history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第44章

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That　was　in　fact；　and　in　a　large　sense；　the　incentive　to　the　impeachment　movement；　and　it　wasnot　confined　to　a　faction；　but　characterized　the　dominant　portion　of　the　political　party　then　in　the　ascendancy　in　and　out　of　Congress。

In　this　state　of　facts　lay　largely　the　vice　of　the　impeachment　movement；　and　it　illustrated　to　a　startling　degree　the　danger　in　the　departure　from　established　forms　of　judicial　procedure　in　such　cases。

It　became　apparent；　long　before　the　close；　that　it　was　but　little　if　anything　more　than　a　partisan　prosecutionand　that　fact　became　more　generally　and　firmly　fixed；　from　day　to　day；　as　the　trial　approached　conclusion。

In　that　state　of　facts；　again；　and　in　that　sense；　the　impeachment　of　the　President；　was　an　assault　upon　the　principle　of　coordination　that　underlies　our　political　system　and　thus　a　menace　to　our　established　political　forms；　as；　if　successful；　it　would；　logically；　have　been　the　practical　destruction　of　the　Executive　Departmentand；　in　view　of　previous　legislation　out　of　which　the　impeachment　movement　had　to　a　degree　arisen；　and　of　declarations　in　the　House　and　Senate　quoted　in　this　connection；　the　final　and　logical　result　of　conviction　would　have　been　the　absorption　of　the　Executive　functions　of　the　Government　by　the　Legislative　Department；　and　the　consequent　declension　of　that　Department　to　a　mere　bureau　for　the　registration　of　the　decrees　of　the　Legislature。

Conscious　of　the　natural　tendency　to　infringement　by　a　given　Department　of　the　Government　upon　the　functions　of　its　coordinates；　the　framers　of　the　Constitution　wisely　defined　the　respective　spheres　of　the　several　departments；　and　those　definitions　constitute　unmistakable　admonition　to　each　as　to　trespass　by　either　upon　the　political　territory　of　its　coordinates。

As　John　C。　Calhoun　wrote；　in　the　early　days　of　the　Republic：

〃The　Constitution　has　not　only　made　a　general　delegation　of　the　legislative　power　to　one　branch　of　the　Government；　of　the　executive　to　another；　and　of　the　judicial　to　the　third；　but　it　has　specifically　defined　the　general　powers　and　duties　of　each　of　those　departments。　This　is　essential　to　peace　and　safety　in　any　Government；　and　especially　in　one　clothed　only　with　specific　power　for　national　purposes　and　erected　in　the　midst　of　numerous　State　Governments　retaining　exclusive　control　of　their　local　concerns。*　*　*　Were　there　no　power　to　interpret；　pronounce　and　execute　the　law；　the　Government　would　perish　through　its　own　imbecility；　as　was　the　case　with　the　Articles　of　Confederation；　or　other　powers　must　be　assumed　by　the　legislative　body；　to　the　destruction　of　liberty。〃　Again；　as　was　eloquently　and　forcefully　said　by　Daniel　Webster　in　the　U。　S。　Senate　in　1834：

