1/ The words of the Founding Fathers, spoken at the Constitutional Convention on Friday, July 20, 1787, and recorded by James Madison, illustrate the circumstances in which they expected the Congress to implement the remedy of impeachment and remove a president from office. 
2/Shall any man be above Justice? Shall that man be above it who can commit the most extensive injustice?
Shall the man who has practised corruption & by that means procured his appointment in the first instance, be suffered to escape punishment by repeating his guilt?
[G.Mason]
Shall the man who has practised corruption & by that means procured his appointment in the first instance, be suffered to escape punishment by repeating his guilt?
[G.Mason]
3/ William Richardson Davie, North Carolina: "If he be not impeachable whilst in office, he will spare no efforts or means whatever to get himself re-elected." look.substack.com/p/impeach-othe…
4/From Madison's notes: "FRANKLIN mentioned the case of the Prince of Orange during the late war. An agreement was made between France & Holland; their 2 fleets were to unite at a certain time&place. The Dutch fleet did not appear. Everybody began to wonder at it...."
5/"...At length it was suspected that the Statholder [the chief executive of Holland] was at the bottom of the matter.
This suspicion prevailed more & more. Yet as he could not be impeached and no regular examination took place, he remained in his office..."
This suspicion prevailed more & more. Yet as he could not be impeached and no regular examination took place, he remained in his office..."
6/"...he gave birth to the most violent animosities & contentions. Had he been impeachable, a regular & peaceable enquiry would have taken place and he would if guilty have been duly punished, if innocent restored to the confidence of the public."
7/ "[I]t [is] indispensable that some provision should be made for defending the Community agst. the incapacity, negligence or perfidy [disloyalty] of the chief Magistrate. The limitation of the period of his service, was not a sufficient security." Madison
[Montpelier]
[Montpelier]
8/ Madison: "He might lose his capacity after his appointment.
He might pervert his administration into a scheme of peculation [misappropriation of public funds] or oppression.
He might betray his trust to foreign powers."look.substack.com/p/impeach-othe…
He might pervert his administration into a scheme of peculation [misappropriation of public funds] or oppression.
He might betray his trust to foreign powers."look.substack.com/p/impeach-othe…
9/ Elbridge Gerry, Massachusetts:
"A good magistrate will not fear [impeachment.] A bad one ought to be kept in fear of them.
[T]he maxim [sh]ould never be adopted here that the chief magistrate could do no wrong."
"A good magistrate will not fear [impeachment.] A bad one ought to be kept in fear of them.
[T]he maxim [sh]ould never be adopted here that the chief magistrate could do no wrong."
Don't waste time reading analyses of impeachment. Go to the source. The Founders had a long discussion about it. Madison's notes tell us everything we need to know about the circumstances they believed justified this remedy. Our report contains this info: look.substack.com/p/impeach-othe…
