Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-02-26
The New York Tribune and Im-
Deachment.

voted double loaded leader to show the ne
csssity of Impeaching President JOHNSON.
The reasons for such proceedings should
be conclusive and imperative, especially
when the whole business interests of the
country are paralyzed and stand in urgent
need of the application of some remedy
lat will furnish relief. This distressing
condition of business was manifest to Con-
gress when it assembled in November; !;
but Congress has done nothing to furnish
1t relief. Instead, it has been potter
lug with what it is pleased to call Re-
construction but which in reality is
the attempted perfection of measures that
would give the South over to the domi-
nation of the Negroes. To this per-
nicious work-this striking down of White
supremacy and instituting Negro supre-
macy-President JOHNSON has not been a
consenting party. No matter what accu-
satior may be made against him-no mat
ter what vituperative language may be ap-
piled to him-herein consists his great
crime and for it he is to be punished by
impeachment. Let not his real offense be
lost sight of. The Tribune says that it b :
lieves 'the salvation of the country demands
the Impeachment of the President" If 'the
salvation of the country demands the I'M
peachment," then assuredly quick I'm
peachment should be dealt out to the Pres
lent. There should be no hesitation or
delay. Is it not strange, however, that the
discovery was not made until Friday, Feb
ruary 21st, when President JOHNSON
ordered Secretary STANTON to permanent
~ vacate the War Office, that there
could I've no salvation" for the country, un-
less the President were Impeached with
the least delay and ceremony possible? Up
to that time, the Tribune confesses that it
ssfelt" that the Republican party and the
people generally could submit to Mr..
JoHNsoN's administration, evil as it has
been. rather than force an angry and doubt
ful question upon the country" The s'sal-
vation of the country" had not been en-
dangered yet according to the plain mean
ing of this language. 1t was possible for
it to ''submit to Mr.. JoHNsoN's administra-
tion," and yet not encounter manifest in
jury or Inconvenience. The Tribune even
ACooOhCa uPOh stuC PiCouluRtiOh bildb IL
was better to have Impeachment held over
him 1.-THE President as check than to be-
gin trial that might be as long as that of
WARREN HASTINGS" especially as "the
evidence was far from being conclusive"
And the Republicans did use the Impeach-
ment cry as a bugbear with great fire.
quency and pertihacity. 1t was hardly
possible for the President to venture out
from the White House, without ASHLEY
and his echoes crying out 'Impeach him p'
He could not point out the unconstitution-
ality and baneful character of some of the
partisan bills passed by the party that
elected him without calling down upon
him the cry of sImpeach him!' But "the
salvation of the country" looked on quiet
ly. with folded arms. Some time ago,
President JOHNSON suspended Secretary
STANTON and appointed General GRANT
Secretary of War ad interim, and the s'sal-
vation of the country" was not moved to
articulation. But on Friday, when this
same Secretary STANTON was sought to Re
removed, then, if the Tribune is authority
in this case, the salvation of the country''
became aroused, indignantand imperious,
and now demands the Impeachment of the
President" and nothing will satisfy .the
salvation of the country" short OF
his immediate Impeachment by Con-
gress. The Tribune is satisfied that
sit would be difficult to have'' their "course
c learer." 1t is, however, constrained 10
say that the law which the President is al
legged to have violated, and for the viola
tien of which .'the salvation of the country
demands his Impeachment" .'may or may
not be constitutional" So, after all there
is some doubt about the constitutionality
OF this law; but the Tribune with tina hat
'.the President has no business holds 4t''
that sit is constitutional until the Supreme
Court decides it otherwise" !" that sit is
law until the Court interposes and invali-
dates it :" that ''the sworn duty of the Pres
ident is to execute ito obey ito see that
tits carefully and studiously obeyed."
We should have been surprised to have
seen as much nonsense as this jumbled
together in some obscure Republican pa
per that makes no professions to learning.
Here is a law passed by Congress to ham,
per the President-to take from him au-
thority supposed to be vested in him by
the Constitution-al law that the Cincinnati
Commercial most effective ard the
most enterprising Republican paper in the
West-says has SO tied up the hands of the
President that he cannot put out of office
fho off3oor ~, roucrb xub;ol fho rax,a,,,o 3,
defrauded-and yet the Pres
ident is to yield patient obedience to it
shall not challenge its constitutionality-
until the Supreme Court enterprises and in
it." OF its own accord, the Court
does not interpose and i1validate reputed
laws. If no enactment of a legislative
body were ever invalidated until the court
no law would ever be inval.
idated. There are forms provided through
which an enactment can be taken before
the court for the purpose of having its con-
tested. 1t is only in some
such way az President JOHNSON has pur-
sued with reference to Mr.. STANTON that
the constitutionality of the Tenure of Office
Act can be tested. Were the court
to decide that law Constitutional
aud in virtue of its constitutionality bind
ing upon the President, and if the Presi-
dent should, after such decision had been
rendered, persist in disregarding it, it
would then be ample time to begin pro-
ceedings in impeachment. Until such
time, it seems to US that 1.-THE salvation Of
the country" would not demand the Inn
peachment Of the President.
President Wade's Cabinet.
One of the Washington evening papers,
of Monday evening, talks about Mr..
WADE's Cabinet, and prints the following
names as likely to be selected:
CIIr,a Of NIaasonhI,raffr