Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-03-06
The Impeachment Question
REMARKS OF MR.. POLAND or VERMONT, FEBRU-
AIRY -. 1865

AIRY -. 1865.
| Mr. Speaker it is well known to the mem
| bers Of this House. TO my constituents, and
| to the country, that | voted against prefer
ring the articles Of Impeachment of the
President which were reported by majority
of the Judiciary Committee atthe commence
ment of the present session. Is it not need
full that | enter into any detailed statement
of the reasons upon which the vote was Civ
en-. But | will say that from a careful ex-
animation of all the evidence taken and re
ported to us by the Judiciary Committee
was not satisfied that the President had been
guilty Of any such express and specific viola
tons Of law, or Of any such willful and cor
rupt official misconduct as would legally
authorize a conviction by the Senate
= was not perhaps, as much affected by the
political aspects and consequences Of the
question as some other persons. here and
elsewhere but | could not resist the belief
that under the circumstances prosecution
of impeachment against the President would
be regarded by the people as political per-
secution, and prove disastrous to the party
upon whom must rest ITS responsibility.
Besides these reasons, l desired, if posi-
bic, to avoid the disgrace and obloquy which
such proceeding would bring upon repub-
lican institutions and government among 9TH
er nations and peoples of the earth.
| have not been able to approve the course
of the President for the lust two years more
than other members of my political party.
considered that in Congress, MS the law max
ing department of the Government, rested
the power and duty of prescribing the forms,
terms, and conditions upon which the seed
ing and rebelling States should again be re-
stored to their places in the Union, and
when the determination of Congress had
been expressed on that subject by the consti-
tutional majority over the objections Of the
President, that it was his duty to forego his
own private views and in good faith to exc
cute their law as the viii Of the people. That
he did not do so, but, on the contrary, $50
far as was in his power without expressly
violating the law,) desired and designed that
the Legislation of Congress should prove fl-
tile and unavailing, | was forced to believe
Notwithstanding this, ! believed it safer and
wiser to endure the evil for the short re-
mainder of the Presidents term than to risk
the perils incidental To this new trial of our
system Of government by an attempt to re-
move the chief officer Of the nation.
| was gratifed that my own view Of the
proper action to be taken proved to be in
harmony with a majority of my political
friends in this House. | have reason to be-
lieve, too, that my own immediate constitu-
ents Every few Of whom arc admirers of the |
President or of his policy concurred in the
judgment by which was governed.
am still fully satisfied with the reasons /
and conclusions of my own mind, and feel
neither conjunction or regret even when
gentlemen who took the opposite view some
what triumphantly and cOmplacently vaunt
their superior wisdom as demonstrated by
more recent events.
did most earnestly hope that no new