Year: 1868

Impeachment of the President has Deen since
the beginning of the Government power
which Congress was more than once tempted
TO use but from which it shrank. The thunder
bolt was ever within its reach, but was too terri
bic to lightly grasp. Never was the temptation
greater than in the past two years. Twice
Congress seized it with fiery Indignation twice
it reluctantly relinquished it, The third time
if was Andrew johnson who thrust the weapon
into the hand of Congress, uplifted its arm, ana
cOmpelled it to strike. He had found the ma
ton his friend he made it his enemy, and has
finally forced it to become his judge. If tho
terrors and dangers Of impeachment, which the
people feared, are realities, and not shadows,
il is not Congress that has brought them upon
us. If there are new troubles to arise out of
this question, it is the President who is to be
held responsible. Congress did not carry inn
peachment to the doors of the White House;
it was the President who advanced to the
Capitol. proclaimed that he had trampled on
the laws, and delivered to the Senate the writ
ten testament of his guilt, signed and scaled
by himself.


Nothing was more dreaded by the Republican
party than this measure, which, as the history
of its legislation attests, it labored to avoid.
When Mr. Ashley, one year ago, first impeached


Andrew johnson in the House of Representa-
tives, Congress indirectly admitted that the


charges preferred were true, but as time passed


on, concluded that the necessity of acting upon
them did not exist. The President could be
Justly impeached, but the right to do so did
not in its opinion constitute an obligation.
Hence, for the sake of peace, in the fear that
greater troubles might attend the extraordinary
removal of Mr. johnson than those which the
country suffered from his Administration, such
men as Wilson, Banks, Bingham, Washburne,
voted, in December last against the lmpeach-
ment resolution. Fear Of the President we
believe there was none. But there was
not unfounded anxiety that gold might
suddenly rise, prices throughout the whole
country be changed, business be disorganized,
and the reconstruction of the South be de-
layed. So the Republican party. though this
man was their bitterest enemy, though he
had denounced Congress as body of traitors,
though he was nOtoriously a law-breaker,
shielded him from the punishment he had pro-
vOked. Greater proof of its magnanimity and
moderation there could not be. For the sake
of the peace of the country it consented to be
accused of cOwardce, and, with the power and
right to place q Republican at the head of the
Government, permitted renegade to remain
in the high Office to which assassination had
raised him. Whether this was the wiser course
let the future decide it is enough now to
know that it was sincere and patriotic. Con-
gress, in not impeaching Andrew johnson De-
cember the 9th, and February the 12th, did
what, in its sober judgment, was best for the
interests of the people of the United States
Republicans Democrats, and Rebels


But now the act is done. The President
commanded Congress to impeacb him, and
Congress has Obeyed. We have seized the
nettle danger in the faith that we shall pluck
out of it the flower safety. Who that recalls
the two years past can believe that any evil
that results from an act of justice will equal
the evils that sprung from the mercy and
generosity the President abused9 lie has
been the greatest of all obstacles to peace
He set up his will against that of the people
of whom he is the servant, and attempted to
place the theories upon which the Rebellion
was fought above the principles upon which
the Union was maintained. The Rebellion lived
again in his yetoes of the acts Of Congress
and his denial of its constitutional authority.
Inspired by him, Rebels made laws for loyal
men, and sought to make emancipation a mere
name, by creating q new system of serfdOm.
He permitted the massacre in w-0rleans,
and protected the murderers in Texas. Every
where Andrew johnson was in the path of tue
loyal nation, resisting its advance. Ho was
multiplied throughout the Rebel States turn
where we would, there was an Andrew john
son fighting, fighting, fighting, against loyalty
and order. Peace! There was no hope of
peace while he insisted upon war. Every for
ward step of Congress was gained by des-
perate struggle with him, and when we thought
we had conquered the citadel. behold there
was another Rebel line before us. The Prcsi-