The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-05-21

the President attempted to arrest it by
a veto, and falling in that, he has ne G.
lected to enforce it. Congress endeav-
ored. by submitting an amendment to
the Constitution, to secure the recon
sttuction of the Union. The Preside Mt
met it by denial of the authority of
Congress to submit an amendment, and
byaan invocation to his governments in
the rebel States to reject it. The rebel
States failing to adopt the constitu =
tional amendment, Congress passed
the reconstruction measures over Ex-
ecutiye vetoes; those measures Of res
toration have encountered in their eX-
ecution the hostility of the President.
Faithful Generals have been removed
for their fidelity and efficiency, and
others have been rebuked and threat
ened. The history of the past three
years records it, and our personal
knowledge attests it. The President
has sought to prevent the enforcement
of tie laws passed over vetoes In every
form; he has striven to preve mt the
restoration Of the Union on basis of
loyalty to the country and the equal
rights and privileges OF the people.
The evidences legally before us, the
records of the country, the personal
knowledge of Senators, show the mo-
tives and intentions of President John
son. To accomplish his purposes he
sought by the use of Executive pat
ronage. to corrupt the American peo-
pie. When Congress, by seven major
ity in the House. and the casting vote
of Vice President Adams in the Senate
decided, in the beginning of Washing
tons administration, that the Senate
was part of the appointing power,
but not of the removing power, the
oiliceholders of the country were but a
few hundred in number, and received
a compensation amounting to but q
few thousands OF dollars. In our time
the Federal otiicehoIders are counted
by tens of thousands, and their COM
pensaLion amounts to many millions,
To defeat this will of the people, the
President, in the interests of disloyal-
ty, sought to use the corrupt and cor
IsFupting Influences Of executive pat
fonage. The Postm2ster-Gene ii made
the shameless declaration that officers
who eat the Presidents bread should
support his policy. To maintain the
cause of the country, as we'll as to pro-
tect honest public officers who would
not betray their country, Congress en-
acted the Civil-Tenure Act. 1t met
the executive veto, the executive de-
nunclation Of unconstItutionality, and
the executive violation. Mr.. Williams,
! of the House of Representatives, who
drew the proviso to the first section of
the bill, tells US that he intended that
the bill should protect Mr.. Stanton.
The Senator for. Oregon, Mr.. Williams,
who originally Introduced the BILL and
was on. the committee of conference,
claim that Mr. Stanton is protected by
the act. A fair and logical construc.
| ton Of the language of the act gives
its protection to Mr. Stanton. A large
majority i'll Congress voted for the bill
in the belief that it threw its protee-
| ton over the great War Secretary, who
stood before the country one of the
foremost champions of CONGRESS in its
struggle against the anarchial. disor-
ganiZin9, and unpatriotic action OF the
Executive. MIR. Stanton was suspend
ed; the reasons for his suspension were
submitted to Congress; they wese pro-
fnounced insufficient by more than 4
three-fourths vote of the Senate: Mr.
Stanton returned to his office: the
President refused to acknowledge him
and. after several days. issued the order
for his removal, and appointed Adiu-
tant General Thomas Secretary of Wal
all in direct violation of the Tenure.
ofoftice Act; the President refused te
send nomination to the Senate know.
ing that it was the will of the Senate
and of the nation that Mr.. Stanton
should remain at the head of the Wal
Department. He had vainly sought tt
induce General Grant to be a narty in
thwarting the will of the Senate by
preventing the return of Mr.. Stantoy
+ to his office. He had failed to persuade
Lieutenant General Sherman to ai(
1 him il removing Mr Stanton from his
office. He then took Adjutant Genera
Thomas, through whom all communi-
cations must be made to the army, anl
| made him Secretary of War. The law
requires all communications to the
army to go through General Grant
| Night it not haYe been done by pla.
1 cling Thomas in the War Department
while holding the Office of Adjutant
General? The purpose of the Presi-
dent was to have the means Of con,iuu-
Enication with the army under his con
troi, and substantially to set aside the
| law requiring such communications te
go through the General Of the army
] In support of the acts Of the President
claims are made and powers asserted
| by the President, hostile to the spirit
and genius of our institutions, to the
security of public liberty. The acquit
tai OF the President will give the sane
ton OF the Senate to the menstrous
| powers assumed and claimed by the
! President, and will. in my Judgment
| Increase the lawlessness, disorder and
/ outrage now SO prevalent in the States
lately in rebellion. HIS conviction and
removal from Office will rebuke law
/ lessness, disorder and crime, and in
I spire hcpe and courage among loyal
and law-ahiding men. / cannot con-
template without anxiety the falal eff
/ fects, the sufferin. and sorrow tina;
I mn # RON tfrl nf f1,n Dpo
| ident. Conscious of the responsible
ties that rest upon me, shall unhesi-
tatingly vote for the conviction of the
! President, for his removal from office
and for his disqualification from here
after holding any office.