The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-02-27
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, D. G.,
Eohr,,orxy 81 1850

having been removed from Office as
ofthe Department of War,
you are hereby authorized and en-,
powered to act as Sec'y Of War, ad
interim, and will Immediately enter
upon the discharge of the duties per-
to that office. Mr.. Stanton
has been instructedto transfer to you
all records, books, papers, and other
public property entrusted to his charge
Respectfully Yours
(Signed) ANDREW JOHNSON.
To Brev't Maj Gen Lorenzo Thomas,
Adj't Gen'l U S A.
Official copy respectfully furnished
to Hon. Edwin M. Stanton.
(Signed) L. THOMAS,
Sec'y Of War ad interim.
Upon the evidence collected by the
committee which is hereafter presen-
ted, and in virtue of the power with
which they have been invested by
the House, they are of the opinion
that Andrew johnson, President of
the U. S., be impeached Of high crimes
and misdemeanors. They therefore
recommend to the House the adop-
ton of the accompanying resolution !:
(Signed.) THAp STEVENS.
GEO S boutwell,.
JNo A BIGHAM.
F G BEAMAN
CT HUBBARD
JNo f FARNswoRTH
III e PAYNE
/. Resolved, That Andrew johnson,
President Of the United States, be i'm
peached for high crimes and misde-
meanors."
The report having been read Mr..
Stevens said:
Mr. Speaker it is not my intention
in the first instance to discuss the
question, or if there be no desire on
the other side to discuss it, we are
willing that the question shall be la.
ken 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, is in itself, if
there was nothing else, and always
has been considered q high crime and
midemeanOr, and was never DBTUre
practiced. But / will not discuss this
question unless gentlemen on the
other side do SO; if they do ] shall
for the present give way to them, and
say what 1 have to say in conclusion.
Mr.. Brooks then took the floor to
resist, as he said, this unholy and
unconstitutional proceeding. Speak
ing of the majority report he said -
l bid them beware in no spirit of de-
fiance but from a devoted love to my
country. / solemnly bid them beware
and to proceed no farther in their
revolutionary steps, speaking in be-
half of those who have sworn to sup
port the constitution in behalf of my
associates here and in behalf of those
laundering majorities whose voices
are roaring outside ofthis capitol and
who are waiting for a constitutional
opportunity to enter. l bid you be-
ware. Your impeachment will avail
you nothing. The President Is to be
tried before the Senate with all forms
Of law, and before you can achieve
the final results, he will be removed
from your authority by the constitu-
tional termination Of his Office. If
you proceed further and depose the
President by violence, ifyou suspend
him, if you throw him out of Office
except by due process of impeach,
ment, tell you in behalf of thou
sands and tens Of thousands, and hun
dreds of thousands, and millions of
people, that we will never, never, so
help me God, never submit. Laugh
ter on the Republican side. Pro-
coed in your forms of Improvement
through all the manipulations Of the
aw and we shall cheerfully submit
because it is our duty to do so as con-
stitutional obedience, but step an inch
further over the bounds of the con-
stitution and proceed as is frequently
proposed in a violent and revolution.
airy manner, and precipitate violence
and revolution. 6
Mr.. Brooks in concluding, said that
if the democrats did not succeed in
re.electing President johnson to the
Presidency they would at least im-
mortalize his name on the pages Of
history as the most glorious defend
er of liberty that ever lived under
any constitutional government what
ever. daughter among the republi-
can members.
/ The resolution Of impeachment
was supported by speeches by Spauld-
ing and Bingham. The vote is to be
taken this evening.
Mr. Spaulding had five minutes al
lowed him from Mr.. Bingham's time.
It seemed to him that the President
had for weeks courted every hour
and every occasion which is upon us
and the consequence will be upon
him.
Spaulding continued the Presi.
dent has thrown down the glove
He has assumed the boldness to say
to the Senate, notwithstanding your
reasons to tho contrary, that had
no right TO suspend tie Secretary Of
War, assume constitutional right
70 throw that officer from his posi-
ton entirely and do it, your law to
the contrary notwithstanding.
Mr. Spaulding concluded with the
remark that "we must all with una
nimity vote for the resolution this
day introduced"
Some debate followed as to when
the debate should close, and Mr. Ste
vens being appealed to said lie would
say 5 O'clock was the. hour.
Mr. Bingham proceeded to argue
in support of the resolution. He
said that the issue involved is not as
great as the gentleman from New
York said ii was. The question was
not Of an Office, but whether the SUI
premacy Of the Constitution shall be
maintained by the people Of our Re.
public. The President Of the Uni
Ted States has assumed to defy the
law. He has assumed to challenge
the representatives Of the people to