The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1868-03-20


volved upon the judicial and Exec
utive departments by the Constitu
tion. 1t il true they assert tha
tho President is to BE- impeacbe'
for violating law Of congress, ys
it cannot be denied they are usin!
every method in their power to pre-
vent this question being brOugh
before the courts, as we'll as attempt
ing to preclude a hearing before tn
people. The majority seem to for
get that the previous question
will not cut of debate there: thai
they are now on trial before the
sovereigns; that the people have
the right to near, try and determine
the questions at issue. a. ~. 81
For Andrew johnson the democ.
racy care not one fig. He is not
the President Of their choice. and
has not appointed any Of their
pomincnt men to Office, neither has
he adopted the measures they would
have adopted and carried out in ad-
minissering the government. His
policy has at times simply been less
flagrantly in violation of the consti-
tuition than theirs; and because he
has been less open in his schemes to
revolutionizc the government than
have they, has be had = QUASI sup
port Of the party. 7"
Besides this it is peculiarly the
province Of the democratic party,
AMI ever has been, to uphold the
constitution whether one man or an
othsr is indirectly or directly as
sailed in its violation. There is no
doubt of Johnson's criminality, and
that bc justly deserves punishment,
yet the difficulty between him and
Congress is that his crimes nave not
been rs great as theirs. That body
merits punishment not for what it
has not done in the business of re-
construction, but for its criminal
violations Of the constitution; be-
cause it has insisted upon recon-
struction, when all it could legiti.
mately accomplish was restoration.
1t is no mans duty to defend John
son. yet when he is sought to be
made the object Of . violation Of the
constitution, every man is interest
cd; for when that instrument may
be invaded to wrest from one man
his rights, in like manner may eve
ry other mans DO affected. .....
j.. Kennedy the infamous accomplish
of Baker, the detective thief, con-
victcd perjurer, and suborner Of
witnesses, has immortalised his in
famous character by discovering a
Guy Fswkes plot to destroy both
Houses Of congress. His ssgao-
ity ~ detective, enabled him to
discover the absence Of . few gal
Ions of Nitro-Glycerine. from New
York, that. as it now appears. was
never in the United States. Such
shrewdncss cannot be too highly re-.
warded, and as mark Of confids nee
aud esteem for such distinguished
services, Congress ought to present
him with pair Of leather goggles,
and ma ke him 4 psnsioncr on the
private purses Of the members of
that body during the term Of his
life.
The heavy body Of snow of which
| wrote you last week, nearly disap-
pearea on Friday and to-day, going
Of with . rain. The streams are
two feet higher than they we're three
years ago, when going of in a SINH
lar manner, nearly every bridge in
this section was swept away. Il
shall 60 to jamestown on Monday
and if the railroad bridges on the
Atlantic and Great Western road
near Mcadville, stand the tide, We
shall start for home the day follow
-