Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-02-29
SouARING TIE CIRCLE.

Nasby's occupations gone. By de-
liberate action, the House Of Represcn.
tatives has squared I" the circle y
around which Johnson has been so
uoisily swinging, and holds him close
within one Of the corners of its newly
contrived geometrical figure. The Pres
ident has learned very suddenly that
the Constitution is not all his own
and that the Executive Of the United
States is as amenable to the laws Of the
land as another and more " humble in
dividual." But the President has skirm-
ished fast and with all his might to
hold his own. He "o~verplaycd his
hand +" as the sports say. First he sus.
pended Stanton; then he slaughtered
Phil. Sheridan then he nipped of
Sickles' head; then Pope fell a victim
to "my policy" These ventures were
got along with smoothly enough and
the President felt his courage rising.
All at once, however, he stumbled up
against an unexpected flank movement
Of Grants. With this the downfall oil
his Accidency's career began. Grants
Illustration of the Presidential scheme
upset the whole plan; and then and
thereafter Johnson struck out wildly,
hastily, rccklessly. He tried in vain,
and mos. shamelessly, to impugu Grants
veracity. Failing in this, he sought to
make a catspaw Of Sherman. That
dodge failed. Then he tried the same
game on General George H. Thomas.
That attempt was also q failure. Head
ed off at all points, this clumsy strate.
gist reasoning with himself that Wilson
Of Iowa, Banks of Massachusetts,, and
some other conservative Republicans
would defeat again, as they did before,
any attempt at impeachment, he 'lashes
away AT the Tenure Of Office Act, de.
termined to test the constitutionalty'
Of that measure by kicking his foot
through it. Right then and there his
circle got squared. He talks no more
about /" forcible resistance " as he did
when he sent his annual message to
Congress; but with an air rs meek and
meeching as a whip-dreading pointer,
he begs the Senate to understand that
when he broke the Tenure Of Office Law
he merely meant to try a little harmless
experiment for his dear Constitutions
sake. This burly blusterer is n lilly
livered coward! He sees, all at once,
that he holds a barren sceptre in his
hand; that the army and navy are MOI
concealed weapons Of his own; that his
lip-yaliant secession, conservative, toad.
eating friends, who have been urging
him to drive Congress out OF the Cap
itol at the point OF the bayonet, are az
shameless braggarts and faint hearted,
impotept brawlers as himself. The
bully is frightened and now tries to beg
immunity from the consequences he has
de6ed. He should be impeached for his
poltroonery, if for nothing else!
There is talk Of ninety days as the
time necessary to convict this wretch OF
his crimes. The trial will be too long
if it occupies ninety hours. We would
have the Senate proceed deliberately,
but promptly. There is no time to be
wasted in courtesy and the tying Of red
tape while the country is suffering as 1t
is now. Try the culprit speedily and
either convict or acquit him, at once:
Either do this or set a precedent, and
suspend him. Suppose he had delioer-
ately murdered Grant, burned the White
House, raised the secession flag over that
structure, or done any other fragrant act.
Would it be safe for him to remain uu-
suspended from the exercise Of the Chief
Magistracy? We would say then that
Congress had no Constitutional right to
arrest him and send the Vice President
to take his place? This must be n very
flimsey fabric Of Government if it is liza
BILE to be at the mercy Of a felon or an
usurper. This man johnson has, with
his hands, torn a law Of the land in
twain has as much as said that be has
a divine, sovereign right to be consid-
cred above all law. He has gone FUR
Their and usurped to himself the right
to decide the constitutionlity of Acts OF
Congress. He has not only set himself
W as superior to the Legislative branch
Of the Government, but he has arrogated
to himself the judicial powers OF the
Supreme Court. When such a base,
bad man is indicted or i%mpeached he
should be arrested and denied all bail,
and should be stripped Of every show OF
power until the charges against him are
disposed Of. The old Capitol Prison
and not the White House is the right
place for him.
Congress will deserve to be dispersed
if it fails to proceed with this impeach-
ment business with q strong hand.
Johnsou's power is all air. There is
nothing of it, either moral, physical or
political. He is a pest, a danger, a sore
on the body polite an outlaw, a banked
desperate, a confederate relic. Brush
him away then. Take his vile person
out of the Chair Of State and obliterate
him from politics. The first Of May will
see restoration and reconstruction COM
pleted, the Democracy begging to sup
port Grant as a "greenback man." or
something else, and the United States
once more q calm, peaceful, tranquil
nation, plodding along in the enjoyment
Of rest and quietude and growing fat
with prosperity and health, if Congress
will only do its duty with a firm hand
and unhe,i,ating dispatch. Now, Of all
times, delays are dangerous.
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woy,,v,s Gp.vr Martinez gives ut