Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-04-01

\ ork, MIR. Brooks who has not fail
ed on any occasion to raise his voice
of warning against any measure fol
the suppression of the rebellion, be II
organized and intrenched in Richmond
or at the other end of the avenue.
The gentleman from Illinois Mr.
Burr warns the House and the coun
try that this matter of i'm peachine
the President IS an effort on the part
of this House to place man in the
presidential chair who was never vo
ted for by the people Sir, the i'm
peached President was not elected tc
that office by the people of the Unit
ed States and it seems to me little
short Of cruelty on the part Of the
gentleman to call especial attention
to the manner III which Andrew John
son became President. The most dis
tant allusion to the bloody hard
which, sending Abraham Lincoln TO a
martyrs grave, elevated Andrew
Johnson to the presidential chair. sends
a thrill of anguish to every lovaI
heart and if it is now a theme oi
pleasant reflection to him who profit.
ed most by it, believe the time will
come when he would give the recoI-
lection of all his many honors and Of
fees to have it effaced from his mem.
ory for ever.
In some one of his numerous public
addresses, | believe that the Presi.
dent, ascribing his elevation to office
to the workings of the Constitution.
claims for his tenure Of office some
thing higher and more sacred than
though he had been elected in the US
ual way. | think that | can assure
the gentleman from Illinois, that,
whatever view the people of the Uni
ted States may take of the impeach-
able conduct of the President, the
manner of his elevation to Office was
not such as to give him an unusual
hold upon their affections, or to rend-
er his removal the cause of an indig-
nont uprising or revolution. And let
1t not be forgotten that the same con
stltutlon, by the working of which
Andrew Johnson became President.
has made 1t the duty of this House.
elected by the people of the United
States, IN ceartain contingency to
make a President, again to initiate
proceedings for the unmaking Of that
President who, unmindful of his high
duties, shall be guilty of high crimes
and misdemeanors in Office.
Has Andrew Johnson committed
acts III office which, in view of the
Constitution, render him worthy of
impeachment and removal from Office ?
In endeavorlng to answer this ques-
tion III the alternative, as | think it
must be answered, | Will only speak
Of those acts of his which are group
ed together IN the articles presented
by the Committee as the elimination
OF that career Of usurpation, of crime,
and mlsprlson of treason, which lie en-
tered IN May, 1865, and which from
that day to this has saddened the
heart Of every loyal man and woman
IN the country, and made the veterans
Of the Army doubt whether, after all,
we did not surrender to the rebels 9
Appomattox Court House and at Sal-
Isbury, and whether it was not ou-
President, and not jefferson Davis.
who, becoming cntangled in crino1ne
and things, had surrendered to his cap
tors.
The attempted removal of the Sec
rotary Of War and the attempt to Sc
duce a gallant officer of the Army
from his duty. are, IN my opinion, am
pie cause for the impeachment Of
l pom these overt acts the articles of
Impeachment are framed, and to these,
under the rules, perhaps this debate
should be confined; but, for the pur-
pose OF Illustration, l desire to call
the attention Of the Committee to a
few antecedent facts, which, in my
mind, afford the only true key to he
motive for this extraordinary conduct.
In the brief time allowed me. l can,
of course, only enumerate a part of
the many acts of the President, which
| have always considered impeachable,
and cannot elaborate my views upon
any one Of them. The Constitution
of the United States provides that
..he, the Preside eut, may. on extraor-
dInarv occasions. convene both Houses
or either Of them ! believe that it
IS well-settled principle of law, that
the word may when used in d stat
ute prescribing the duties Of a Judi
cial or civil officer. implies duty and
not mere discretion TO do the partic-
ular act upon the happening Of the
contingency specified.
Mr.. Chairman, can there be anv
doubt that the middle Of April. 1865,
was an extraordinary occasion in the
meaning Of the clause OF the Consti-
tuition Of the United States above
quoted The armies of the rebel
lion, which had for four long years oc-
cupied the greater portion of eleven
Of the states of the L Mon. which had
many times carried the bavonet and
the torch into the very heart Of the
North. which had more than once be
leagured this, the capital Of the ma
ton. in that month struck their flags
and laid them at the feet Of our gal
liant generals Our own gallant at
my which, under God, had overthrown
It's enemy after foUr years Of gallant
fighting, unremitting toll aud patient
suffering, was ready 10 be discharged
and return Its millions OF men to the
pursuits of civil life. And in the