Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-01-27

the House Of Rsprsssa,s,;v., bv l.ry. m.or;,s n,
Which party had no share. had voted ,h.
troducsd heref Could II enter into the
OF tns honorable cour', whether the House Of Repre-
sn,svs: had been hassy or no whether party had In
nusnced hem In the vote which thew avs ,or mi i'm
PeachmenG Would II be decorous In IN, r. .nondsn,
or 10 tho,e who wore cted with him N sch
,ns,s p,oeesankI II: kew too well his duty to that
honorable House, TO this honorable court and IN Nj.
aumo'e SELL to sp so far out Of his way as TO ou,
the motives tor this impeachment. The House of
E.pie.en.,ve' were the grand inquest Of the nation
ineir article OF impeachment against Judge Peck was
inc nndnx oil the Grand jury. Would Il be proper in
case before petit jury for counsel to appeal to the
o, the grand jury, to say tina, they had
bill Of Indictment Would not the court 10 tha,
stop counsel, and say to him: Sir we have nothing TO
this case upon ito merit, without reference to what
passed In the grand jury the subjsc." The ndinx
the grand inquest 10 simply the accusation. The
honorable House had come here to sacrifice . VIC
tim whom they had lore doomed to destruction Tbev
had done nothing than declare ha the offence with
which tho respondent had been charged was worthy Of
auaI Inc respondent was not there before the hon.
oraoie House, upon his trial. They had sent him
hre 10 be tried What the feature Of
sHia OF that sort! 1t was that tho accused was pre-.
.umed TO- be innocent until he had been found guilty
But u the remark OF which he was now conpiaioioy
were TO have weight, that principle woul be revers.
.s. The accused was to DO presumed to be guilty un
III proved to be limo ent He hoped to ne ar no more
oil re majority or the motive by which this mpe ach.
ment had been instituted by the honorable House
he considered such remarks improper. The respon.
asn' stood here, unknown, almost alone, strane er
from the western wilds.o breast the storm Of this i'm.
Peachment. He trusted TO this honorabie court for
aI ta and relied upon the and innocencs
and purity Of his conduct for
ne would be tried by the simple, naked facts and prn-
ciPes oil the case, and not by the dramatic exhi.
o'',on o! ianeea anaIogiec which they had witnessed
was tho respondent to be involved in the urri'ude
OF all the wicked Judges Of England in tho guilt of
me unsParing Jefreys, the tumutuous Scrogg., and
the tyrant Bromley! He trusted not: he booed tbs,
| O ~ N tna rifs alo 4
monishcd the honorable managers that som ehiDg was
continually occurring to remind Of the intirmity Of
This must teach charity 10 ali. He apprehen5ed the
existence Of some extraordinary prejudice which had
ndusncsd and ipfsmed the spirit Of this
no too might DO the victim OF preiudce OF
ship which close intimacy had produced with the
respondent He Audited equality Of ir6rmity with
me nohoraole Manager. This honorable court would
prejudice could no impute the language In which the
respondent had been held up as a judicial tyrsnt,
petty provincial Judge, a monster, walking over the
en bodies OF the Cons iuon and lave of hi country
This picture OF wickeduess and horror had sent
ar as the press could range; /. far as the wings OF
genius and eoqusnee could send It. Many father iu
"e rsmote parts OF the country had read this account
with feelngs Of adherence. With the paper In his
hand, lie had probably said 10 his son. Isle what
monster Is now before the Senate of the United States
your country should ever elevats you TO public sta.
| hoo' never become such moDst r a. this Peck He
may no doubt have had respes table paren s; he nav
once have been respectable himself hui ace what
monster oil crime, OF shame aud gaominy he 10 now
become " How long would il not be be lore this crue,
error could be corrected; before would be seen upo
, sesumony Of the mort respectable gentlemen. that
hs monster was one OF the most mid pate n kind and
courteous OF human BEINGS amabe, that. ia the Ian
guage OF one OF ths witnses he dear to all who
knew him! He could not help ascribing the tsrrbI.
picture which had been drawn Of the Respondent To
some unaccountable prejudice. He adver,ed to other
topics OF which the honorable appeared to him
10 nave taken discoiorsd aud distorted view
The respondent had been repres euted a. an sn.mv
70 The freedom Of the Press principle sacred to all
he was represented to have scoffed at IT, This Judi
c'a monster was described having walked over m.
