For those not in the mood to read, saved you a click but thank you for the link @jordanlund!

The history of impeachment in the United States is important to understanding the Bill Clinton saga. The Founding Fathers wrote impeachment—originally a Roman political institution—into the constitution for the purpose of removing an official who had “rendered himself obnoxious,” in the words of Benjamin Franklin. Without impeachment, Franklin argued, citizens’ only recourse was assassination, which would leave the political official “not only deprived of his life but of the opportunity of vindicating his character.”

It would be best, Franklin argued, “to provide the Constitution for the regular punishment of the Executive when his misconduct should deserve it, and for his honorable acquittal when he should be justly accused.”

The bottom line here is that if anyone manages to eliminate prosecution for acts performed while they are president, expect the Punisher. In fact, while I don't normally support violence, I'd have to say it's a patriot's duty.

Bennie Franklin truly was the greatest president 😉The best president was never president at all

Docr. Franklin was for retaining the clause as favorable to the executive. History furnishes one example only of a first Magistrate being formally brought to public Justice. Every body cried out agst this as unconstitutional. What was the practice before this in cases where the chief Magistrate rendered himself obnoxious? Why recourse was had to assassination in wch. he was not only deprived of his life but of the opportunity of vindicating his character. It wd. be the best way therefore to provide in the Constitution for the regular punishment of the Executive when his misconduct should deserve it, and for his honorable acquittal when he should be unjustly accused.

-The records of the Federal convention of 1787, volume 2, p. 65

There is nothing about him thinking "the alternative too terrible to contemplate". He merely thought it would deny the executive a chance of redemption - Does anyone think Trump could redeem himself in his last few years of old age when he never has prior?

To think a man who only a few years prior had been a key political figure in fighting a revolutionary war, something that famously leads to bloodshed, would be abhorred by the concept and become a staunch pacifist is a bit silly. Not to mention the whole aforementioned quote you won't share and which I'm not going to repeat here for that reason.

Also Franklin was not the sole reason, they all debated on this topic.