Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-02-28
CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, Feb. ~.
IMPEACHMENT.
HOUSE.

a report from the Committee on decentralization. .
Mr.. Stevens said-I beg leave to make the I.
following report That, in addition to the pa Z
pers referred to the committee, the President on
the DIST dav of February, 1853, signed and or
dered a commission or letter Of authority to one
Lorenzo Thomas. directing and authorizing said
Thomas, to act as Secretary Of War ad interim
and to take possession Of books, records, papers
and other public property in the War Depart
ment.
Upon the evidence collected by the committee,
which is hereafter presented, and in virtue of
the powers with which they have been invested
by the House, they are Of the opinion that An
drew johnson, President of the United States,
be impeachel Of high crimes and misdemeanors.
They therefore recommend TO the House the
adoption Of the accompanying resolution. The
report was signed by Thadieus Stevens, George
s Boutwell, John A. Bingham, F. c. Beaman,
c. T. Hulburl. John F. Falnsworth, IL. l..
Paine.
Resolre4, That Andrew johnson, President Of
the United States, be impeached for high crimes
and mislemeanOrs.
Mr.. Spcaker-We are willing that the ques-
ton shall be taken on the knowledge which the
House already has. Indeed, the fact Of reInoy-
inga man from Office while the Senate Is in SEES
sion, without notifying the Senate, Is itself, If
siderel. a high crime AMI mislemeanor, and
was never before practised. But viii not dis
cuss this question unless gentlemen on the other
side desire to discuss it. Ii they do shall Tor
the present give way to them, and say what
have to say myself in conclusion.
Mr.. Brooks, DEM ofN. Y, sail Speaking
in behalf Of those who had sworn TO support the
Constitution, in behalf of my associates here, in
I.ehalf Of those laundering maiOrities whose
voices are roaring outside Of this Capitol, and
who are waiting Tor a constitutional opportunity
10 enter, | bid YOU beware. Your impeachment
viii avail YOU nothing. The President is to he
tried before the Senate, with al the forms law,
and before YOU can achieve the final result he
viii he removed from your authority by the con-
stitutiouql termination of his Office Ii you
proceed further and depose the President by
yioence-if you suspend him, if you throw him
out of Office except by due process OF lmpeach-
ment. tell YOU, in behalf Of thousands, and
tens of Thousands. and hundreds Of thousands,
and millions Of the people, that we viii never,
never, 50 help me God, never, never, submit
Laughter On the Republican side. Eour-ttths
Of the army of the United States Is composed of
the Democracy of the country, and if You pro
coed To- introduce politics into the army the Dem
ocrats viii stand 10y the Constitution
and laws. Andrew johnson had little or 10
power now rs a President Of the Unitel States,
Congress had so manaclcd him as almost to over
throw the Executive power, and if they did not
succeed in rejecting him to the Presidency,
they would ut least immortalize his name as the
most glorious defender of liberty that ever lived.
Laughter among the Republican MEMBERS
Mr.. SrArLD1NG, (Bep) Of Ohio said, it has
seemed TO me for weeks that the President was
counting the very hour and the very occasion
which i now upon us, and the consequences Of
which will he upon him. He has thrown him
self violently in contact with the act Of Congres,
passed ON the ID Of March last by the vote OF the
| constitutional number Of two-thirts OF the Sen
ate and two-thirls of the House Of Representa-
tiyes, over his veto assigning his reasons TO the
contrary. not only in the face Of the decision Of
the Senate, saying that the suspension Of the
| Secretary Of War made during the recess was
| without good cause, but in face Of the penalties
Of the act Of March ,, 1867, entitled " An act
| regulating the tenure Of certain civil officers.
| The President yesterday sent to the Senate mes
sage declaring in terms that he had removed L.
