Jenks' Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1803-1805, 1805-02-04
Mr.. ELLIOT,
TO THE PEOPLE 0F THE SOUTH EAST DIS
TNI.T OF VERllOMT
WASHING TON, De.emJsr Il, is

WASHING TON, December a, i8 4
Fs4o7v- Citizear,
HAVE received infer nation that am a.
gain honored, by a great majority Of your tnt.
ifrages, with his feat ia the notlonal iepdature
this election which has been made in oppotiton
Iro the influence. ~, only Of inumerable fa!fe.
hood, ana nludefs but aIfo Ct a caucus of ma
Inv of youc REPRESENTATIVES in the General AZ
lfembly. who H!tsncd with TOO great facility 70
1.-The falic stpr:itatatono OF my interetted chi
mics has excited emotion, in my mind which
X ihoud in vain endeavont 10 express
Almo!t at the nome IT when the election was
Iconmencing, my conicie dictated TO me a
iiRcnt from the ARTICLES Of impeachment of
Judge Chaf-, adopted by great maj orlty ct the
friends Of the administration Ana as my con-
idu9 in that cafe ha< been repreiented as III
icontiaent, add as the political roadneis of the
times, in certain diarlttS his poitoned to their
Ifources the itreams of private confidence, |
hall conf Ter it my duty hereafter TO explain my
icondua to nv conttituents through the chan
nel of the newspapers.
In the courle OF the Taft f~flion, Mr.. Randolph
demanded th< appointment of committee 10
inquire inte the official conduct oiJudge Chate,
without producing Jingle accuiation againtt
him and although at the time OF making the
motion, the ufuai hour of adjournment was ap-
preaching, he made every Poihbie effort to pre-
vent an adiurnmeay, and to produce an inmrdi-
ate deciffion upon the qaeiton In this ar
tempt he was diappointed, bur the motion al
tlmately pafed by great majority. i was
oppofcd by mytelf and others, from conyic-
ton that it was in,propert 10 delegate to ic-
cret committee powers Of All inquGtotial na-
ture, in relation TO the conduct CT public Off
] GERS, when no C.eci6c accuiations were exhib
tied. The conmittee, after leveral weeks
trent in lahourous examination, reported to the
E1oue, alnoit at the cloie cf the llion, con-
fiderable volunn of exparte teitinony, conflit
! ing, in great neafure, Of the private opinions
and fuf icions Of lawyers, who confdered
themielvca as browbeaten by the judge; with
this curious evidence, however, were mingled
many facts Of an important nature, This tel
ltimony was Immediately publiihed in the newt
papers, G. ntra:y 10 every principle OF law and
iuttice, and the effect of this publication mutt
have been, although the Intention might have
been coed to condemn the ridge in the public
mind before he could have time 70 prepare his
defence this, however, do not charge 70 The
committee or the Houfe Even the report OF
the committee did not pretent any particular
charge a2ainlf MIR. Chaie, 10 which he could
amply his defence it Only Recommended an
indefinite Impeachment for high crimes and
mifaemeanors. np7n tie q9lnne 81 e7rden,e. In
| this book diicovered no ground OF mpeach
ment, EXCEPT in the couduct OF the IN ige 10
! the trial Of Calender, 10 whom thought con
ftitutional privileges had been denied, and up
on that ground alone voied for yhc impeach-
ment My fpeech on that location was pabl't'-
led in all newspapers which have any coaiiers-
be circclation in this dlitri6t, and appeared 20
meet the aprobatisp of a great majority Of nay
tccnlfitucnts - In this crude STATE, except that
articles were reported and not AGED on, the
impeachment came over TO the prcitDt ietion,
early in which the articles were recommrted. =
The committee to whom they were referred,
without any pewers 70; that pucpoie, made a
new inquiry. and reported TWO new articles. =
/ As in this report the conduit Of the Judge IN
! Callendcr's cafe was nor contideredas viola
/ tioa, of the contribution, anG as | had Away:
, been prepared to fay thar if it were not iach
violation, it ought to be conidersd as mere
error OF judgement; and the new articles, ~
nv opiriou, were reported without authority,
were uuiuPported by evidence, and were mfg
ni6cant in themielves and as it was impoih-
| Die TO oh; ain amendments, wa, under the ne
ceibty Of Voting againt every article upon he
hnai queItion.
Tneie proceedings, from h1tt TO la9, have
appeared 10 a.s to conttHuSe one d the great