Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1837-02-04
VOLUME VII. NUMRER s.

'LUME VII. NUMBER s.
III cannot be certified ~ part Of The pro-
lceeding Of the Senate for any purpooo Of
proof or evidence.
The object Of the provision in the Coastisu.
ton, - we think, most obviously -, that the
proceedings Of the Senate shall - preserved,
in writing, not for the present only, not un-
tn published only because . copy ofshs Prin-
ted journal 10 MT regular legal evidence; but
preserved indefinitely; preserved, a. other
records are preserved, till destroyed BY time
or accident.
Every one must sec that matters Of the
highest importance depend on the permanent
preservation Of the journals Of the two Hous-
IS. What but the journals show that bills
have been regularly passed into laws, through
the several stages; what but the journals show
who are members, or who is President, or
Speaker, or Secretary, or Clerk Of the body,
What but the journal contains the proof, ne
csssary for the justification of those who act
under our authority, and who, without tho
power Of producing such proof, must stand
as tresspassersf What but the journals show
who is appointed, and who rejected, BY u.
on the Presidents nomination: Or who IL ac-
Quilted, or who convicted, in trials on inn
parchment! In short, is there, At any time.
any other regular and legal proof Of any act
done BY the Senate than the journal itselfY
The idea, therefore, that the Senate is
bound to preserve its journal only until it Is
published, and then may alter, mutilata or de-
stroy it at pleasure, appears 10 u ono Of the
most extraordinary sentiments ever advan-
ced.
We are deeply grateful to those friends
who have shown, with 70 much clearncss.
that all the precedents rallied ON 10 justify or
to excuse this proceeding, are either not to
the purpose, or, from the times and circum-
stances at and under which they happened,
are no way entitled to respect in a free Gov
eminent, existing under q written Constitu.
ton. But, for ourselves, we stand ON the
plain words Of that Constitution itself A
thousand presidents elsewhere made wheth-
er ancient or modern, can neither rescind
nor explain away these words.
The words are, that each House shall ksxp
a journal of its proceeding No gloss, no
ingenuity, no specious Interpretation, and
much less can any fair or just reasoning rec
oncile the process ofexPungiog with the plain
meaning of these words, to the satisiaction Of
the common sense and honest understanding
OF mankind.
1fthe Senate may now expunge one part Of
the journal Of a former session, it may, with
equal authority, expunge another part, or the
whole. 1t may expunge the entire record of
any one session, or Of all sessions.
1t seems to Us inconceivab!e how any men
can regard such \ power, and its exercise at
pleasure, as consistent with the Injunction Of
the Constitution. 1t can make NO difference
what is the completeness and incompleteness
Of the act of expunging. or by what means
done; whether by erasure, obliteratson. OF
dsfacement, as here proposed, whether one
word or MANY words are written On the faco
Of the record; whether little ink or much ink
is shed on the paper; or whether some part.
or the whole, Of the original written Journal
may yet by possibility b traced. If the net
done be an act to expunge, to blot out, to
ord is expunged, blotted out. obliterated, and
erased. And mutilation and alteration vio-
late the record ~ much ~ obliteratioa or era
sure. A record, subsequently altered, - not
the original record. Il no longer gives lust
account Of the proceedings Of the Senate. Il
is no longer true. 1t is, in short, no journal
Of the real and actual proceedings of tho
Senate, such ~ the Constitution says each
House shall keep.
liberate Judgment, violated BY this proceed.
ing in the most plain and open manner.
The Constitution, moreover, provides that
the yeas and Mays, on any question. shall, n
the request of one-lifth of the members pre-
sent, BE entered on ske Journal. This provis-
ion, most manifestly, gives a personal right
to those members who may demand II, to the
entry and preservation Of their votes on the
record If the proceedings ofthe body, not for
one day or one year only, but for oil time.
There the yeas and nays are to stand, torsv-
er, a. permanent and lasting proof Of the man
ner in which members have voted on great
and important questions before them.
But il i now insisted that the votes Of
members, taken by yeas aad aa,p, and thus
entered on the Journal, - matter 81 right,
may stdl Be- expunged; % that that, which e
requires more than feuF>6fths Of The Seaassss