is the
whole length and breadth Of the veto power;
and save that limited prerogatiye, and the
original right Of recommending measures,
i'll Il
or High-Sherif, OF Congress. But Con-
gress, on the other hand, being composed
of the direct representatives Of the People
aud the States, is the incarnation Of the en-
/ tire sovereignty Of the Republic. and when
/ it does think "a vetoed measure over again,
I and re-passes 1t by two-thIrd vote, the
! Executive has DO choice but to enter c0rdi-
ally upon Its execution. a failure to DO so
/ is, in itself, an inipeachable offence, while a
/ positive act, IN contraventiOn Of 1t, Is con-
! structiye treason. Tue best lawyers have
agreed on this aud there are none, Of any
/ character, who will pretend, for moment
/ to deny that the assumption, by the Prcsi-
I dent, OF a night to an official legislative
policy in opposition to the legislation and
( pcilcy Of Congress, is wholesale, naked, and
unreleved Usurpati0n.
I With these limited Constitutional facul-
( ties for war with Congress, Mr.. johnson
/ boldly set himself up ID opposition to Its
viii; he refused TO acccde to Its right to leg
islate for the seeded States, and even ap-
! pointed Governors and proclaimed q pol
( ICY Or IN other words, supreme will of
1 hls own. This was an assumption Of sover-
/ eigntV which, in earlier aud more wholesome
4 times, would have aroused the spirit Of ey-
I cry patriot Of whatever politics. and have
CT don 10 Lsr~f
4 the usurper from his throne And so would
/ the honest rank and iile of the Democracy
have done then, had they been truly led;
1 but the leaders of that organization saw so
much of party benefit IN the ruin Of their
F.es'-s.tz that fhnyf. ;.l-s3 Of tho uSII T.
patton, and determined TO sustain VT.
johnson, simply as an element Of disturb
4 ance in the Republican camp Their pohcy
/ was, first, to have Mr. Johnson policy sue
1 ceed; and next il It dId not succeed, TO pre-
vent all effective legislation on the pant OF
/ Congress tparticuiariy ia the way Of pacih
! catiou), In order that they might 80 before
/ the country at The next Presidential election
I with the evidence, that the Republican
/ party were incapable OF government
/ Ofconrsc Congress understood this mo
/ tive and the situation, and the boldest oi
its chiefs proposed TO arrest the President S
usurpations by impeachment; but timldlty
and mere political calculations interposed,
and the President acquired new audacity, tC
the exact degree Of Congressional irresolu-
tion. He lecured Congress roundly when
ever he felt in the humoT; and when be de
sired to especially impress it with his au-
gust superiority, he would buffet it on thC
cheek with accusations Of corruption, and
direct his heges as in his veto to the Re
construction BID TO pay no heed TO It's au
thority Occasionally, when particularly
Jolly, he would issue a promise to kick
all Of its dependents ''out OF Office.
1t is not surprising that, under this great
scandal, the people were touched with dis
gust at the irresolution Of their leaders, anc
exhibited temporary spasm at the latc
elections. That was the meaning OF tbC
Fall verdict, and it was exactly what w
predicted Just year ago, If Congress dc
not then assert its prerogauyes with cour
age, through the process OF impeachment
That verdict, which was so plain to US, wa
not rightly understood by either party
The President, with characteristic egotism
mistook il as demonstration in his favor
Congress, with customary sell-mistrust, wa!
disposed to regard it as rebuke for wha