William F. Smith: “our Constitution tells us: ``The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed…”

“our Constitution tells us: ``The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.'' To impeach, which lies within the power of the House, means to accuse or charge with a crime. Only the Senate can actually convict and remove from office. As a distinguished Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee said during the Nixon impeachment proceeding, ``It is wrong, I suggest, it is a misreading of the Constitution for any member here to assert that for a member to vote for an article of impeachment means that that member must be convinced that the President should be removed from office. The Constitution doesn't say that. The powers relating to impeachment are an essential check in the hands of this body, the legislature, against and upon the encroachment of the executive. In establishing the division between the two branches of the legislature, the House and the Senate, assigning to the one the right to accuse and to the other the right to judge, the Framers of this Constitution were very astute.…”