PROSTATE liberty Of the Press and as having
70 sneer and sn arl out of existence Wher. had n.
SAID this Of III Where had he uttered one sentime nj
OF d'srespect towards tho liberty of tn. Press. Not
here, cerainy But he had done 80 In h;s defence ~
lore the House OF Representatives which had been in
uoduced az evidence here for the purpose of establish
ing this charge against the Respondent Iook a, ,b,,
defence, and whether he has treated the liberty Of
tne pres: with contempt alt said, that in Furnishing
tns publication az contempt, the Judge has
the Liberty Of the Press. What i. The Iibsrv of h
Press! And in wha, does il consist! Dies II consist in
right to vify the tribunal. OF the country and 70
oeng Them into contempt, by gross and wanton mis-
representations Of their proceeding Does IL con.i.,
IN right to obtruct and corrupt the streams of usc,
oy po,.oning the public mind with regard TO cause. 10
these tribunals before they heard! IL this cor
Srct idea Of The Liberty OF the Prer. re So the de-
amer hasa charter free as The vsnds, provided h,
resort to the Press for the of his slander
anu under the prouted sanction of the liberty of m.
press hoary age aud virgin innocence lie at bis mercy
his is not the idea OF the Liberty OF the Pres, whch
reVas In courts oil justice. or which exists in sBy So
Der or wel-rsgulsted mind. The liberty of the Press
Is among the greatest of blessings, civil and political 40
long as directed TO its propsr object that of Dissent
mating correct and useful among the peons
nut this greatest OF blessings may become the
u cursesj " u shall be permitted burst lie pronar
BARRIERS "The River Mississippi 10 blessing 10 in.
country through which il flows, so Ionr as h, k.eo.
Within It's baDks; but il becomes a scourge and de.
stroyer when i, breaks them" ''Tbe Liberty NJ IN.
Press has always been the favors wacbword NJ bos.
VINO live by its lcsn'iousness II has been from Tins
immemoral, Is still. aud will be- the D. rpetuaI de-
e9ntdnf'n on the lips OF all beIlers. Oswald aempt
cd TO screen himself under its gis in the case which
has been cited from the 1st D,as. But the att,mn,
was In vain The Court taught him tho diff renee bs
tween the liberty OF the Press and the lice
oil the Press; aud, 10 his frt Their attempt 10 rai,e an i'm
paenment against the Judges for that sentence the
House OF Dsegaes conf med the wholesome Lesson
10 indeed, the liberty Of the Press was panoply broad
enough TO cover every thing done in lite name nothing
IN the form Of pubic alton ever have be,n nun
i-hej as contempt OF court In all the re ported ca
IN which hos. publishers have been called 10 answ,r
Tor contenp', wherever the defence has in
'he report, iii tina liberty Of the Press which Ia the
perpetual iheme II 10 uniformly claimed 10 be the right
OF tho citizen to question the Of all public men, and
the changes continually rung on that ~
Of human rights aud human bappness-the liberty of
the Press; as human and hum an couId
be promoted by the prostraon destruction of Cour,s
oil justice or by poisoning their streams in tbs fountain
mead IL Is unnecessary 10 pur.us ,hi, subject The
1udge mas never pretended that bic opinions are moi 10
be questioned He insists however that thew are IN
be questioned only according % The laws of the land
vac mode OF questioning them, under these laws, |,
ny appeal TO superior court; and after the subi ct
mater shal have been finally decided, another mode
OF questioning them is by respectful discus,ion 9Th
in ihs public prints or elsewhsrs. In the present