Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-05-01
:. Difference OF OpiniOn.'----'' Political
Necessity

Necessity
Two phrases are in very common Use by
tie papers which disapproye the impeach-
ment of President johnson. They harp
upon the enormity, as they consider it, ofhis
being impeachel for - difference of opin-
ion" Congress, say they, passed an act
which two-thirIs or more Of their number
consider constitutional one The President
believes it TO be unconstitutional, and acts
accordingly. Has not the President as good
a right to his opinion as the members Of Con
gress have 10 theirs ? Who knows but what
the Supreme Court. if the question were to
come before it, would decide that the Presi-
dent S opinion is the correct one why then
is he impeached for mere "difrRce cf opia-
ION ~
The real case is not stated by these o9jcc-
tons There is no proper difference Of opin-
ion" between Congress and the President on
the civil tenure act. Had that law been ex-
pressed in such vague OF conflicting terps
that it might fairly be Interpreted in two
ways-one allowing him to do as he did,
the other forb;dding him 50 TODD there would
De ground for difference Of opinion, and if
the President had followed his own, he would
have stood harmless. But he understood the
law irst as Congress understood it. lie has
never pretended that he understood it differ
emily fom Congress. Clearly seeing what
the law Is. ne boldly set himself to defy it;
and therein he violated his official oath,
which requires him to uphold and enforce
tie laws To say that he believed the Su-
prcme Court. if tie case Were brought before
it. would declare the law unconstitutional, is
nothing TO the purpose His obligations are
those Of an executive sworn To carry out the
laws-not those Of Judiciary to decide
whether law Is or Is not constitutional. He
knew what the law was, and with dcliber-
ate purpose ret it at naught He thus defcd
the constitution and the nation. He acted as
il he were as absolute a monarch as is the
Emperor of Russia. This conduct could not
be tolerated without submitting to a total
subversion Of our Republican form Of Govern
ment.
Again, say the directors, thel President if
condemned, viii be condemned not because
he did anything wrong, but, as his enemies
admit, for political necessity that is, as
they mean it to be understood, in order to
promote the success Of the dominant political
party at the coming presidential election.
But whether the impeachment, however the
trial may result, viii be favourable or unfa-
vJrable to the success of any party organiza-
ton at the next election, is more than any one
can safely say, and the phrase political ne
cessity' as honestly used on this subject, has
no such purport. 1t means that it Is neces-
sity for the future safety Of the body polite.
Of the nation at large, that the President Of |
the nited States should not be allowed de-
family to trample on the laws, and to set at
naught the legitimate power Of Congress. To
let President johnson retain his place after
what he has done, is dangerous to the public
welfare i'll the highest possible degree. He
should therefore be removed from Office and
made weak as any other man. This removal
is not party necessity, it as political ne
cessity." The majesty Of the law, and the
power Of the people through the Congress Of
their choice, must be exhibited to establish
the republican principle that no one in our
republic is above the law. His conviction Is
necessary not to save any PARTY, but to save
the nation.