The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-09-30
attempt on the part of the president to re-


illegal both committed by military force, ac-
tual or menaced-thc fort and the depart
ment each held by an armed band against
the lawful authority of the United States.
l2th-The president appointed one of the
officers of the department to take charge of
it PRO TEMPoRR. This fact was charged in
one of the articles of impeachment as high
misdemeanOr, and the republican senators
all, except seven, including those who de-
clared ard voted that the president had full
power to remove, voted this attempt to take
care of the department, its seal, its cores
pondcnce, and its archives, during the two
days of inevitable vacancy, a high misde-
meanor. 1t was not a trivial offence, this
attempt TO take care of the executive Office,
but high misdemeanor for which he ought
to be removed from office, and give place
to the man who had told the intruler to
''stick." This vote was given under the
solemnities of an oath to do impartial justice
The like is not to be found in any tribunal
anywhere, certainly not in our own or in
English history. Strafford was impeached
by the house of commons at time when
party spirit ran highest and widest IN Eng
land, but they failed to prove him guilty of
any crime known TO the laws. This heing
settled, they knew conviction impossible, as
the peers, in entering on the trial, pledge
their honor that they will do no impartial
justice. The articles of impeachment were,
therefore Withdrawn, and bill of attainder
substituted, which, as it involved no oath
and no pledge of honor, was readily pass
cd.
13th-The pretence of right to interfere
with the local government of the states is a
miserable sophism, resting on a false "a
sumption. II is not true, as is assumed,
that any one of these states, when interfer-
ed with by congress, had not republican
form of government. The forms were va
rious, but all republican, like the constitu-
lions Of the original states at the time they
adopted this guaramtee-and Congrcs,
when they interfered, under the pretense of
executing this guarantee destroyed the actiI-
al republican form, and imposed on the
states IN its stead a military despotisr. 1t
were idle to assert the contaTy-that cYents
are recent-they occurred in the presence of
us all, and stand for the information of pres
ent and future ages, recorded in our annals.
14th-It is strange 10 hear it pretended by
intelligent men in the presence of a thinking
reasoning public, that the placing of ten
states under absolute military rule is le-
gitimate carrying out of the constitutional
provision which requires the United States
10 guarantee 10 each state a republican
form of government. The appeal to the
guarante was simply false pretense; the
object un nmistakably was, not to secure to
these states republican forms of govern
ment, but government in form and fact
that would secure their seventy votes to
continue the republican party in power.
15th-When the impeachment failed, the
committee of the house appointed to con-
duct it was not discharged, but continued
TO sit, under the guidance of Gen. Butler,
who had been from the first its actual nomi-
nal head. The continuance of the investi-
CATION was founded on nothing, and tended
to nothing, except party spite and party
calumny
16th-The constitution declares that 'Eno
bill of attainder or Ex POST FACro law shall
be passed, F" whereupon, as if the hint were
taken from the clause, the last congress, at
their last session, passed an Rx POST FACro
law, attaining a class of our citizens, and
depriving them of citizenship-an unworthy
class, tits true-men who had violated their
oath to support the constitution, and with it
their oath to render military service. These
men were probably ''acting outside the con-
stitution;" perhaps they had been 'taught
by the war" Still they deserved punish
ment, and were amenable to it under the ar
ticles of war. 1t was, therefore, of mere
choice, not necessity that this double injunc-
ton of the constitution was violated.
18th But this abuse of power was
not suffered to remain a barren fact
it was made to bear fruit. One of
these attainted men happened to be
one Of the three judges of election for
| congress in one of the townships in
| the Muskingum district, which gave
= large majority to the democratic
candidate. The present congress, un-
| der the pretense that this law, donbly
uncOnstitutional,w was binding, disfran-
! chised for thaa election all the voters
of the township, removed General
! Morgan, whom the people elected, and
/ appointed Mr.. Delano, whom they
did not elect, in his place. The case
of Jack wilkes and Lutrel, though
an outrage which set all England in a
blaze, was fair play compared with
this. Wilkes had been expelled from
the house of commons, and was there
fore declared ineligible, Lutrel was
not elected; the rejection Of Wilkes
was eXcuSable, the appointment OF
Lutrel was the wrong. But in this
case there is no particle of excuse.
18th Two other cases occurred near
the close of the session, not equal in
atrocity to this, for they were, as far
as disclosed, simple acts of arbitrary
power, unmixed with fraud, or false
pretense. One from Missouri, elected
by about one thousand majority, one
from Kentucky, by about one thou
sand four hundred We're removed by
vote of the house, because they
were not acceptable to the party and
men who were not elected but who
were acceptable, were appointed in
their place. A late election in Ken
lucky shows how acts like these, the
r mere wantOnness and insolence OF
unrestricted power, are estimated by
the people.
I9th--Senator Morton is correct in
asserting that intelligent men of The
south are not fOndiy attached to the
! adventures whom congress has SEN
at heavy public expense, to rule Owe
, them, act rs spies upon them, falsely
l report them to the northern public
t and finally misrepresent them in con
, greSS. a very recent example is wOr
! thy of note. The governor of Louisi
!, ana, greatly in want of military fore,
l to control the coming election, and
f not that. at least Enfield rifles to 81 n
{ a negro militia of loyal leagues L
keep suspected voters from the polls
reported a condition ofperfect anarchy
1 with more thai one hundred and fort!
4 murders in brief space of time. Thi
8 seemed serious the freedmen's bu
I reau were ordered to inquire and re