The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-12-27
Grounds for Impeachment Of the
President.

the present incumbent of the Presi =
Dental Office would be groundless, moi
because his scan6alols degradation OIL
the Executive Office should not be re.
dressed or arrested, that we recently
discountenanced the mere sensational
ism of a New York journal on a sub
ject so grave. Were a movement in
good faith essayed for the recovery,
for the Chief Magistracy, of its con-
stitutional and traditional dignity, of
which but the vestiges remain, by the
displacement of Grant, rather than by
the Ore promising method of elect
ing a Statesman to succeed him, who
needs more than a suggestion to per-
eeive the manifold accusations, any
one of which under the legal princi-
pie so strenuously denied against An
drew johnson, to be impeachable, the
offence mustsbe analogous to a crime
or n~lisdemeanor at common law, or
by statute, could be established against
the present despicable of
jackson and of Washington
He c~onspired with degraded dema-
gogues. of foreign countries, with
whom no colorado treaty relations
existed, for the use Of the ships, arms,
and the men of tho United States
navy, in furtherance Of schemes of
personal ambition and private plum
der.
He conspired with the same parties
for the spoliation, arrest, mock trial,
Imprisonment, and oppression of Da-
Wis Hatch, an American citizen, and
others, in a foreign country, for COM
m~unicating with the American press.
He instituted wal with a foreign
nation, with which this country was
at perfect amity, in violation not only
of the Constitution, which disables
the President for making war, but of
subsisting treaty stipulations with that
power.
He negotiated with a body of Do
minican usurpers, led by Baez, and
carried into effect q compact between
the two nations, Notwithstanding the
United States, through the rejection of
the proposed treaty by the Senatey had
rendered it criminal for him to do any.
act. under it.
He Incorporated $1,000, 900 in
gold, by paying it over to his profigate
Dominican accomplices in pursuance
of a treaty not yet binding or in any
sense valid, and which was afterwards
actually made null and void.
He violated the statute regulating
the pay and duties of the private
secretary of the President, which Of
fence is aggravated by the establish
ment of a military ring at the Execu-
tive Mansion.
He Violated, as a boon to his own
son. the statute regulating the privi-
lege of leaves of absence of officers of
the army.
He accepted lands, goods, and
money in consideration of appoint
ments to Office, and aggravated the
abuse by h~abitually accepting all man
ner of presents and favors, to the great
of the public service.
He violated, ~conspicuously in the
case of General Sickles, the law which
forbids the holding CT both a civil and
a military Office, by making that OFF,
Ger, without requiring him to resign
his military commission, a diplomatic
representive.
He has illegally suspended the writ
of Aabsas corpus, thereby violating all
the laws on the statute book, in fur
therance of the civil supremacy, and
particularly the act of 1870, providing
punishment for obstructing the pro-
cess of the courts.
Should the question, by becoming
a practical one, deserve hereafter a
critical examination of the acts OF
this President, he would be found SO
frequently in violation of law. statute
or common, as to deserve the epithet
'lawless." On the other hand, if
gross, repeated, and prolonged neglect
of duty, systematic usurpation and
oppression, manifest contempt of the
people, particuhriy in the extraordi-
nary letter of praise accorded Collect
or Murphy, as an express contrast to
tie pubic scorn, and notorious per-
sonal incompetency for apprehending
high civil duties, should enlarge the
scope of accountability, we hardly see
from what source could come an ade-
quate defence of Pr sident Grant,
should hebe a~rraigned before the SEN
ate.-Patriot.