Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-14

army suppose II sh0uid pass dozen DtIis \
Of this character-wculd the President be
constitutionaIly bonnd to execute them. az
laws? Wonld it not be his duty, as in the
present instance, TO seek an immediate
Judgment IN the Supreule Court upon such
paIpable violations Of the Constitution and
the genius Of the government ~
at must be adraitfed, sir, that that is a
suggestive way Of putting the Question
"Well, then, let rs proceed to other 1
considerations. The President is impeached
Of high crime and misdemeauop in re-
moving Mr. Stanton. Besides the impos
sibility, az / believe, Of showing that the
President acted outside his vested powers in !
making that removal, is another difficulty.
If it could by any twisting Of logic be
shown that he has acted outside those pow
ers, wrong motive in 50 doing must be
proved against him. Was there wrong
motive exhibited in deposing this man?
Could there be any motive except the legit
innate one which inspires a President to
rid his Cabinet Of an officer whose enmity
10 the Executive and whose discordant
couT sells had married and threatened to
trammel the whole machinery of the ad-
ministration? Surely, / am not able to
recollect single previous instance in our
history wherein it was attempted by the
Senate to compel President to retain in
the position of an adviser and head of an
important executive department one whose
sentiments and views upon public matters
were directly at variance with those enter
tanned by his superior, and in whom the
latter had not sufficient confidence to in
trust him with the conduct of the most
pressing affairs appertaining to his Office"
The President here arose, went into the
adjoining library, and returned with
couple of volumes. Opening one of them,
he resumed:
" Here is an index to pages OF precedents,
showing that the right of the President to
select his own Cabinet has not only never
been denied to this extent by the Senate,
but that it has been frequently exercised
more peremptorily than in Mr.. Stanton's
case. Look at this one instance in the his
tory of Mr.. Adams administration. On
the 10th day of March, 1900, President
Adams addressed to Colonel Pickering,
then Secretary of State, note, which / will
read;
"'I0 T. Pickering, Secretary of State, Ptiid-
delphia: MAY 10, l800.-SIR; As Iperceive
a neeessity of introducing change in the
administration of the Office of State
think it proper to make this commuuica-
ton of it to the present Secretary of State,
that he may have an opportunity of re-
signing, if he chooses. | should wish the
day on which his resignation is to take
place TO be named by himself / wish for
an answer to this letter, on or before Mon
day morning, because the nomination of
successor must be sent to the Senate as soon
az they sit.
"'With esteem, am, sir, your most
obedient and humble servant,
"'JoHN ADAMS
"COl. Pickering replied in an extraor-
binary strain, declining to resign where
upon Mr.. Adams sent him this laconic no.
tice, which bears date May ~, 1900:
"12TH MAY, 1900. TO Timothy Picker
ing, Philadelphia: SIR: Divers causes and
considerations, essential to the administra-
ton Of the government, in my judgment
requiring change in the Department of
State, yon are hereby discharged from any
further service as Secretary of State.
"' JoHN ADAMS,
President of the United States"
Works Of John Adams, Vol. TX, PIP.
"a, 55,]
"Observe in this that Mr.. Adams saw
fit TO peremptorily discharge Colonel Pick
ering. The same day, May II, the Presi-
dent sent brief announcement of the re-
noval to the Senate, which reads as follows
! MONDAY, May II, 1900. Gentlemen
( of The Senate: nominate the Hon. John
Marshall, Esq, of Virginia, to be Secre-
/ tary ofState, in place of the Hon. Timothy
/ Pickering, Esq, removed.
! GO JOHN ADAMS
"That was all the official notice the
Senate had of the removal, before or since.
/ Mr.. Adams, in one of his Cunningham
letters, calls this one of the most deliber-
ate, virtuOus, and disinterested actions of
his life"
Mr.. johnson laid aside the books.
| GAS to the remaining articles of impeach.
ment, which pretend to recite some Of the
Presidents speeches and public expires
sions, l dread lest those, Mr.. President
have made you tremble."
The President laughed low to himself q
moment, and drummed with his pencil on
the table. But his voice, when he turned
to reply, had no merriment in it.
| at sometimes appears to me-" he said
that their wits must be utterly dazed who
cannot see through the designs of mer
capable of bolstering up an Impeachment
of high crimes and misdemeanors' agaist
| President of the United States with eyi
dence like this. What is high crime,
or high misdemeancr' in Office I? VIVA
| does the Constitution say 1t says (sec
ton fourth, article III: The President
| Vice President, and all civil officers of th,
| United States, shall be removed from offic
on impeachment for and conviction O
treason, bribery, or other high crimes an,
misdemeanors' What are meant by higl
crimes and misdemeanors ? What wer
treason and bribery specially enumeratet
for, if not to define the grade of offense
constituting them? Is a mere peccadill
on the part of President to be called
high misdemeanor? Suppose l were, o
leaving this room tonight, TO be in som
way drawn into a personal recounter wit
an insolent man who should meet me il
the hall; would that be a high mis-
demeanor' which the House of Represents
tives would act more decently in impeach
/ ing the President for than in taking n
, notice Of? Above all else, is telling tn
truth to the people in publ
| address uiEn HnAhttutdUOT vi
speeches, made since | entered upon til
5 duties of this office, have contained no ger
eral statement in regard to national affair
: and policy that are not also embodied
r my messages. have advised Congre:
directly, aud many times, of the President
= opinion of its unwise, unconstitutional an
= disastrous legislation. If have advise
e the people of il in terms not exactly bef
[ | ting a State document, it has been becani
e the morespointedly the truth is told, tt
D quicker the masses of the people apprehen
il. / have no recollection OF any impo
I tant mis- statements made in the speech,
) from which garbled extracts often inco
: rectly reported have been taken for tn
purposes of impeachment. The articles
l. impeachment are not where | can lay n
n hand on them now, but noticed,
V glancing over them, one place where, in
Q speech at 1t. Louis, / am made first to a
Is Jude 20 certain office-holders in the cou
e try, aud then to Congress. The contiuuit
e OF my remarks is just here interrupte
/ perhaps by pair of convenient scissor
l. so that in the succeeding extract, where
> am made to declare an intention 10 kiC
7. them ont, that being the printed EXPIRE
1t sion, it appears that | allnde to Congrs