The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1868-04-24
Communicated.
IMPEACHMENT.


High crimes add h6sdsmeanots. a. welt IS All
other ofenses, are olten considered relative terms
When the rubber confronted AiFxsNnEr the Great.
he experienced a very common opinion. "Eh I
am a rutljer, because command one vessel and
kill man occasionally : But you are conquer
81, beoasis6 yon command feet, and butcher men
by tao thousand Z" Thus greatness often gives
fascination IA crlric. Thus great mon otten CON
nit crime With impunty. This idea OF crime pre-
wallis to a very great extent among The most en-
liehtenod nations. Petit criminals arc daily sent
on by scores to the penilentiary, by universal con
sent The prsate indiyidpai, he poor, sbseure
citizen, who dares to rample on law, often hears
the click Of the lock aud the bars Of his pris
on house ere he can bid his tisnds &c he has aay)
good-bye--whi'e the great man aud his crime, or
rather bis fascination, is greeted public avenues
BY the huzzas Of the multitude.
However much they uay be under the influence
Of law aud gospel the United States Of America
have many criminal pets. WIRz and his kith,
of Libby and Andcrsouville notorietv, were not
among them. They were personally too irsigni6-
can't They were among the vermin that crawl.
Therefore, their great crimes were speedily visited
on their guilty heads, and they sank into hopeless
infamy. But JEFF. aud Bon, who iustigated and
plotted these crimes, and AMY, who tries to cover
their retreat, rest on elder beds, eat sumptuous
dinners, and receive the congratulations Of dear
friends all over the country LEE, whose sword
was stained with the blood of men still and ever
more crying for vengeance, is yet hero aud a
conqucrori Not quite Is be not What means.
then, that plea in his behalf BY the most eloquent
.,.d "a ,to,..,r,,, =, a. $500 ,,,,
olis Of the nation Is it not forsooth, to invest
him with greater power over the youth who resort
to him for instruction A noble traitor, re-
nowned butcherl Oh, no He was one Of nature $
noblement A truly great pro-einiuentiy
fitted to preside overa richly endowed university
But did he not conspire against and draw his
sword to destroy his country True. But his
greatness atoues for that. Thepeople everywhere
admire hero. The whole history Of the effort tc
impeach the Chief Magistrate goes to prove that
the great masses in this as we'll as other countries
sympathize with and even admire great criminals
The reporters Of our newspapers fully understand
this sentiment when they call downright earnes
and honest men, The impetuous managers
The inexorable Chairman OF the managers,
The matter is not wholly worthy Of the high ar
gument of the people against their Chief Ruler, )
-ss il great or high criminal ought to receive
more lenity or courtesy than others. Our country
will not be secure so long as these perncious sen
t;ments prevail. Crime must be made to appea
odious. Criminals must be brought to the bar o
justice. Public sentiment will not be ,Purged un
til the State deals with those who are peerless
crime. The enchantment or fascination of Grim,
must be removed. The traitor or robber, who sit
/ in state, deserves the halter as much as the beg
| gar. As a criminal, the one deserves as mucl
lenity as the other, and no more. 1t is the natur
of the crime, and not the purse or intellect os tn
/ criminal, which demands the consideration of tn
courts of justice. Ii any distinction is made be
/ tween criminals, those who have the highest powe
to do evil should be first secured. All criminal
demand fair treatment. No code Of laws shoul
permit cruelty to any, high or low, rich or poor
Mercy is the handmaid of Justice. These shoul
never be divorced. If Justice and Mercy, com
bined. demand tie death Of LAZARUS, they, wit
equal scales, demand the death of DIVES. If
poor man forfeits his head for crime, the rich ma
forfeits his head fer the same crime. Il the pri
vate, as traitor, ought to be shot, the highest oil
fcer in command, Cor the same crime. deserves tn
same fate. If citizen in the common walks o
business deserves punishment for crime so doe
the Chief Magistrate. These sentiments may b
called radical. They may be odious. But, we re
spectfully ask if they not just? If they wer
entertained would they not effect revolution
the world, and in our own country, very muc
needed This impartial treatment of criminal
may not be possible at present. But public opr
ion is at fault. There is no otherreason why JEI
PERSON DAVIS is abroad. Public opinion mete
out to AARON BURR and BENEDICT ARNOLD the
fate. The same judicatory is now placing Geuer,
LIE in station of public trust BURR, undt
cover Of custom, shot ALExASDER HAMrLroN Al
MOLD, to crafty pique, betrayed his command
LEE fought desperately and well nigh ruined hi
country. In order to make treason odious and I
mete out justice, the memory of each of thes
criminals ought to be consigned to public indigna
, ton aud infamy. Time will show whether An
DREW Johnson will escape Impeachment. Fl
will be impeached if public opinion demands i
Congress is but an agent Of the people. The Ser
ate and House of Representatives feel the pressuT
of public opinion. The sentiments of the Who'll
nation are carried to aud fro by swift messengers
T.legraphic wires convey nnerring testimony cor
corning the national pulse. If this nationdema
justice of its public servants, they will execut
justice. Ifpublic opinion demands the release
criminals, they will be released. Let the conserS
ators Of public opinion take the responsibility
Let our editors, our preachers, our lawyers, on
statesmen, and especially the people, the real al
bitets Of the state to it that the Republic sut
no detriment. Criminals are abroad. They tran
pie law and gospel alike under foot. They see
: to put out every spark of justice. They unceas
ingly work to undermine tue pillars of Goverr
ment, which God has instituted to be I" a terror I
evil-doers.' F.
THE banquet given by members of th
press to Chas. Dickens, in New York, Sa
urday evening" was, in every respect, a
snrcesa 1bA nIlmher nresnIlt was It'll