〃The　first　object　of　a　free　people　is　the　preservation　of　their　liberty；　and　liberty　is　only　to　be　preserved　by　maintaining　constitutional　restraints　and　just　division　of　political　power。　Nothing　is　more　deceptive　or　more　dangerous　than　the　pretense　of　a　desire　to　simplify　government。　The　simplest　governments　are　despotisms；　the　next　simplest；　limited　monarchies；　but　all　republics；　all　governments　of　law；　must　impose　numerous　limitations　and　qualifications　of　authority　and　give　many　positive　and　many　qualified　rights。　In　other　words；　they　must　be　subject　to　rule　and　regulation。　This　is　the　very　essence　of　free　political　institutions。　The　spirit　of　liberty　is；　indeed；　a　bold　and　fearless　spirit；　but　it　is　also　a　sharp…sighted　spirit：　it　is　a　cautious；　sagacious；　discriminating；　far…seeing　intelligence；　it　is　jealous　of　encroachment；　jealous　of　power；　jealous　of　man。　It　demands　checks；　it　seeks　for　guards；　it　insists　on　securities；　it　entrenches　itself　behind　strong　defenses；　and　fortifies　itself　with　all　possible　care　against　the　assaults　of　ambition　and　passion。　It　does　not　trust　the　amiable　weaknesses　of　human　nature；　and；　therefore；　it　will　not　permit　power　to　overstep　its　prescribed　limits；　though　benevolence；　good　intent；　and　patriotic　purpose　come　along　with　it。　Neither　does　it　satisfy　itself　with　flashy　and　temporary　resistance　to　illegal　authority。　Far　otherwise。　It　seeks　for　duration　and　permanence；　it　looks　before　and　after；　and；　building　on　the　experience　of　ages　which　are　past；　it　labors　diligently　for　the　benefit　of　ages　to　come。　This　is　the　nature　of　constitutional　liberty；　and　this　is　our　liberty；　if　we　will　rightly　understand　and　preserve　it。　Every　free　government　is　necessarily　complicated；　because　all　such　governments　establish　restraints；　as　well　on　the　power　of　government　itself　as　on　that　of　individuals。　If　we　will　abolish　the　distinction　of　branches；　and　have　but　one　branch；　if　we　will　abolish　jury　trials；　and　leave　all　to　the　judge；　if　we　will　then　ordain　that　the　legislator　shall　himself　be　that　judge；　and　if　we　will　place　the　executive　power　in　the　same　hands；　we　may　readily　simplify　government。　We　may　easily　bring　it　to　the　simplest　of　all　possible　forms；　a　pure　despotism。　But　a　separation　of　departments；　so　far　as　practicable；　and　the　preservation　of　clear　lines　of　division　between　them；　is　the　fundamental　idea　in　the　creation　of　all　our　constitutions；　and；　doubtless；　the　continuance　of　regulated　liberty　depends　on　maintaining　these　boundaries。〃

Each　department　is　supreme　within　its　own　constitutionally　prescribed　limits；　and　the　Supreme　Court　is　made　the　umpire　for　the　definition　of　the　limits　and　the　protection　of　the　rights　of　all。　Neither　Congress；　nor　the　Executive；　are　authorized　to　determine　the　constitutionality　and　therefore　the　validity　of　their　acts；　or　the　limits　of　their　jurisdiction　under　the　Constitution；　but　the　Supreme　Court　is　so　authorized；　and　it　is　the　umpire　before　which　all　differences　in　that　regard　must　be　determined。　It　is　the　tribunal　of　last　resort；　save　the　people　themselves；　before　whom　both　Senate　and　House；　and　the　Executive；　must　bow；　and　its　decision　is　final　in　the　interpretation　of　the　Constitution。

A　due　regard；　therefore；　for　the　interpretation　of　law　and　the　division　of　powers　thus　established；　constitutes　the　great　safeguard　upon　which　the　harmonious　and　successful　operation　of　our　political　system　depends。　On　its　religious　observance　rests；　primarily；　the　preservation　of　our　free　institutions　and　the　perpetuation　of　our　peculiar　system　of　popular　government。　That　quality　of　co…ordinationof　the　equality　of　the　several　Departments　as　adjusted　by　the　Organic　Actconstitutes　the　balance　wheel　of　our　political　system。

The　logical　effect　of　the　doctrines　promulgated　by　the　House　of　Representatives　in　that　regard；　and　re…echoed　on　the　floor　of　the　Senate；　in　the　press　and　on　the　stump　throughout　the　North；　were　therefore　not　only　revolutionary；　but　destructive。　To　have　removed　the　President　upon　accusations　in　reality　based　upon　partisan　and　personalnot　amounting　even　to　substantial　political　differenceswould　have　been　the　establishment　of　a　precedent　of　the　most　dangerous　character。

In　a　large　sense；　the　American　system　of　politics　and　of　government　was　on　trial；　quite　as　much　as　was　Andrew　Johnson。　The　extreme　element　of　American　politics　was　in　absolute　control　in　the　House　of　Representatives；　and　practically　so；　in　the　Senate。　The　impeachment　and　removal　of　the　President　on　unsubstantiated；　or　even　remotely　doubtful　charges；　simply：　because　of　a　disagreement　between　himself　and　Congress　as　to　the　method　of　treating　a　great　public　emergency；　would　have　introduced　a　new　and　destructive　practice　into　our　political　system。

