Year: 1867

Radical Objections TO Impeachment


We copy from the Philadelphia EVenihg
Telegraph, q genuine Radical journal, the
article below upon the subject Of impeach-
ment 1t is worthy Of perusal for its polite
argument against impeachment and its
candid confessions:


We are inclined TO oppose the further
prosecution OF the steps now being taken to
secure the impeachment Of the President Of
the United States, for the following reasons :


l, The success Of the impeachment is
United States when sitting in judgment,
Is under oath Every member Is perform
ing not partisan but q Judicial duty; and
the very fact that so many OF them are known
political opponents OF the President would
tend TO make them act with even more fair
ness than II they were not liubie to the i'm
putation Of being governed by passion rather
than duty. Should the Senate by any action
fail to sustain the charges Of the House.
there can be no doubt but that the fabric Of
the Republican party would totter to Its
foundation. Why, then, subject ourselves
to such riskf .L.F-..r I'D. ..a-- -.ar


2. II the Senate should find Andrew John.
son guilty Of all the charges preferred, and
remove him, ii would at once make him, in
the eyes OF many, q martyr. The Republican
party would at once lay itself open to the
charge Of having been unjust and the fact
that II had such an immense superiority Of
numbers in both Houses would make such
a complaint appear in the eyes OF many at
least plausible, Foreign powers would also
view the matter in the light Of persecution.


3. II the Senate proceed TO trial there is
every ground for supposing that the length Of
time employed will be such as to leave but
little TO be gained by conviction. Hastings
with every inducement for speed on the
part Of his prosecutors-secured q contin-
uance Of his trial for seven years. Cannot
Andrew johnson prolong his through two
But" say some, "the Republicans have the
power, and can hasten matters" They can,
indeed; but they dare not. The fact that
they have the power will compel them to
give the accused every chancej and should
they hasten, it will be qualification Of par
tisanship at the expense OF power. 1t would
require but a feeble opposition to prolong
the trial for two years. Meanwhile the
House must continue in perpetual session,
and great inconvenience be the result, to say
nothing Of the dangerous excitement and ex-
pense.


4. five escape all the preparatory dangers,
and conviction is secured, ichdt good iOill
result? We 1iH haze lost grand basis on
tChich TO 90 through the ne1t Presidential
campaign. We will have failed to profit by
the lesson Of last year, when we conquered
the enemy by selecting our own base-the
constitutional amendment-and presenting
it for adoption, SO that we might fight on
that line before the people.


8. Should the Senate, by sufficient haste,
get through with the case by fall, we would
be obliged TO have another election for Pre-.
sident and yice-President The country
would be thrown into state OF feverish ex.
citement, and all the expense, danger, and
evils too numerous TO be mentioned, of q
Presidential campaign would be endured,
not only in 1867, but also in 1868. The in.
terval would be, Of course, employed in po-
litical excitement. Legitimate business
would be abandoned, and the foundation OF
our Government, always weakened by the
everrecurring election, uould positively be
endangered by the excitement and passion
incident upon two contests between two
nearly evenly matched political parties. The
detriment to the morality as well as to the
finances Of the people would not be repaid
by success.


6. The long doubt attendant on the i'm.
parchment OF the President would have an
injurious effect on trade Of all kinds. There
can be no doubt that the present uncertainty
in politics is operating against commerce.
Politics have close connection with trade
under any circumstances, especially so when
the system OF finances is dependent on the
party which is in power. Long continued
political agitation would expose the business
interests, and have tendency to yet further
depress mercantile trade.


For these reasons, we entertain grave
doubts as to the policy Of pressing an i'm
parchment. The question to be settled Il
merely one Of policy. The Constitution, by
prescribing no punishment upon conviction
but removal from Office, shows that tn,
o6ense is merely vietUed in political poin
Of uietU. The question, therefore, is whethe
the continuance Of the present evils would o.
would not be less harmful 10 the countr,
than the removal Of the Executive Th,
question is one for Congress to settle. Will
it rests the responsibility, and we do but per
form our duty as journalists in reciting thes,
palpable objections II, however, Congress
deems it sound policy to proceed, we cannot
but believe that it has grounds for il action


We hope, ho,eeveT, that he judiciary Con.
Daittee UiR Let The matter drop. They hay.
not gone too far 10 make . cessation u pros
ecution appear like surrender.


We cannot tell what dangers We may b
subjecting the country to BY prosecuting th'