history of the impeachment of andrew johnson-第54节

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ore　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　members　of　the　Cabinet　present　at　the　conversation　between　the　President　and　General　Grant　on　the　14th　of　January；　1868；　and　the　answers　thereto：

Executive　Mansion；　Washington；　D。　C。；　February　5；　1868。

Sir：The　Chronicle　of　this　morning　contains　a　correspondence　between　the　President　and　General　Grant；　reported　from　the　War　Department；　in　answer　to　a　resolution　of　the　House　of　Representatives。　I　beg　to　call　your　attention　to　that　correspondence；　and　especially　to　that　part　of　it　which　refers　to　the　conversation　between　the　President　and　General　Grant；　at　the　Cabinet　meeting　on　Tuesday；　the　14th　of　January；　and　to　request　you　to　state　what　was　said　in　that　conversation。

Very　respectfully　yours；　Andrew　Johnson。

Washington；　D。　C。；　February　5；　1868。

Sir：…Your　note　of　this　date　was　handed　to　me　this　evening。　My　recollection　of　the　conversation　at　the　Cabinet　meeting　on　Tuesday；　the　14th　of　January；　corresponds　with　your　statement　of　it　in　the　letter　of　the　31st　ultimo；　in　the　published　correspondence。　The　three　points　specified　in　that　letter；　giving　your　recollection　of　the　conversation；　are　correctly　stated。

Very　respectfully；　Gideon　Welles。

To　the　President。

Treasury　Department；　February　6；　1868。

Sir：I　have　received　your　note　of　the　5th　instant；　calling　my　attention　to　the　correspondence　between　youself　and　General　Grant；　as　published　in　the　Chronicle　of　yesterday；　especially　to　that　part　of　it　which　relates　to　what　occurred　at　the　Cabinet　meeting　on　Tuesday　the　14th　ultimo；　and　requesting　me　to　state　what　was　said　in　the　conversation　referred　to。

I　cannot　undertake　to　state　the　precise　language　used；　but　I　have　no　hesitation　in　saying　that　your　account　of　that　conversation。　as　given　in　your　letter　to　General　Grant　under　date　of　the　31st　ultimo。　substantially　and　in　all　important　particulars　accords　with　my　recollection　of　it。

With　great　respect；　your　obedient　servant。　Hugh　McCulloch。　To　the　President。

Post　Office　Department　Washington；　February　6；　1868。

Sir：I　am　in　receipt　of　your　letter　of　the　5th　of　February；　calling　my　attention　to　the　correspondence　publishe