Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-04-30
ARGUMENT OF JoHNA. IoGIs.
Hon. John A Logan under leave ofth

Hon. John A. Logan, under leave Of the
nigh Court of impeachment, filed his ar
gument, as one of the Impeachment Man
ayers, against the President. 1t is very
lengthy and able document We make
the following extracts:
Ne are here to show that President
johnson, the man whom the country once
honered, is united for his place. we are
here TO show that he usurped the power OF
his position and willfully violated the law,
but has maliciously commanded its in
fringement. We are here to show that he
has deliberately done those things which
he ought not to have done, and that he has
criminally left undone those things which
he ought to have done. rl Mal ff2mag3g
He has betrayed his countrymen, that
he might perpetuate his power, and has
sacrificed their interests, that he might
swell his authority. He has made the
good Of the people subordinate to his am
bition, and the harmony of the community
second to his desires. He has stood in the
wayswlfieh would have led the dismem-
bered States back to prosperity and peace,
and has instigated them to the path which
led to discord and to strife. He has OBJ
structed acts which were intended to heal,
and has counselled the course which was
intended to separate The differences
which he might have reconciled by his
voice, he has stimulated, by his example.
The questions which might have been
amicably settled by his acquiescence, have
been aggravated by his. insolence land in
all those instances whereof in our articles
we complain, he has made his prerOga-
tives ~ burden to the commonwealth, in
stead of blessing to bis constituents.
And it rs not alone that in his public
course he has been shameless. and guilty,
but that his private conduct has been in
'cendiary and malignant. 1t is not only
that he has notoriolsly broken the law,
but that he has criminally scoffed at the
trainers of the law. BY public harangue
and by political arts he has sought to cast
odium upon Congress and to insure credit
for himself; and thus, in a government
where equal respect and dignity should be
observed in reference to the power and
authority conferred upon each of its sew
eral departments, he has attempted TO sub
vert their just proportions, and to ar
rogate to himself the irrespective
Jurisdictions 1t is for these things, Sena-
tors, that to-day he stands impeachcd: and
it is because Of these that the people bid
us prosecute That we regret it, / have
said that they regret it, I'repeat; and
though 1t tears away the beautiful belief
with which, like drapery, they had in
vested the altar, yet they feel that the
time has come when, they must expose
and expel the sacrilegiOus priest, in order
to protect and preserve the purity of the
temple 'tt .-.-..-...1iIs 81 .si.sg qaa
So believe it is rule, both in law and
morals, that every man IS presumed TO i'm
tend the natural and probable conse-
quences of his own act. n good motive
never accompanies bad act, nor a bad
act good motive. In the case at bar are
we to be told that this Violation of law
carries with it no bad motive? That the
law was broken merely TO test It's strength !?
Is a man to he permitted to break a law
under the pretence of testing its constitu-
tionality? Are the opinions of man
against the soundness of \ law, to shield
him from punishment for the violation of
said law? If so, the opinion of the crimi-
nal becomes the rule by which YOU are TO
try him, instead of by the law which he
has broken. If this doctrine be estab-
hshed, every traitor in the land will find a
complete justification for his many crimes
against the Government, of the United
States, in this, thar heSbelieycd that seces-
sion was no violation of the Constitution.
Doubtless every robbef and murderer has
some reason by-yhich he justifies himself,
in his own mind, for the commission of his
crimes But is that justification or ex-
cuse In law? 8 Had Booth 1.-THE assassin
been captured alive, doubtless on his trial
he would have said that be thought he was
doing no wrong in numbering the Presi-
dent, could he thereby have advanced the
interests of his friends in the South, and
would liaye also stated, no doubt, that
he was advised BY his friends to commit
the act. Ind the accused claims the same
as an. excuse for his conduct. He claims
that he was advised by his ministers at the
heads Of the different branches of the Ex-
ecutive Department But, sir, in neither
case cas- such an excuse be considered as
in the least manner forming any justifica-
tion.or excuse in law. ciThis plea, answer
or excuse pleaded, if believed by the Presi-
dent and his learned counsel as being any
excuse whatever for his violation of the
law, we may here get some clue to the hes
itancy in the trial Of Jefferson Davis, the
great criminal of the rebellion Qnasmuch
as he certainly believed he was doing no
wrong in breaking the law, and his Opin-
ion was that he was maintaining great
principle.) AS the counsel, or part of
them, who now defend the President on this
principle, must prosecute jeff. r. Davis
against this principle, it would seem that,
by adopting this theory, they will succeed
in releasing both instead Of convicting
either Ifgs -aisaf ir ins r-sa.s ss-u -i q - &
Sirs, adopt this new theory, and YOU
thereby unhinge the law, open wide the
prison gates, and give safe conduct to
every criminal in the land, no matter how
high or low his position, or how grave or
small his offenses. ia 'is'-r -''i''isa7
: The respondent admits the fact upon
which the first charge rests, but denies that
they constitute an Offense for which he is
answerable to this. Senate, sitting as
Court of Impeaehmlent: This denial in
wolves two inquiFies: - n -
/. Had the President the power TO re-
move the Secretary Of War under the cir-
cumstances, by virtue of the Constitution
and the laws as they stood prior to the
passage Of the Tenure-of Once acts ~
2.=Had he the right TO remove that Oh
Ger under the Tenure-of Once act?
1t must be conceded that q negative an
sweri to either Of these propositions is
to verdict of guilty The Ne
spondent has stated his defense uponthe
highest possible. grounds, and II IS of. the
first importance that Lis reasons be putt to
the ,seyercst, test, for they underlie- the
whole network of our admirable system Of
government. TIE question here involved
was crowded into the smallest compass by
the respondents distinguished premier, on
a memorable occasion, when -he'put to a
gaping multitude, heated by me ipilmma-