The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1876-03-02
The Impeachment of Ames n
% IDubI1c N~cCessIty.

construction began in the Southern
States, has any subject presented It.
self of more vital interest to the pub
lie mind in Mississippi than that of
the impeachment of Adelbert Ames,
the chance Governor of the State.
AS q matter of public policy, its pio-
prietv seems, at first blush, apparent
to all; aud when we see the modest
diffidence willr which some Of our
Democratic journals approach the
subject, the candid mind naturally
calls In review the conduct Of this
military adyenturcr sine, his first ex-
erci,e of a controlling authority here,
distinguished him as a heartless par
tisan tyrant-devoid Of brains, as he
is Of every instinct Of humanity ; and
made him the object of fear aud
hatred to all the law and order loving
people in the land. His course, from
the beginning Of his authority in the
State, to the present time, presents an
array of blunders, of usurpations and
Of arbitrary assumption of authority,
which, even to a casual and disinter-
ested observer, manifest his u%nfitness
TO-. the Governorship Of an enlighten-
ed people. AS Military Governor,
he continually violated the law from
which he derived his authority, by
the appointment to offices of trust and
profit, his camp followers (adven-
turers like HIMSELF without ali effort
to protect the public interest by re-
quiring bond and security for the
(aithful performance Of their official
duties; his military order being their
only imminent Of official authority,
armed with which they proceeded to
assume the duties Of the most lucra-
tive offices in the State Government,
and to rob and plumber a people dis
armed Of the power of resistance,
without the fear Of punishment or
official accountability. AS United
States Senator, by grace of his own
certificate of election, he has, without
blush and without shame, slandcred
and traduced the people he pretended
to represent.
AS Governor, he has instigated riot
aud bloodshed, and disclosed a settled
purpose to precipitate a var Of races
between the white and black citizens
of the State; he has openly attempted
to corrupt the judiciary by repeated
abuses of the appointing power, and
all assumption of the right to remove
from office, judges, whose opinions
failed to conform to his will; he has
suggested 10, and iuf1ucnced,..a parti-
san Legislature to enact useless and
burthensome laws, manifestiy to fur
ther his own selfish ends, and to have
himself returned TO the United States
Senate; he has put into practical OPP
Grafton a sentiment that is manifest
in all carpet-bag governments in the
Soutll-that offices Of trust and profit
are subjects of barter and sale, and
may be disposed Of in the market to-
gether with the wares Of the mechan-
10 or the produce OF the agriculturist.
And, as if to a~ss~avata this list Of
enormitics aud bid defiance to a peo-
pie whom he has learned to regard
as conquered subjects, not having the
power or the spirit to resist his usur-
pations and abuses of authority, he
launts in the face Of the people, un-
der the pretext Of "advising the
Legislature of the State OF the Gov
ernment," his "messsge;"a scurrilous
and contemplate resume Of loyal
league ISLANDERS, reeking in all the bit
%ternes. of partisan disappointment
and hate. and laden with every spe-
cies Of falschood his fruitful imagina-
ton could invent.
Will it be said that these crimes or
blunders -tmproprieties, ifyou please
ARE the o%utgrowth of incompetent.
cy? or corruption? We are willing
to allow him either horn of the d.
lemma. If they are shown to be the
fruits of corruption, it would be diff
cult to find him an advocate; and if
not corruption, then weakness and
fmbccili.y only can account for his
d%isgraceful and arbitrary conduct.
Let either of these causes be as
sumed as the source OF this continu-
Gus and unbroken stream of official
pollution, and impeachment. and re-
moval from Office, is the only ade-
quate remedy for the evil.