| NJ Stanton, Secretary Of War. The 9Th section
Of that act declares that every removal, appoint
ment, or employment, made, had or exercised,
| contrary 10 its provision, shall be deemed, and
they are declared. to be high misdemeanors, or
conviction Of which offenders may be fined not
exceeding : l0,0 O0 or be imprisoned not exceed
ing five years, or may suffer both fine and I'M
prisonment in the discretion Of the Court
Now, sir, if there be any efficacy in the en-
| actments Of Congress We are not called upon u
ascertain through committee whether this act
Of the President be a high crime and ulisle-
| meauor. because Congress has already, On the
face of this enactment, declared it To be such
and the President, as if to despite the action ci
| Congress has thrown down the glove. am
| brought to the conclusion that 80 long as We sub
NIT to these violent assaults upon Congress, and
| upon all It's doings, we can never have peace
and am brought to the conviction that We must
all with unanimity, vote for the resolution this
day introduced.
Mr. BlxGHAM (Rep.) Of Ohio said the issue in
volyel is not as the gentleman from New orA
said, the question Of an Office, but whether tn,
| supremacy Of the Constitution shall be maiutaln-
| cd blythe people OF the Republic. The President
of the United States has assumed TO set himself
above the majesty Of the law Notwithstanding
there was much in the conduct of the President
to call for the inerposition of the representative
of the country, yet, rs long as there was any
doubt hanging over the question of his liability
to impeachment, within the text and spirit Of the
Constitution, | was unwilling TO utter one sylla-
bic to favor such proposition or 10 accord vote
to advance IL. SI;illl Itft- ihNtNtl. Ap-'AitN .
filled with the conviction that the President Of
the United States has deliberately, and dchanty
and criminally violated the Constitution, his oath
Of office and the statutes of the country. Mr..
Bingham went on to argue the question Of law
involved in the matter, and TO show that the
President himself had virtually admitted the
constitutionaty Of the Tenure-ofothcc bill by ex-
ercisinr the power of suspension AMI sending hi,
reasons therefor TO the Senate, for which he had
no authority except by that law. The gentle
man from New York Brooks had warned then
to beware Beware Of what? Beware Of rem
dering a faithful obedience to their oaths As Rep
resentatives To beware Of the step authorized
by the Constitution toput this usurper OF author
ity on trial before the only tribunal on earth au-
thorized to try him for the crimes charged Did
not the gentleman know that it Is written in tn,
Constitution that the President, the Vice Pres
dent: and every other civil officer of the United
States shall be removed from Office on impeach
ment Of and conviction Of high crimes and misde
meanors? Did he not know that it is written il
the same Constitution that the Representative
Of the people shall have the sole power of i'm
parchment? He TBinghaml undertook to say
that there was enough in the corresponding
submitted yesterday to justify the House III draw
ing the inference that the President is by his &c
guilty Of another crime under another act O
Congress additional to the act Of 1867, which
makes it high crime, punishable by fine an,
imprisonment, for any person by force, threat o.
intimidation to prevent any person exercising tn
functions Of an officer under the Government Q
the United States. He undertook to say that tn
President would be found guilty Of attempting b.
threat and ly intimidation, if not by force, Il
prevent the Secretary Of War exercising the du
ties of the Office to which he had bsen assignee
by the solemn Judgment Of the Senate. Their
was evidence enough to satisfy him that the Pre-
sident Of the United States was so bent on hi
own destruction, or on the destruction of the Re
public, that he was capable of running to an.
extreme Of madness.
Mr.. FARNswORTH, of Illinois, said they ha'
been told by the gentleman from New York { Mr.
Brooks1 that if the President should be tried an,
convicted he and the Democratic party would no
stand it, and that he (Nlr. Brooks) never woul,
stand it. Hearing these things he Mr.. Farms
WORTH thought they were carried back years ag
when he listened to similar threats on this foo
just preceding the rebellion He would tell thu
gentleman that when the President should be i'm
peached in the mode pointed out by the Consti
tuition, the gentleman must stand II. Let thi
House and the Senate teach Andrew johnson
that there Is a power stronger than the Presi
dent, namely, the power Of the people whose re
presentatives were speaking here to-day. Tn
gentleman from New York said if we enter oil
the trial now the term of the Presidents offic
would expire before the trial was concluded. Th
President letters to Mr.. Stanton and Genera