The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-12-08

parchment is designed to be in the nature
of civil investigation, not of a criminal
prosecution. In declaring that judg-
ment in cases of impeachment shall not
extend further than to removal from, and
| disqualification to hold Office, the consti-
/ tuition makes a distinction between such
misdemeanors as would authorize a re-
moval and disqualification, and such as
are criminal in the courts of law. If an
offense to he impeachable, must necessa-
rally be indictable, for what use is the
provision for impeachment inserted in the
constitution? It would have been more
easily provided that conviction in the
courts, on an indictment for a criminal
offence should have been sufficient to re-
move any civil officer of the State from
Office. If there is no difference, the ex-
pensive and tedious process of impeach-
ment and trial would not have been
provided. A Governor might do thou
sand things for which he would deserve
removal, that would not be indictable of
| lenses. The constitution confers On him
the pardoning power, and he might, in
a fit of compassion, without faint of
corruption in his motive, swing the gates
of the Penitentiary wide open, and turn
every convict loose upon society, andyet,
his act would not be the subject Of
criminal prosecution. Does our contem-
porary mean TO say that for this abuse of
power, his conduct, though not indict-
able, would not be improbable !?
Again, suppose the Governor, in the ex-
ercise of his prerogative to veto bills,
were to use the power Unfortunately to
defeat all measures of legislation, without
regard to the absolute necessities of the
! State, the abuse of constitutional power
would not "subiect him to a criminal
prosecution" but does the South mean to
be understood as assuming that his con-
duct would not be Improbable ? The
inconsistency of the position of the South,
with reason, is palpable. If the doc
trine it advocates be sound, the provision
of the constitution on the subject of i'm
parchment is mere bagatelle, and there
is no remedy for abuse of power and fla
grant violations Of the constitution by the
Executive, and the clause for an inquest
into the conduct of civil officers might
as well have been omitted.
| The South trifes with great question
in interposing the bugbear of Northern
| indignation between the lawless acts of
the Governor and the punishment they
deserve. We do not agree with it that
the North will permit itself to be lashed
into fury because a political adven-
turer after rioting in his ill-gained pow
er, and abusing his official trusts, is at
last overtaken by his crimes and turned
out of office He is already snubbed and
discredited by the Grant Administration,
which represents the Republican party,
and we know that nothing short of his
expulsion is looked for by the Democratic
and Independent parties of that section.
But, pray, when is Mississippi to get out
of the Ieading-strings and to be consider
ed, in the estimation Of her own people,
entitled to the management of her own
affairs? We think it i'll COMFORTS with
her self-respect, as we know it does with
her position as one of the co-equal States
in the Union, to be everlastingly perplex-
ing her councils with the inquiry, "what
will the North think"
We cannot see that any lesson for our
guidance in this matter of Gov. Ames is
to be drawn from the case of Andrew
Johnston cited by the South. He was
| impeached for upholding the constitution
and laws If Ames is impeached, it will
be for trampling them underfoot. Nor
does it follow that proceedings against
the latter will fail because they failed in
| the case of the former. Johnston had
Justice on his side; Ames has not.
johnson was Republican President on
trial before Republican Senate. Ames
is Radical Governor, who will be on
trial before a Democratic Senate; and
therefore no ayprehensions need be felt
| that partisan influences will shield him
from the penalty of his crimes. 1t Is idle
for the South to say that these proceed
ings ''cannot be carried on as a party
measure" They cannot be carried on
in any other way. If AInes were i'm
peachable for a thousand crimes against
the constitution and laws, proceedings
would not be be instituted unless the
Democratic party did it, The Republi-
can leaders never would, because he is
one of the ring whose ramifcations extend
throughout all the ofice-holding fraterni-
ty. 1t is no time for sentimentalism.
Practical work is needed. The Demo
cratic and other opposers of Radical mis-
rule ''carried" the election, and if the
full benefits of the victory are to be real
ised, they will have to arraign Gov. Ames
and the other Radical ofice-holders who
have abused their trusts, and visit upon
them the consequences of their crimes,
as "a party measure" There is no
other way under Heaven by which it can
be done. Our word for it, the Radicals
will neither move nor participate in the
matter. nor agree to verdict in accord
ance with the testimony against their own |
clan though one were to rise from the
dead. The Democratic party must be
true to its mission, and carry the victory |
it has won toits logicalresults. If it is the
party of law, it must vindicate the law.