History of the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, by the House of Representatives, and his trial by the Senate for high crimes and misdemeanors in office, 1868Ross, Edmund G. (Edmund Gibson)
History
History of the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, by the House of Representatives, and his trial by the Senate for high crimes and misdemeanors in office, 1868
Ross, Edmund G. (Edmund Gibson)
Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875 -- Impeachment
I may as conveniently at this point of the argument as at any other
pay some attention to the astronomical punishment which the learned and
honorable manager Mr. Boutwell, thinks should be applied to this novel
case of impeachment of the President. Cicero, I think it is, who says
that a lawyer should know everything, for sooner or later, there is no
fact in history, science or human knowledge that will not come into play
in his arguments. Painfully sensitive of my ignorance, being devoted to
a profession which "sharpens and does not enlarge the mind," I yet can
admire without envy the superior knowledge evinced by the honorable
manager. Indeed, upon my soul, I believe he is aware of an astronomical
fact which many professors of the science are wholly ignorant of; but
nevertheless, while some of his colleagues were paying attention to an
unoccupied and unappropriated island on the surface of the seas, Mr.
Manager Boutwell, more ambitious, had discovered an untenanted and
unappropriated region in the skies, reserved, he would have us think,
in the final councils of the Almighty as the place of punishment for
deposed and convicted American Presidents.
At first, I thought that his mind had become so enlarged that it was
not sharp enough to observe that the Constitution has limited the
punishment, but on reflection I saw that he was as legal and logical as
he was ambitious and astronomical; for the Constitution has said "remove
from office," and has put no limit to the distance of removal so that it
may be without the shedding of a drop of his blood or taking a penny of
his property, or confining his limbs. Instant removal from office and
transportation to the skies. Truly this is a great undertaking, and
if the learned manager can only get over the obstacle of the laws of
nature, the Constitution will, not stand in his way.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account