Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-03-20
IMPEACHMENT.
Remarks Of Hon. Geo. w. Julian,


Fs5 "a, on the Resoinioa 10 impeacA
she President. rt.f si3 asi-f sad
Mr.. JULIAN. Mr.. Speaker, I do not
propose to discuss the question of law in
volved in the resolution before the House.
That has been ably doue by the gentle
man from Massachusetts,, Mr. Butler,
and is, in fact, unnecessary. The Presi-
dent, as il TO leave: Congress wholly with
out excuse, has done an act which ON It's
face settles the question of law, aud shuts
us up to the absolute necessity of taking
the recreant usurper by the throat. In
the name Of the country thank him fur
it. do not agree at all with those gen.
tleman on this side of the House who
have expressed their, r<gret at what has
happened, aud their desire TO esc3pe- the
duty il eutails upon us to impeach the
President of the United States. On the
contrary, rejoice in the madness og this
last act Of his brazen defiance of the Con.
stilution and the laws, aud that in this, as
| in all the previous trials of our country
since the year 1861, the devil has come to
our rescue just at the point where the
courage and virtue Of men gave way. We
are indebted TO the enlightening influence
and saving grace Of Jefferson Davis and
the Williams ut his heels for the policy Of
arming the abolition of slavery, the en-
reimbursement Of the colored race, and
the recon struction of the rebel States on
the basis of humanity and justice aud
now, under later extremity, We are in.
debted TO the stupid rebel malignity of
Andrew Johnson for the courage which at
last shall hurl him from the White House
and consign him more To the fond en-
brace Of his rebel coniederatesinth the South
and their faithful allies in the North.
Will any friend of his country grievo over
all this? Shall not the logic OF treason
work out its appointed results through its
fitly chosen instrumcnts9 II this House,
in December last, was not ready to i'm.
peach the President because il feared tho
Senate would not convict, or dreaded its
effect upon the finance, or feared it might
injuriously compicate the presidential is
sue; or because Of the pitifu legal quibble
that he had not committed an indictable
offense, is IL not most fortunate that this
single act Of lawlessness has been evoked,
which so beautifully consolidates iuto
unit all the friends Of the country in this
House aud throughout the nation? It's
true, the removal OF the Secretary of War
is relatively a small matter. IL Is scarce.
ly a pcccadilo when considered by the
side Of tho New Orleans massacre and
many other Wholesale enormities Of which
he has been known TO be guilty for many
months past; and believe il would be 10
garded a. scarcely safiieiensi ground for
this proceeding, If not considered in the
light of for greater previous offences.
But it happily summons to the side Of i'm
reachment every man who has thus far
hesitatcd or halted, aud thus settles the
long delayed movement as ao absolute
success, aud insures the future peace OF
the country.
Mr.. Speaker, on the 18th day Of De.
cember last, soon after the question Of
impeachment was voted down, used the
following language in some remarks upon
the subject in this House:
THAT the President will pause in his
course Of maladmnistration aud crime /
do not for q moment believe. Ills ca
pacity for evil stands out in frightful dis
proportion to his other gifts. lie is a
genius in depravity, aud not simply an
obstinate man who means honestly to deal
with the problem Of reconstruction. His
boarded malignity and passion have neith-
er been fathomed nor exhausted, and will
not be during his term Of office. If /
may judge of tho effects Of the Presidents
late message Of defiance, acting on the in.
flammable temper Of southern rebels, and
followed swiftly by the strong vote of this
House renouncing its jurisdiction over his
crimes, | have no hesitation in believing
that new dispensation Of rapine aud mis-
rule will be the result. This will be NOR
ally and logically inevitable"
That, sir, is what | then said, and oy-
cry word Of it stands vindicated by time.
That new dispensation Of rapine and
misrule," as every one knows, has been
the result. said further, in behalf of
the Indiana delegation, that we had "no
apologies to make" for the votes we had
cast, ':nobody's pardon to bog" and "nd
iayors to ask in any quarter" Sir, l re-
peat these words here in the light of the
present hour nor can l forbear to say,
in tho grea. aud priceless interests Of the
truth-and | say it 10 sorrow-ihat Con-
gress is not wholly innocent The organ
lied victory Of treason over loyalty in the
the rebel districts within the past few
months, which we have seen, with the
whole train Of mischiefs that have thus
been visited afresh upon their people,
could only have been born Of the crimi-
nal hesitation aud delay Of Congress,
through which the evil spirit of the Ex-
ecutive was pampeIed into renewed life,
and breathed with new power, into his reb-
el followers. BIT, turning from these sad
facts Of the past, let us rejoice in the glo-
rious present, and in its sure prophecy of
speedy deliverance for our country from
its weary and sore bondage After the
long political night which had SO fearfully
enshrouded US, let us thank God for the
dawn which at length salutcs our vision,
aud reveals to us the beauty and glory of
a redeemed and disenthralled Republic.