The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-02-28
IMPEACHMENT.
SPEECHES ON THE OTHER SIDE BY VARIOUS
GENTLEMEN.
CONVERSATIONAL DEBATE.

In the House Of Representatives on the 23d. the
report having been reau, Mr.. Stevens said:
Mr. Speaker, it is not my intention 10 the first
instance TO discuss the question, and IL there be
no desire on the other side 10 discuss ii, we are
willing that the question shall be taken on the
knowledge which the House already has. Indeed,
the fact of removing man from Office while the
Senate is IN session, without the consent Of the
Senate, 10 itself, If there was nothing else, and
always has been. considered high crine and nj 5
deneanor, and was never before practiced. Bot
j will not discuss this question unless gentlemen
on the other side desire to do so. II they do
shall, for the present, give way to them, and say
what have 10 say in conclusion.
Mr.. Brooks then took the fioor and after refer
ring TO bis want Of time to prepare minority re-
port. said he was utterly inadequate to discharge
the duty which had devolved on him on this august
day-the anniversary Of the birth of the Father
OF his Country-and 10 express himself with that
deep soemDity which he felt in rising to resist
this unholy and unconstitutional proceeding. de
knew not Why the ghost of impeachment had ap-
preached in a new form. Ii had been laid hith-
erIo In the Hopse. But minority OF members on
the other side forcing its influence and power on
the majority, had at last succeeded in compelling
its party 10 attempt impeachment of the presi,
dent. We have been, he said, in the midst OF rev.
olution. Long has the country been agtated in
the throes OF revolution, but we now approach
ing the last and final stage of that revolution
There is nothing new in what we are doing. We
but repeat the history Of the past We are ira
yersing over and over again the history of Crom.
well and Charles the First and Charles the
Second and We are traversing over and over
sgan ell the scenes of the French revolution.
We have been told, though not here aud
now, that the president should be i'm
peaehed because be was an obstacle in
the wsy of restoring certain States or rather
an obstacle in the party which would be, but Is
not directly IN power. Sir, we are all obstacles
10 that party. Ny associates and myself. we an
have been and intend to be obstacles n the way Of
its high-banded proceedings, and IL the president
J n hat Ia in fba % 81.
party IN power, IL Is equally within their power
by the exercise of q tyranncal majority to re-
move every obstacle aud have the sole control of
the government But bid them beware in no
spirit of defiance but from devoted love to INV
country. l solemnly bid them beware and 10
proceed no further in their revolutionary stems.
Speaking in behalf Of those who have sworn to
support the Constitution; in behalf OF nv ? sso-
ciales here; in behalf Of those standing Suai,ri-
ties whose voices are roaring outside Of this capt.
tol. and who are waiting for a constitutional Oh.
poriunity to enter. | bid youi beware. Your i'm
peachment VIII avail you nothing. The president
isto be tried before the Senate With all the forms
OF law, and before you achieve the final re-
suit be will be removed from your authority by
fhe constitutional termination Of his Office IL
you proceed further and depose the president by
violence; If you suspend him; IL you throw him
out OF Office, except by due process Of mpeach-
ment, tell you. in behalf Of thousands and tens
of thousands, and hundreds Of thous ands, and
millions OF the people that we will never, never,
on the Republican ide)
Sir we have the physical power Of the country
with us. The labor, the industry, the bone and
the muscle Of the country are ours The heroism
OF the country is ours. Four-ffths OF the army Of
the United tates is composed of the Democracy
OF the country, aud il you proceed TO Introduce
politics into the army, the Democratic soldier
VIII Iolow Democratic instinct, and will stand by
The Constitution and the laws. | therefore, Me-
Speaker, bid you beware of unconstitutional, or
Illegal, OF extraordinary proceedings. Proceed in
your forms Of impeachment through all the man.
EQUATIONS and sinuosities and tergiversations of
the law, and we shall cheerfully submit, because
1t Is our duty so TO do as constitutional. obedent
men But step an inch over the bounds OF the
constitution, and proceed, as is frequently pro-
posed, IN violent and revolutionary manner aad
you precipitate violence and revolution.
Mr. Brooks went on to argue that the matter
on which IN peachment of the president was pro
posed was legal question, and the president had
~ much right 20 jodge of the constitutiona.y of
The tenure Of Office act as the House or Senate
had. II be were advising the majority of the
House TO It's overthrow. he would hurry on this
matter. Andrew johnson had little or no power |
Ms president Of the United States. He was
without authority, or influence, or patronage. |
CoDgfess had so msuacled him as almost to over. |
throw the executive power, and il they did not |
succeed in re-electing him TO the presidency. |
they would at least immortalize his name on the |
page OF history as one of the most glorious |
defenders of liberty that ever lived under any |
constitutional government whatever H,auybter |
among the Republican memoersN
lie resolution OF impea :hment was supported |
IN speeches ny Mr.. Spaulding aud Mr.. Bingham
Mr.. Spauding having had five minutes allowed
him nom Mr.. Binghams time said Mr.. Speaker |
1 feel myself TO be in no proper frame of mind or
heart 70 attempt rhetorical display on this occa-
sion. can appreciate the sentiment of the gen. |
tleman from New York Mr. Brooksl, when he
says the question before US is filed with solem.
nry But when he, with his usual eloq1ence,
ats mp's TO use gasconade to drive members OF
NJ g. a
i FAY TO my friend he has mistaken his calling. |
eir, no more important duty can devoye uOon |
this House Of Representatives than that of con- |
siderng the question whether articles Of inpeach-
ment shsu be pref FRED ageinst the head mag s. |
hate OF the nation, and for long months-nay for |
years, | have resisted with my personal Influence |
the approach 10 the crisis which now see before /
u.s. 1he president has done many censur.ble
,hings, but would not IN my conscience say the |
pre- sident should be holden 10 aus er on the
OF the CONN ission ofhigh crimes and misdemeanors
unless something could be made tangib e whereby
ne had brought himself IN conflict with the laws
OF me nation: IL has seemed to me for weeks
that high officers were counting the yerv hour
and the very occasion which are upon u.s. and
the consequence Of which will be upon him. Hs
has thrown himself violently in contact with the
act OF Congress passed on the I'd of March last,
by the vote of the constitutional number OF two.
thirds eff the Senate AID two-thirds of the House
OF Representatives ever his veto assigning his
reasons TO the contrary. /, matters not how
u any acts can pc found IN statute books In wears
8. ne by contrary TO the principles of that act.
The gentleman from New York mr. Brooksl |
numbered three, and he might have numbered
thirty or three hundred. But still, it, within the
past nine months, Congress has, In Constitutional
manner, made an enactment against which ths
chief executive of the nation throws himself he
commits the act for which he should be inn
peaehed just as clearly and conclusiyeIy as II
mere had never been Legislation 70 the contrary.
Ihls enactment, II it be legal and Constitutional
enactment, repeats by It's own force Ali those
prior enactments to which the gentleman from
New York alluded. And in nothing IA that
SCI hofe clear than in this, that the
PR sldent shall not remove anv civil off.
GERS who have been appointed with
me concurrence Of the senate of the limited
states, without the concurrence of that BODY
when II Ia in session. II is true that the rgbt ~
suspension was given TO the executive during the
recess OF the Senate, but that right of susnension
ceased so sosn as the Senate convenes. Ana now
lot only in the face Of the decision of the senate
aging that the suspension Of the secretary Of
var, made during the recess, was without cood |
'ause, but in the face or the penalties of the ACT
" March 2 1857, entitled. "An act regulating the
enure OF certain civil officers the president ves
erday sent to the Senate q message declaring in |
erms that be had removed Edwin N. stanton, see.