Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1804-04-20
From the B.s!,imere Federal Gasestr.
TO THE EDITORS.

TO THE EplToRs.
Gentlemen, <% % q 2
f% AS soon as there appeared reason
for believing, that the house OF represen,
tatives intended 70 adjourn. without pre-.
ferTiRg articles before the senate in sup
port q the impeachment voted gAinst me,
the enclosed memorial was prepared, and
transmitted ION Saturday last) 70
member, win request, that he would
PRESENT., il such an Intention should be
ascertained to exist. On last Monday,
the morning OF the day previously fixed
for adjournment by 4 joint resolution Of
both houses, articles Of impeachment
were reported by the committee; but il
was clearly impossible for the house TO
aetuPon them; nor does the time until
which they were kept back, leave the
least room for supPosing, that the com.
mittes, who made the report, intended
that they should be acted upon before
adjournment. 81 : >~..e- = - 4
But whatever may have been the in.
tention with which they were reported,
at such 4 time, the Effect undoubtedly
will be, that they win pass into the pub.
lie prints, under the sanction Of Z COM
niistee Of Congress, and even under the
apparent sanction Of the House itself;
and that AZ they contain the most agera-
waited and infiamed construction, which
It was possible for passion and party-spi-
rit toput on 1.-The cx-parte evidence, where-
on the vote ofimpeachment was found.
ed, they viii become very powerful en-
CINE in the hands of calumniators and
party zealots, for heigktening 10 the ut
most the prejudices and odium, which
all the former proceedings in this case
are so well calculated to excits.
The report Of these articles prevented
the memorial from being presented; the
member to whom It was sent having been
OF opinion, that the case, in which il was
my wish 70 have it presented, did no Ion.
ger exist. But n these articles have not
been adopted by the house, or.even con.
sidered as they must be taken up next
session. and may then be rejected, or
wholly varied as the charges which I
am to answer, and against which, ought
to have been placed IN situation TO pre-
pare for defending myself, are thus left
in the same state Of uncertainty as before
the report and as this report, far from
accomplishing the object which the me-
moral seeks, canr have no other effect
than to increase and aggrava.e the inju-
fies whereof il complains / deem il
Eproper now to make Il public, as an ap-
ipealto my country, TO the world, and 70
! posterity, against the injustice and ille-
galiy ofthe proceedings IN this case, and
is a solemn protest against the principles
on which they are founded. I Therefore
request that YOU viii please to insert il,
with this letter, in your useful and re-
spectacle paper. *.3.t '..s.s = =, Is s.
That il may be seen that my impressi-
on II the artitlesreported by the CONNIE
tee is not erroneous, enclose q copy OF
them, and request that you win insert
them after The memorial. II is proper
10 state that four q believe) Of the Ave
members of the committee, who repois.
ed the articles, were the same members
who collected and reported the testimo-
nyi and that fourteen days elapsed be-
tween the time when this committee was
ordered TO report articles. and the time
when the report was actually made. This
fact viii assist in forming 4 Judgment, Is
to the views, with which Il was kept
back until the last day Of the session.
Had the report been made sooner, IS il
might easily have been, the articles might
have been rejected BY the House or
might at least have BEEN deprived, by
amendments, Of part oftheir Wanton We
nom and abuse. g q &
I am, Gsntlemen, - .s1. Is.
Your ohedient servant, $
| SAMUEL CHASE.