The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1868-03-05
IMPEACHMENT.
CLOSING DEBATE IN THE
HOUSE.
Seven Hours Orspeech-Maltng.

4 l. LAO ACDAeO We-o Y lJOACA " 0AAs AADD
Icy, of Ohio, who, in the course of hi
remarks, said the House was nov
brought face to face, with man who
was recognized as an enemy Of The
Government, and as strong ally anC
friend to the lost cause-a man whos'
public and private acts had beer
marked by violations Of law. Dart
the House longer shrink from the ex
ercise of its power in rescuing tht
Government from the usurper; anC
thus proclaiming that the Govern
ment was one Of constitutions
laws and not of usurped powers?
When two months ago the House
voted down impeachment, he had en-
| eOuraged loyal men to keep theiI
hearts, and that time would vindicate
them. He did not now exult in that
vindication. He had much rather
that the acts of the accidental Presi-
dent would fall to the ground, or that
he had so administered the Govern
ment as to bring it back to the paths
Of peace, union and prosperity.
The impeachment of this man was
necessary, if not for the Union, at least
to teach a lesson to future Presidents
and to vindicate the matchless Con-
stitution of,the country.
Mr.. Cook being allowed one min
ute remaining unexpired from Ash
ley's time, declared that in voting for
the resolution of impeachment he
held that not only had the Ten
ure-ofofice Law been violated by
the President, but if that law had
not been in existence the President
had exercised a power entirely un-
warranted by the Constitution and
laws of the United States.
Mr.. Boyer addressed the House in
opposition to the resolution, and con-
tended that even though the Tenure
of-office law were constitutional, there
was no violation of it, either in letter
or spirit, in the removal of Mr.. Stan
ton. Mr.. Stanton was an appOintee
of Abraham Lincoln, and if the act
had been in existence one month af-
ter the termination of Mr.. LincOln'E
administration, his functions as Sec
retary of War would have. ceased by
the very terms of the act, and he had
ever since continued in office
simply at the pleasure of the Presi-
dent. He defiod any gentleman on
fhe other side to point out any pro-
vision in the Tenure of-ofice Law
which had been violated by the Pres
ident. If any person had violated
the law in this matter, it was Edwin
NJ. Stanton himself, who was holding
on to the Office after his term had ex-
pired.
Mr.. Kelsey addressed the House in
support of the resolution, arguing as
a question of law that the President
should be impeached.
In reference to the warning and
menace contained in Mr.. Brooks
speech on Saturday, in case an at
tempt should be made to suspend the
President, pending impeachment, he
claimed that when impeachment was
for an indictable act, it was the same
as a criminal proceeding, and the
court having jurisdiction Of the of
fence must necessarily have jurisdic-
ton of the person Of the criminal, and
have full control of his movements !;
the criminal, as a matter course, had
no power to perform his functions.
Mr. Cake supported the resolution
of impeachment, and believed the
public mind was ready for the event,
To trife longer with the question was
to trife with the just demand of the
loyal men of the nation. Around
Edwin NJ. Stanton were gathered the
sympathies of the people.
Mr.. Berman followed on the same
side, but yielding one minute to Mr..
Price, who said for two long years
the people in Congress and the peo-
pie out of Congress had been keeping
watch and ward at the portals of lib
erty, and that Andrew Johnson with
"a recklessness peculiar to himself,
was rushing madly and furiOusly "on
to his fate"
Mr.. Blain said the House was
about to act under the plain authority
Of the Constitution. There was no
question of law involved in the mat
ter at all. The President had openly
and plainly violated the law, thrown
down the gauntlet, and dared Con-
gress to the issue. Congress must
accept the challenge and must meet
the issue.
Mr.. briggs said if the whole Demo
cratic party, and every other party,
were clamoring at the doors of Con
gress, and seeking vengeance against
every man who supported the i'm
peachment resolution, he trusted
there was not a member present who
would not vote for it, on conviction,
without regard to any threats.
Mr. Washburne, ofIllinois, declared
he should vote for the resolution be-
fore the House, acting with the ma
iority of the Republican members
He bad not hitherto favored impeach-
ment against the President, not be-
cause he did not believe him morally
guilty of impeaehable offences; not be-
cause he did not execrate his admin
istration, but because he felt that in
the case as heretofore presented,
there might be a doubt of his convic-
ton. Rather than branch out on a
doubtful experiment, he had been dis
posed to hush impeachment, hoping
that the President,w warned ofthe pow
er of the House, and indebted to its for
bearance, would so conduct himself
as to avoid the necessity Of resorting
to the extreme remedy provided by
the Constitution. But all such hopes
had been disappointed. Every act of
forbearance had been but fresh in
vitation to further and more fagrant
aggression, until at last he had flung
himself against the very bulwarks of
the Constitution, defying the laws
and overriding the coordinate