The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1868-02-28

nation no was bound by oath 10 manlain
Ins had the clIcct n Knitting every Rspnb.
lican legislator 10 ;hc House Of Represent.
ativcs in demanding his impeachment. The
question. wasu carried by the large vote of
l26 yeas, against Al nays. The lIouse
followed thislvoto with coinnoudaLle en-.
ergy by appointing a committee of two,
consisting OF Mcssrs. STEVENS and BIxo
HAN to notify the Senate that articles Of
impeachment would be presented against
ANDaEw JorNsoN. fd
lilo Committee TO prepare articles Of
impeachment was made up ns. follows /.
boutwell, (Chairman), STEVENS, BlsGnAM,
WLsoN, of Iowa, LooAS, JULIAN aud WARD.
Of New York. On receiving notice from
the House OF their intention to impeach
JOHNSON the Senate tool; immediate action.
On motion OF Mr.. Howard Committee
of seven was appointed to take tho report
of the Hunso into consideration. This is
in accordance with the regular order oil
proceeding in impeachment trials.
The Committee subsequently appointed
by Mr. WADE, was made up as rollows
Mr.. lIowARD, Chairman; Messrs. TRuMButL,
CoNKLiS, EDMUNDs, PoMERoY, MoRroN and
JoHNsoN. ..
II viii be seen by the above that Con
grcss is proceeding with great unan.
unity towards the Impeachment Of ANDREW
JonNsoN. Ills late correspondence with
81 q, ..a
MIR. SrANToS in violation OF law, clearly
exhibits his true character to those who
were formerly his friends. 1t is well
known that Representatives. SPAuLDiHG
and BINGHAM, of this State, had previously
opposed his Impeachment; they are now
prominent advocates OF that measure. The
following speech Of Mr.. BINGHAM, forciLly
and logically exhibits the case. lie said:
All right-minded men must concedc that the
question under consideration is of supreme
Importance TO all the people Of the country. |
protest for myself that am utterly Incapable ol
l approaching the question In the spirit OF \ part-
| san, aud repei the intimaii0n OF the gentleman
from New York, Mr.. Brooks) that I am careless
Of the obligation Of my oath, or unconccrned about
the supremacy Of the Const tuition and the laws.
look upon the Constitution Of the country as the
very breath of the nations life. ] look this day
on the consideration OF this great question. as did
the gentleman from New York, and ask him
! BrOuks) in the consideration of the manner, to
ponder upon those deathless words Of the father
of our county when he declared that the Constitu-
ton, which at any time exists until changed by
the action Of tho whole people, Is sacred and OBJ
gatory upon ALL upon all, sir from the Prss-
dent to the humbest citizen within the limits OF the
Republic, upon every human being standing within
! the jurisdiction Of the Republic. Washington but
rc-echoes tho words which himself and his assn
ciates had emuOdied in the Constitution, that this
instrument, and the laws made in pcrSuance there
| of, shall be the supreme law Of the land. The
issue involved is not, as the gentleman from New
York has said, the question Of an office. but
| whether the supremacy of the Constitution shall
be maintained by the people Of the Republic. The
| President Of the United States has assumed Ia
! set himself above the mugistraoy of the law. llc
has assumed 10 defy the law he has assumed to
challenge the representatives of the people to set
in Judgment Of the malfeasance in Office Any
man who has considered and observed my cond0ct
touching this question which has SO long agitatcd
this lhuse aud this country, must have discv-
cred that have held myself back, and have en-
dcavored to keep others back, from making any
unnecessary issue between the President and the
representatives of the people touching the manner
IN which he has discharged the duties of his great
oihoo. had no desire to resort unnecessarily Ia
this last power repOsed by the people in their
Representatives and in their Senators for the vim
dcation of their own violated Constitution and
laws, so long as there was any doubt hanging
over the question. Notwithstanding there was
much In the conduct Of the President to call for
J. .1he intcrposltion OF the Representatives of the
N Hlcuuntry, yet, SO long MS there was any doubt
hanging over the question of his liberaty to i'm
pcachmcnt within the tnx and spirit Of the Consti-
tuition, was unwilling To utter one syllable Ia
favor such proposition or 10 accord vote tO
advance it. With the past am entirely satisfied.
am responsible for il alone tO those who sent me
here, to tho Constitution, and to the common
Father Of us all have said moth NC heretofore
which, dying, | would wish to change. stand
hcre, however, to-day, filled with the conviction
that the President of tho United States has delib.
erately, and defantly, and crimiually, violated
the Constitution, his oath of office, and the statutes
Of tho country. ! propose to make clear, in the
| shot time which will occupy, the proposition
which | have just uttered, and in attempting tC
do it desire to say that II is moment Of pain
of sorrow, and Of grief TO mo to be compelled, as
n representative of the people, to make the utter
Nuce that the President of the United States has
set his bad example to all the Pespe Of the coun
try, by tramplug the Constitution and law def
Anty under his foot,
Mr.. Bingham went on to argue the question o
law involved In the matter, aud to show that th'
} President himself had virtually admitted the con
stituuonality of the Tenure-ot-Ohce law by eN
ercisug the power of suspension and sending hi
reasons therefor to the Senate, tor which he sha,
, no authority except by that law The gentltanar
from New York MIR. Brooks had warmed thenfl
I beware Of what2 Beware Of rnudoring a faithful
obedience to their oaths as Representatives n
! beware of taking steps authorized by the Consli
tuition TO put this nsurper OF authority trial be
fore tile only tribunal on earth authorized TO IT,
him for the crimes charged Did not the gentle
I men know that II is written in the Constitution
that The President and the Vice President, an
every other civil officer Of the United States, shal
;, be removed from office on impeachment for an
= conviction OF high crimes aud misdemeanors
Did he not know, that it is written in the sam
Constitution, that the representatives of the peopl
shall have the sole power of npea achment-iha
1t has no divided powerG Did ho net know tha
I, II is written iu the Constitution that the Senat
e shall have the sole power to try impeachment
, | And vet the gentleman told them TO beware
u beware of putting the President on trial. II
" tliingham) undertook To say there was enough i
the eotrt tsp0ndence submitted Yesterday to justif
the lsuse in drawing the inference that the Pres
V dent is by his act guilty OF another crime, undC
appetizer act OF Congress- additional 10 the act
u 1887, which makes high crime, punishable b
i fine and Imprisonment, for any person by force
, threat or intimidation, 10 attempt to prevent an
person exercising the functions OF an office undo
tho Government of the United States. lie under
took to say that on a full investigation of the cas-,
the President would be tound guilty OF attemptin
Y by threat and by intimidation if not by force,
, prevent tho Secretary OF Wasexerclsng the dute
:, OF the office TO which he had been assigned by III
' soemu Judgment OF the Sepate. tpained him
. make such an utterance. IL he had had any Coz
trnl over the President he would have prevente
e him (C,m utterug such words as those which !
a had uttered to his Adju,ant General, whu had al
. peared to-day in person, at the War Office, di
Y manaiug the surrender of tue Office, notified n
Secretary of War that he would not obey h
y nrders or recognize him as Secretary OF Wa
+ and that he would take possession ~ the mai
4, for the Department of War, and all by ord,
, | of the President. There was evidence en0ug
- | a. -. Al. b. 80 "A. f..sk.