Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 16 (of 20)Sumner, Charles
History
Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 16 (of 20)
Sumner, Charles
Slavery -- United States; Speeches, addresses, etc., American
The ninth Article opens a different question. This charges a wicked
purpose to corrupt General Emory and draw him from his military
duty. Not much passed between the President and the General; but it
was enough to show the President playing the part of Iago. There
was hypocritical profession of regard for the Constitution, while
betraying it. Here again his past character explains his purpose beyond
reasonable doubt.
Then come the scandalous speeches, proved as set forth in the Articles,
so that even the Senator from West Virginia [Mr. VAN WINKLE] must admit
that evidence and pleading concur. Here is no question of form. To
my mind this is one of the strongest Articles. On this alone, without
anything else, I should deem it my duty to vote for expulsion from
office. A young lieutenant, at the bottom of the ladder, if guilty of
such things, would be cashiered promptly. A President, at the top of
the ladder, with less excuse from the inexperience of early life, and
with greater responsibility from the elevation he had reached, should
be cashiered promptly also; and this is the object of impeachment.
No person capable of such speeches should be allowed to govern this
country. It is absurd to tolerate the idea. Besides being degraded, the
country cannot be safe in such hands. The speeches are a revelation of
himself, not materially different from well-known incidents; but they
serve to exhibit him in his true character. They show him unfit for
official trust. They were the utterances of a drunken man; and yet it
does not appear that he was drunk. Now it is according to precedents of
our history that a person disqualified by drunkenness shall be removed
from office. This was the case of Pickering in 1804. But a sober man,
whose conduct suggests drunkenness, is as bad at least as if he were
drunk. Is he not worse? If without the explanation of drunkenness he
makes such harangues, I cannot doubt that his unfitness for office
becomes more evident, inasmuch as his deplorable condition is natural,
and not abnormal. The drunken man has lucid intervals; but where is the
assurance of a lucid interval for this perpetual offender? Derangement
is with him the normal condition.
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