The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-05
Wilsons's Speech.

to-day to the speech OF Hon. J. +. Will
son of our First Judicial District on
impeachment, which follows below.
Additional interest is felt for what
Mr.. Wilson has now to say, from the
fact that he was until the recent most
fiagitious violation Of the plain pro-
visions of the law by A. johnson,
against impeachment, and that he is
now one ofthe seven members of the
House Committee chosen to conduct
impeachment before the Senate:
Mr.. Wilson, of Iowa. Mr.. Speak
er, the public peace is again disturb.
ed by the President Of the United
States. He denies to the nation that
repose which is so much needed. He
will not obey the law, and by it he
must be judged.
do not approach this case under
the spur of haste or the heat of pas
sion. Its presence deplore, but its
demands l will respect and obey
As Representative it is my duty to
see that the laws of the Republic are
not iefed bya criminalin Office, if with
in the terms of the Constitution a
remedy may be found. Thepresence
of the criminal is q palpable fact, the
remedy is plain and indisputable, and
from the performance Of the duty i'm
posed will not shrink. An impeach-
ment of the President Of the United
States is made inevitable by his own
deliberate criminal conduct, as pre-
sented 10 us by the case which now
commands our attention. We cam
not escape this conclusion if we wo'd;
for tho President would hedge us
about with new acts of greater enor-
nifty, if there be any logic in his
course of procedure, which would at
last compel us to take up the gage
that he has now defiantly east at our
feet.
Heretofore his challenges have not
been, in my judgement, in due form
of law, or stamped with the charac.
ter of real crimes or misdemeanors,
and therefore have resisted resort
to the extreme remedy which the
Constitution has placed in our hands.
Perhaps / have been more cautious
than most men would have been, but
no regrets come to me on this account,
for / still believe that l but did my
duty. The consideration which
weighed upon my mind and nodded
my conduct in thecase with which the
committee on the Judiciary of this
House was charged are not to be
found in the present case. The logic
of the former case is made plain, not
to say perfect, by its sequence in the
present one. The President was
working to an end suspected by 9TH
ers, known to himself His then
means were not known to the laws
as crimes or misdemeanors, either at
common law or by statute, and we
so pronounced. He mistook our
Judgment for cowardice, and worked
on until no has presented to us, us a
sequence, high misdemeanor known
to the law and defined by statute. II
we permit this to pass unchallenged
by. that high power which the Con-
stitution has clothed US no man can
measure the future troubles Of this
Republic. For one I am not willing
to wait for an ascertainment of the
unknown quantities Of future presi-
dental crimes and misdemeanors,
We have one before us, its elements
known and it's quantities assertained,
and / am in favor of wiping it from
the executive blackboard BY an i'm.
parchment of the criminal who plac.
ed it there. Its presence is q source
Of regret to me, as it must be of NOR.
LITIGATION to the people of this Repub
lie; but / will face it as they will meet
it, by asserting the subordination o.
the President to the law Of the land
He is not q maker oflaw, nor a Judge
thereof and it is enough for him t
knog that the Constitution which hi
il sworn to taspreserye, protect, ant
defend" says that che shall take carr
that the laws be faithfully executed.
What laws? Those which are passet
| in pursuance to the terms Of thar
Constitution which he is sworn tx
preserve, protect, and defend" Ant
how are these laws to be passed? BY
the two Houses of Congress, with til,
approval of the President, or in sucl
case he do not approve, 'He shall re
turn it, with his objections, to tina
House in which it shall have origin
mated, who shall enter the objection
at large on their Journal, and pro.
coed to reconsider it," and "if afte
such reconsideration two thirds O
that House shall agree to pass tn,
bill it shall be sent, together with tn,
objections, to the other House, b,
which it shall likewise be reconsider
ed, and if approved by two thirds o
that House it shall become law
What kind offs law2 Ono which tn,
President " shall take care" that i
"be faithfully executed"
4 The Constitution does not maxi
him judge Of the law, but an exc
cntor thereof, and he is bound to exc
cute that which the law-makins
power decreeas to be the law of thu
land. Whatever may be his opinion
of the law as mere individual mem
Der Of International family he is bounl
to yield it to that higher duty which
the Constitution imposes on him a.
an officer Of the State. IF his con
science forbid he may resign the trust
but he has no right to retain til.
power of public officer and subordi
nate to that judgment ola mere indi
| vidual member Of the community o.
nation which has clothed him will
executive power for the enforcement,
| Of its laws. As an individual he may
be justified in an assumption of the
risks attendant upon a disobcdienct
Of the law; as q public officer no such
plea can be properly entered in his
behalf for he isnot only sworn TO ex
ccute the law but he also possesses
the right of resignation. If his cor
science will not permit him to execute
agiven law he may resign his trust
and leave to his successor the per
Torrance Of a duty which his iudg.
ment as an individual, will not sur.
ronder to his obligations as public
officer. A willingness to submit to
the penalty prescribed for the viola,
ton off law may, to some extent, ex-
cuse diSObedience on the part of a n1.i.