The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-03-21

r,Dint he had been reinstated, bis point IN the
Contest eained. and the law and authority OF
Congress fairly indicated. Nothing further could
he accomplished by his retaining the Office, except
u involve the President and his Cahinet. in deeper
complications and the whole country in the bit
terest ~partizan warfare imaginable. Had he
retired voluntarily, Gen. Grant would have re-
suIaed his duties as head of the War Department,
ad interim, his commission not having been re-
voked, but being still in full force, and be might
have beldit perhaps till March 4th, 1869, when
( the Presidents term or Office legally expires
Had Stanton retired, the President could not
have appointed any other person to the War De
partnent, as the Senate clearly Possesses the key
u his acts in this respect, and Gen. Grant being
the acknowledged head, neither Gen. Thomas or
any one else obnoxious to the Senate could have
taken possession, without its approval, NO more
than when Stanton had possession. g.
Now the case is changed, and the President
having, on the Dist Of February. undertaken to
carry out his purpose in defiance of the will of
Congress, and probably having intended to do so
by force, If necessary. though this rs nuthorita-
lively denied, Congress has ample grounds for
Impeachment. Resolutions to this effect, which
will be four ! in another column, were prepared
on the 18th Of February, and adopted by n very
strong vote of l26 against a. IL will be seen
that the ten charges refer wholly to the Stanton
case, occurring en- the 2lst and 22d of February.
An additional article was presented by General
Butler, relating to some of the Presidents IAN
guage used in his famous "a swinging round the
circle - tour in 1866.
If convicted of misdemeanOr, il will be on the
attempted removal Of Stanton in violation of the
tenor of Office law, ~ none of his official acts prior
to that were so Illegally gross as to sustain any
charges Of impeachment.
The United States Senate, consisting of 80
members, is the tribunal before which the Presi-
dent il to be tried. II resolves itself into a Court
of Impeachment, and during its session is presided
over by Chef Justice Chase. The President is
summoned to appear IT the bar and hear the
charges, evidence and arguments. But we believe
It has been decided, he cannot be suspended from
his Office during the trial. In other words, until
found guilty Of the charges he will act rs Presi-
dent. There was an attempt made, early in this
session, to enact a law declaring the President to
be suspended from Office, in case of his being i'm
peached. The law, from some cause, was not
passed.
The trial was to have begun on the 9th of
S4iAcur Oh WHICH 0is EtSIdtAL Ouii,O nouEd
be summoned before the Senate. Our advices are
only to the 9Th, so that we have yet to learn what
course he decided to pursue; whether to appear
in person, or by proxy or he may decide to resign
his Office and escape the odium of trial.
In this event, or in case he is found guilty, the
Vice President of the United States, b. f. Wade,
Of Ohio, becomes President for the remainder of
the term. Mr.. Wade is the presiding-oifcer
of the Senate, and one of the most reliable of the
Republican party, n man of much experience,
with good judgment and self possession. We see
his name mentioned as u candidate for the Vice
Presidency in connection with Gen. Grant g
Had President johnson been able to persuade
any General to come forward 10 his assistance, Inc
would not have hesitated to call out the military.
But in this he will find himself without his host,
and being very unpopular, he will have to quietly
succumb to the will of the people as shown in
Congress, and abide their decree.
An impeachment of the President is an unfor-
tunate national calamity, but it Is not the worst
thing that might happen. In this Stanton affair.
johnson has shown himself worthy of impeach-
ment, and will probably be found guilty. Had
Stanton resigned. probably no event would have
occurred to prevent the President continuing in
Office till the close of his term, and the nation
spared the odIum oil an impeachment TRIAL. libe IL
now removed, foreign nations will see that II mis-
chicyOus president can be put out of Office even more
quietly than a rebellion of one-third Of the States
can be subdued, and without disarranging one of
the wheels of the vast machinery of the Govern
mcnt. And it will prove to the world the supe-
riority Or the Republican form of Government
over q Inonarchical, which compels a people to
endure it's ruler, however untitled lac may be for
his position, as the history of Europe and South
America affords numerous instances.
Can IL Re SO?