Logically；　the　introduction　of　such　a　practice　on　that　occasion　would　have　been　construed　as　a　precedent　for　the　treatment　of　future　public　emergencies。　Thus；　it　would　have　tended　to　disturb　the　now　perfect　adjustment　of　the　balance　of　powers　between　the　co…ordinate　branches。　That　quality　of　absolute　supremacy　of　the　several　departments　in　their　respective　spheres；　or　functions；　and　of　co…ordination　or　equality　in　their　relations　to　each　other；　established　by　the　Constitution　as　a　guarantee　of　the　perpetuity　of　our　political　system；　would　have　been　endangered；　and　the　result　could　not　have　been　otherwise　than　disaster　in　the　future。

Logically；　the　Presidency　would　in　time　have　been。　degraded　to　the　position　of　a　mere　department　for　the　execution　of　the　decrees　of　the　legislative　branch。　Not　illogically；　the　Supreme　Court　would　have　been　the　next　object　of　attack；　and　the　legislature　have　become；　by　this　unconstitutional　absorption　of　the　powers　of　Government；　the　sole；　controlling　forcein　short　the　Government。

That　would；　in　time；　by　equally　logical　sequence；　have　been　the　natural；　inevitable　resultand　the　end。　The　wreckage　of　the　Great　Republic　of　the　age　would　have　been　strown　upon　the　sands　of　the　political　seashorerelics　of　the　disregard　of　the　checks　and　balances　established　by　the　wisdom　of　its　framers；　in　the　fundamental　lawand　all　for　the　satisfaction　of　personal　ambitions　and　the　hates　of　factional　animosities。

History　affords　too　many　illustrations　of　that　tendency　to　decadence　and　disruption　from　disregard　of　the　proper　and　necessary　checks　and　balances　in　the　distribution　and　equalization　of　the　powers　of　government；　to　permit　us　to　doubt　what　the　final　end　would　have　been　had　the　President　been　removed　on　the　unsubstantiated　accusation　preferred　by　the　House　of　Representatives；　Our　peculiar　system　of　political　governmenta　Democratic　Republicpassed　the　danger　point　of　its　history　in　that　hour。

It　was　indeed　a　narrow　escape。　The　history　of　civilization　records　no　precisely　similar　condition。　The　country　then　passed　the　most　threatening　period　of　its　historybut　passed　it　safely。　The　result　was　the　highest　possible　testimonial　to　the　strength　and　endurance　of　properly　adjusted　Democratic　institutions　that　history　records。

It　emphasized　not　only　the　capacity　of　the　American　people　for　intelligent　and　orderly　self…government；　but　also　the　strength　and　endurance　of　our　popular　forms。　It　was　a　profound　surprise　to　those　habituated　to　different　political　conditions。　They　had　witnessed　with　astonishment　the　quiet　disbandment　of　millions　of　men　but　as　yesterday　engaged　in　mortal　strifethe　vast　armies　as　peacefully　returning　to　former　vocations　as　though　from　a　great　paradeand　now；　from　a　state　of　civil　convulsion　that　in　many　another　nation　would　have　produced　armed　collision　and　public　disorder；　they　saw　an　entire　people　quietly　accepting　the　verdict　of　the　highest　authoritive　body　of　the　land；　and　practically　dismissing　the　subject　from　thought。　It　was　a　splendid　world…wide　tribute　to　the　strength　and　endurance　of　our　system　of　popular　government。

Yet　the　conclusion　must　not　be　deduced　that　the　power　of　impeachment　is　not　a　wise　provision　of　our　Constitution；　nor　in　any　sense　inconsistent　with　our　popular　forms。　Conditions　may；　and　are　not　unlikely　to　arise；　some　day；　when　the　exercise　of　the　power　to　impeach　and　remove　the　President　may　be　quite　as　essential　to　the　preservation　of　our　political　system　as　it　threatened　to　become　in　this　instance　destructive　of　that　system。　Should　that　day　ever　come；　it　is　to　be　hoped　that　the　remedy　of　impeachment；　as　established　by　the　Constitution；　may　be　as　patriotically；　as　fearlessly；　and　as　unselfishly　applied　as　it　was　on　this　occasion　rejected。



SUPPLEMENT。

Copy　of　letter　addressed　to　each　of　the　me