Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-05-13
WHOLE NO. 1893.
Thad. stevens on Impeach-
mRnf

Maus StCNCn8 OA 1MApcaCn@
ment.
The following is the closing portion of
Hon. Thaddeus Stevens argument before
the Court Of Impeachment:
The gentleman has spoken Of the great
purity of the President in all his transac-
tons with Black and others. admit it
IS fair subject from which to infer gene
raj purity of conduct I will examine it q
a little. 1t was held by Socrates and Plato
to be among the most atrocious offences to
corrupt youth because they tended to over
throw solid forms of government aAd built
up anarchy and despotism in their place.
II It were so in an oligsrchy, how much
more would 1t be so in a government where
laWs eontrol-where law shold be eonnec-
ted with purity and to survive the tempo.
rary shocks Of tyrants. fit is proved or
known that Andrew johnson attempted
at any time to corrupt the legal voters of
the United States, so as to change them
from their own true opinions to those he
himself had adopted, there are few who
pretend that he was not guilty of high
misdemeanor. We need hardly call wit
nesses in to prove fact which everybody
knows and nobody will deny. Does the
sun shine at midday? It would hardly
be thought necessary to answer that qHes-
ton by proof, and yet there is Just as much
necessity for it as to prove that Andrew
johnson had changed his whole principles
and policy, and entered into most DANCE
rons and damaging contracts with aspi-
rants for office, TO induce them to aid him
IN changing the principles Of those who
sought ottice. Who does not believe that
patronage was put into the hands Of DoO-
little and Cowsn and that tribe Of men for
distribution on precisely such terms and
conditions as they choose to make. Show
me more shameless personal patronage
IN any country or any government, how
ever corrupt and despotic, and 1 will ad-
nit that Andrew johnson is pure as
''the ieiels that hangs on dams temple"
He had before that appeared with Abrs-
ham Lincoln in the Senate Chamber to
take the oath of Office; they took it at the
same time and in the same manner, hav-
ing some small variation in the manner Of
the Vice President, but MS friends hoped
that such variation had neither 0bllterated
or Obseured his Consciousness of the oath
he had taken. and when he came to re-
dect he would still abide by all he had
sworn to observe, notwithstanding bis then
condition Unfortunately the President
was taken away, and temptation for
higher aspirations, for Mr.. johnson, in
stead Of being content with the position
the people had given him, and which he
had gladly accepted, tried to become there
after the Chief Executive of the nation
This he knew could only be-done by chan
ging his principles, and creating q new
party to sustain him After some little
hesitancy he resolved upon this course,
and perpetrsted betrayal og the party
that elected him and the principles he pro-
tessed, baser betrayal than that By JU-
das Iscariot-he betrayed single individ-
ual, while johnson sacrificed whole ns-
ton, and the holiest of principles, in order
TO build up party on which he was tore
ly. 1t became necessary for him to pro-
claim entirely new principles and new
policy, and to bring about him an entire
ly new set Of politicians, as enough loose
men could not be found In the Republican
party to carry him into power. Corrup-
ton, therefore, became a necessity. That
corruption was to be wrought by perver-
ting the means which the Republican par
ty had Feaced IN his hands and which he
had solemnly sworn to execute according
TO their PRINCIPLES.
When he found that by an appeal to
those principles he could rally but few fol-
lowers, he did not hesitate to cast them of
and seek recruits in the camp Of the enc
my. Instead of enforcing the penalties Of
the law and making treason o6ious, as he
had so loudly proclaimed while Vice Pres
ident, he proceeded to pardon all large, IN
tiuential traitors, and to restore to theeon-
quered belllgerents the property which had
been confscated by the act of Congress of
July, 1852. He thus restored coniseated
land and abandoned estates sufficient, had
1t all been honestly carried into the Treas
ury, to have paid the national debt and all
damage done to loyal men BY rebel raids
and by rebel confscation. He set delibe-
rately about corrupting whole mass Of
those who asplred in Office. Where he
found an office holder too virtuOus to fol-
low his treason be offered his place to an
other whose conscience was less serupu-
lous, or whose ambition was greater. Re-
movsls which he made were of Repubi
cans, who had been PLACED in Office by
Abraham Lincoln, upon Republican rec
ommendations, because they held some
principles which he had. johnson had
professed he did rot hesitate, through his
agents, to bargain for their support as 3
condition of their appointment or retsn-
ton. He found few men of respectable
standing who had been endorsed by re-
spectacle States, such as Wisconsin and
Pennsylvania Look at the trusted agents
Of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, who con-
tracted to accept the Office as recruiting
sergeants for his shabby army. To pur-
chase the position Of commander Of this
band Of pardOnsd traitors and corrupted
renegades, they consented to lay down the
stars and stripes, and clothe themselves in
the rebel uniform, gray. The gentleman
on Saturday implOred the sympathy of the
Senate with all the elegance Of the father
Of Roman Senator, pleading for virtue,
and 1t Is to De feared that his grace and el-
egance turned the attention Of the Senate
upon the speaker rather than upon theac-
cused- Had he been pleading for inno-
eenee his great powers wouS have bean
well exerted. Had he been Aguing with
equal eloquence before q Roman Senate
AID Cato the Censor oeen one of the judg-
es, his client would have soon found him
self placed in the stocks in the middle Of
the forum, instead of receiving the SYM
pathy Of a virtuous and patriotic audience
Amid the horrors of the recent railroad