The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-04-23
G. Herr os, the Es.s peach
I.Eeg1t 'a'Eias.

OrD!hetss G.. E2err os. the Rs:s peacEa-
EIeElt 'Vria..
From the Sunday Mercury
But what is that procession that mine
eyes behold entering upon the stage
TIE sERGEAEr-AT-AKNs,
proclaiming that impeachment is about to
begin. Followed by the
cnILF JUSTICE,
asking himself the great question, " Am I
am I, or am I not an ="
After whom came
a BLACKSMITH,
10 rivet the attention of the audience ="
CARPENTER,
to erect scaffolds for those disposed to hang
upon the speakers words; )"
A GARDENER,
TO attend such as may be vitlered by
his inyectige; )"
MEN WITH HOSE,
% extinguish parties " fred by his elo-
quence.'
Succeeded b. The following
MANAGERS:
Th2ddeus Stevens, Thaddeas Bingham,
Thaddeus Boutwell,, Thadieus Bntlcr,
Thaddeus Logan, Thaddeus Williams
Thaddeus Wilson, Senator'S, Cou1scl, Wit
nesses, etc.
This procession having come fully into
view, Thaddeus Butler stepped forth to de-
liver the prologue Of the piece, which he
gave in the form Of an argument:
ALr. President and Gentlemen Of tas Sn-
ote:
The onerous duty has fallen to my for
tune to present to you, impertectly as |
must, the several absences Of facts and law
by virtue of which the house ofrcpresent-
ativcs will endeavor to sustain the cause Of
the people against the president of the U.
1 >, now pending at your bar. The dificul-
ty Of defining said people," the unprece-
dcnted novelty Of said " cause" the per-
feet gravity with which we are trying to
10 it all, and the evident propriety Of
holding out some idea that the questions
to be submitted to your adjudication have
just occurred to us, each and all must be my
excuse for giving yon as much speech as
human patience can endure.
"Now, for the first time in the history of
the world, has nation brought its chief
magistrate to grief, BY high legal process.
for administering the powers and duties Of
| his high Office in manner somewhat disa-
greeab!e to the feelings OF those who cx-
| prossiy desired him TO do otherwise. In
other times and lands, it has been found
that despotism Of this kind could never be
brought to trial in courts, save upon re-
ioinder Of the defendant to recover costs
and damages for frivolous prosecution,
and, in the absence of assassination, con-
stitutional nations were obliged to endure
rulers who had been pronounced mad or
iubeciio b many whom those rulers had
bindly neglected to appoint to high and
rcmuneratiye Offices. Only recently one
Of the most civilized countries in the world
and the one whom we initiate and abuse
the most, was obliged to submit for years
TO the rule of king currently believed to
! be inslne by every great man whom he
had ever failed to make prime minister !;
and this because nobody could hit upon
any particular reason for his removal.
Our fathers were wise 10 founding cur
government, and provided constitutionally
that president shall be removed Gu con-
yciion Of treason, bribery or other high
crimes and misdemcanors The provision
is exact and comprehensive III every par
ticular save one. 1t covers the whole
ground Of impeachment gave the speciica-
tons of just what disagreeable man can
be impeached for. This was wisely done,
! because human foresight must have been
inadequate, and the most ingenious human
Intelligence must have failed in the task
of anticipating anything ike the fine
point to which modern intellect has brought
ihe act of impeaching.
It may not be unamusing to remember
/ that the trainers Of ihe constitution had
their minds improved. and their pride of
human calculations humbled, while at their
noble work. by an exemplary case. In the
previous year, only, Thaddeus Burke from
his place in the house Of commons. in Eng
land, had impeached Thaddeus Hastings
log the misiemeanOr Of governing India in
such a manner to absolutely render sol
diers an1 politicians unnecessary there.
The mails we're continually bringing the
gorgeous and burning speeches o! the i'm.
peachers across the Atlantic and the
great stress laid IN these upon the above
facts, and upon the additional unhcard OF
enormity Of Hastings not having made 4
fortune by his government, 20 worked up.
on the iniellects Of our fathers, that they
at once gave up all earthly hope of antic-
pating what man might be impeached
for next, and left the document open for
modern Improvement.
Now, therefore, we have the question
What are modern impeachabe oiferses
To quote from the learned Judiciary labors
of my able friend, the Hon. Thaddeu.
lawrence, of Ohio, We define an impeach-
aole high crime and misdemeanor to be an
act committed or omitted, ia violation Of
the constitution, or in obedience thereto
and thus may exist without violation o.
any positive law or essential principle o
government, yet be esteemed otherwise by
those who from anv motive or nurnose