Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-01-25

NA>niNGreN, Dec. Is, 1875.
SIR-liaving understood that cxc,rtiors b.,
been taken to tie liberty | took in addrc,>irc T.
some OF my fellow citizens tie Ezra Globes Which
contained Col. Bonton's speeches. cntorc;n, ,Lc
I" luoh OF ms resolution In cNpurpc fiunthe iou.-
/ II Of tie Senate certain PROCEEDINGS of ,Lnt ho
dy, condcmnlng my conduct in the removal of the
drposltcs, think il not improper TO place YOU in
POSSESSION OF tie general considerations which in
duccd me To take that liberty.
by MY oath OF Office am not onl, bound 10 sun
port The constitution 81 the United States. but o
guard, protect and defend it, 10 the best # M a.
bIl!ic- Mr.. Cla,'s resolutions, arraiening ard
INhlg me without a hearing, Violated the rrhts of
the House ct Representatives, to which, as tie
grand inquest of the nation, exclusively belongs
the power Of impeachment. The Senate, being
the ircrS of all officers mpt achcd under the con-
slitutlon OF hc United States are expressly denied
the right OF originating impeachmcn,s aud cannot
assume 1t without nsnrpng the powers conirr,
upon Ia" other coordinate branches of the govern
mrnt. Yet III defiance of these plain inluncton>
"i the constitution, those resolutions were introlu-
ced INTO the Senate, and acted upon by tina, body ;
and according to their language was declared
guilty Of violating the Laws and Constitutions not
wlihSanding the House oi Representatives had not
impcach"d me, and WAS deprived Of the priv
beg secured to every American citizen, Of hcirc
'""lt III utH'!tf 1 protested against so Glarlng
an attempt to violate the Constitution, and deprive
me of my individual rights. hu, the Senate refused
to rccciN" my protest upon their journals. Col.
Benton, animated by proper sense OF the oulra-
yes thu, committed b, tie Senate, moved to cx-
punCc the illegal proceedings from It's journals
Judge " lH;c Iom by own State, not only failed
to tab" part in defence, but moved To strike out
the word "Npungc, and all the reasons on which
Col. B"nton'S motion rested. Thus assam. d, no"
was to guard, protect and defend my constitution
al rights, bat by making known to the people how
and wherein they have been violated II this
was the only mode within my reach, and ! am ac-
qua'nIrd with no ollicr, ii is manifest that the cir
| culaiIon "i Col. Benton, speeches was not only
proper in ITSELF but WAS demanded by my public
duty to Tie country. Those speeches discussed
the great prime pies involved in the proceedings Of
tic Senate, and their peru>a ccrtainl, endangered
no political right OF the people on of their repre-
ScniativtS.
But, independent OF tic special reason which
existed in t, case, hold my >clfas clothed legally
with the privilege of circulating under my frank,
any documents or papers which secm useful to
tie country, or which are designed 10 furnish cN-
positions Of the public questions, which grow out
of the Legislative or Executive proceedings the
lav.
To those who ATE familiar with tie freedom aud
l'llNI' WIN NIlt u TIE IidiIklilp IIlNltot bI Ut
members Of Congress has been r,sor ed to, to cir
culatr tic arguments ei lie Bank, and other inter
ests in conflict with the measures have de-, med
II my duty 10 pursue, II must he a matter of sur
prise to hear that the great right of Scli-drtcnce
has NJ been cN' rci>cd by me, without exciting dis
content. Such discomfort, am sure, has never
been felt or manifested yam, person really friend
y to the principles have supported, or to the pub
lie with Which | am identified.
am, very respectable. vonl ohrdirut servant,
ANDREW JACKSON.
Tie crawdcd state of our columns, this morn
ing, compc!s rs to be very brief in our comments
on tie foregoing extraordinary cpi>ilc.
The idea that, because the Senate, as a court Of
impeachment, might have been called on to IT.,
Gen. Jackson, it therefore had no right to express
an opinion IN reference 10 his acts, is tallact ~
absurd as is sale and has been AS often rciur-
ed rs advanced Do the Senae's contingent ju-
diclal iucons nentralize destroy lis legislative
powers! If a sub>ervent House of Representa-
tycs bought Up by Executive patronage, or LASH
ed into the ranks by part, discipline, approx" by
their rotcs AN unconstitutional act IF tie Prc>i-
dent, which they condemn in their Judgments, (as
the last House of Representatives did in lation
to the removal of the dcpesites,) what possibility
is there that the President can be imp,acIcd =
And il. the Senate are cognizant Of this fact, rs
til, Senate of 1884 were are they to remain 81
lent, when they see the constitution tramplcd un
der foot by the Executive, and find it sustained by
4 scr,ilc IiruSr of Representatives.
Again-thc Scnale in no way disqualified
by the adoption of the resolution, which so sticks
in Ire Presidents ozzard 10 act judges. As
legislators, they merely censurcd the 0ct,-as
Judges. they would have looked a, tie morrc. The
former might have been wrong, while the latter WIS
unmpcachablc. An error is not necessarily a
crimc--and hence. while the Senate. in It's lrpi,-
lavc capacity, condemned the act, it might very
consistently, as judicial body, have acquitted the
ncrpctrator. All ihis talk about Impeachment,
therefore, is mere can, and slanc-thc chal with
whic h culls AZ" caught.
But villa, has all this to do will cxpunging II
the Senate even exceeded It's powers on the occa-
sion referred TO, what il,n Are they to rccliiN
one wrong 10y rrrpetrating another! WIZ ano-
,lnr reach Of the constitution heal that already
committed II an unconstitutional resolution has
been adopted lc, be rcscinded,- and no one VIII
complain. Em do not, by cXpunginc, (hc the
process what it may, J violate Tie constitution, I'M