Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-03-29
TUESDAY, .M.gR Cs1 %, 1886.

could be brought to unite in any of illegal conduct
which the genius of the could impute the Pee
sdent will not dilae upon this plain point. but will
produce an example from history TO chow with
wha, precise allegation of time, place. act, viola
tons oil law charged upon Executive officers in the
earlier age of our Republic.
read from the journals of the House of Represent
aves m l7y3 They are the resolutions submitted by
Mr. Giles OF Virginia for the purpose of impcaching
the Secretary Of the Treasury, General Hamilton and
are in these words:
heso'red That The Secretary of tho Treasury
aw passed the ith August $780, making
moneys authorized to be borrowed by the following
al by applying certain principal tho
authorized by thai any other law.
Of the President Of the United ss
Here all is open, manly and ineligible. MIR Giles
tells what he neans and commits himself upon this is
sue. General Hamilton knows what cha rged with;
The House knows what TO proceed upon: and the public
knows for what hold the accused to his defence. the
his proofs House to it's Justice and all The
parties 10 their official liability their
Compare this resolve against President Jackson with the
resolve OF Mr. Giles and see how different in the
tal particulars OF criminal accusation. The general
charge the same in both cases, that of violating law
and acting without authority; yet the resolves totally
diferent all precision the other, all ambiguity In
one, every word declaration OF fact law, which
precise issues might be taken in the other, every word
problem, and susceptible OF as many meanings there
were tongues TO debate 1T. Like the oracuar responses
of the Pyhian Apollo, they seemed selected for
their ampboogy, and because any meaning and every
meaning which might be required or forbid mob, H..
affirmed or denied them. Try them by their sense and
import " Late Executive proceedings Here three
one year, two years, five ten years ago? g Execu-
tive. What part of the Executive The Chief Magis.
trae, or one of the Heads of Departments? g. The
public revenue" What part of il That in the Bank
OF the United States, in the Deposite Banks or in
state of collection in South Carolina defy any man
TO aihx any definite idea to either of these terms or
TO take any issue upon them. All is uncertain, am
biguous, predetermined nothing clear but The aban.
donnent of all that related to Mr. Duane Mr. ia.
ney, the removal OF the deposes the responsible
ty oil removing them, the danger to the liberties of
the people, and the complete cutting loose from all
come xon with the Bank of the United States whose
wrongs had solely occupied the two previous forms Of
the resolution, and had figured incontnenty in the
speeches of all its friends. All this is abandoned; all
mention OF the Bank is dropped. Instead of it, the
vague charge substituted, which has been often poia
ed out 10 the notice Of the Senate; under this gene
raj denunciation, general verdict was procured by
species of individual contribution something like
subscription list, poney purse of accusation which
each one put in according TO his will and his means
MIR. Ii. said, he had adduced this instance of criminal
accusation, this charge against General Hamilton for
the purpose of showng that precise allegations
dspensabie in such but it also available and
eminenty applicable for another purpose; for the pur-
pose OF showing that corrupt, wicked, improper mo-
tives were not necessary TO be alleged in proceeding
against an chcer Tor an inpeachable offence The de-
sign of Mr. Giles, To impeach General Hamilton;
and for that purpose, he charges him with naked yo-
ation of law, without the slightest inputaon of an inn
proper motive and without the smallest allegation of in
jury TO the public. 1t is in point; and added TO
the cases OF the Judges Chase and Pickering is cOnclu
sive TO show that even where regular and formal inn
parchment is intended, averment, under our Consti-
tuition, of criminal motives, public derment need DO
alleged.
MIR President the public and even the Senate bovo
heard much of late years. of certain doctrine in poll
ucs called non commal, and il has generally pre-
sented IN very unenviable and undesirable point of
view. Some have gone far 10 say that they
scorned the character of unconmitted man; and a
certain gentleman that you and Of has been CON
spicuously paraded in speeches and gazettes as the
founder of the non-comntta school, and the orinol of
the portrait which has been drawn of an unconmit,ed
man. OF the justice, the prop5ieiy the truth and the
decency, of what has been said and published of that
genlea' On hat point 1t is not my purpose, i'll this
place, TO make a question, would it, presume ba
your pleasure to decide preterm that labor; and pro-
ceeding upon the assumption of his opponents thai the
aforesaid gentleman was actually the founder the afoe-
sara schooi nave 10 remark, that ii TO that
like other great inventors lie is danger of beiDo rob
bed OF The glory of his discovery by the improvements
which made by others upon his invention So far as
understand the Institutes of the original school f
right OF comntta extended further than To nrob
lens IN politics. 1T did not embrace of law aud mo-
iaity nor extend 10 the conduct Judges and soma
tors But who can stop the march OF Improvement >
Who can limit the genius of Ike scholar Who can ba
lie the art OF the cunning miiator? Already the doctrine
oil non-commtal has made its way 10 the judgment
to this ehainberand TO this very The Senate re-
fuses TO commit itself upon the question: If rhot that
they have condemned President j. for They not only
refuse to commit for the grounds of their u.
ment, but they revoke the commItal which thew had
partly made. They withdraw every thing upon which
they could be held 10 their accountability They haul
IN, back out cut loose, and away, from their own
attempt 10 specify the guilt of President Jackson aud
Then condemn HIM IN general verdict, made up by
compromises and unable TO bear the of any spec
cation whatever. Yes, sir made up by compromise
Tor VINO III us, that then this chamber that does
not remember the extraordinary circumstances of the
closing scene the peripatetic movements which took
ploce among members? the crossing and fro on this
floor The consultations and the whispen0s? the fixing
and Altering, the writing and rubbing out the Offering
ana Withdrawing; the tearing up and beginning anew
which went this chamber, to the delay of the ca
Tor tie yeas and nays until set Of phrases were col
lecied 10y contribution from different parts Of this floor
sufficiently commtal TO embrace all who were will
ling to condemn the President without being able TO tell
Tor what speak as eye Witness when describe
The closing scene in these terms; and appeal TO forty
Senators then and now present, aim my statement
And what say the laws of the land the yerdlcs OBJ
tanned by compromise! Utterly reprobated; the Jury
reprimandrd who gives the. their verdict set aside
and new trial ordered.
Sir, said MIR. b., examine this sentence of condempa
ton ns II stands Examine il word by word and see If
1t located to any place, limited any time or con-
ccutive proceedings relative to the revenue in South ca
rolina, we'll tie late" Executive proceedings
relative 10 the dcpOstes ia Philadelphia VIII il not
cover the orders Commodore Elliott TO proceed 10
Charleston, just well il will cover the order to
Mr. Duane to quit the cabinet Would it not cover
the removal OF troops TO the South ensure the colec
ton of the revenue, just well il would cover lie
removal II tbc dePVsics from the Bank to prevent tie
inlschcls OF then remaining there? Were not the
two measures equally compained Of at Charleston aod
30 Philadelphia and is IL not notorious, that when dis
Inguished sons Of South CafOlina Immediately aner
the condemnation of the President denounced The law
less tyranny Oi his conduct IN public speeches ia Phls
depha meaning all tie while his conduct in relation 10
the revenue 10 south Carolina, that the friends Of the
Bank who had previously appauded the President for
that conduct clipped, and shouted and flung their caps
sion ia al us denunciatOn found its fauendO iu the
Wrongs Of the Bank and not in the wrongs Of South