Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-07-19
,,,CYINOND- Va. TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1912.
,ur ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT.

..,S hnlnn IN III Va 'S
-, ~, Taft Bill. the Irsa MAJOR of the session, MIR.
uimos of Charleston addressed the Committee in OPP
,as,,;on 10 the bill. He was followed by Mr.. Lewis OF
r,l,b,ma ON the same side-and then Mr.. Bolts OF The
u;cbmond District addressed the CHAIR. we nave no
80 for the whole of his speech. lie contended, that
,Ho., ~ = no authority under the Compromise act OF
49,, :, collect revenue-and that it was an usurpation
6 ,owsr and 4 violation of all law, in the attempt
,,ja on the part of the Executive TO collect the du-
,s He maintained not only that every article that
nod entered our ports since the 30th of June, and that
'ho,ld enter them until the passage Of a revenue bill,
ar,sred free Of duty, but that many millions OF dollars
- OH be drawn from the Treasury in the shape OF draw
h,eks. Before it was possible 10 pass q revenue law
n meet the Executive sanction, II was IN the power
or The New Orleans merchants, for instance, TO export
,,r fifty. and perhaps one hundred millions OF goods
IN Havana, to receive the drawback on them, and then
,oir,,ort them again tree of duty. Sothat the Govern
men, not only lost the duty on those now coming IN,
hat was liable 10 lose that which had already been col
Iec,ed. and this was the responsibility that he maniac
At The other end of the avenue Qor Mr.. h. could call
HIM nothing less) had taken on him.
MIR B was sometimes asked where was the remedy
fol, thus usurpatlon of the taxing power: Let them talk
no more about stamp acts or the tea tax, when thus
House would sit silently by and fold its arms in acqui.
.scence and ask where is the remedy for this gross
usurpation Of power-thIs u%surpation OF the whole TAX.
lnr power-for this right which the Executive claimed
TO issue his circulars TO the ports Of the u. 5, directing
one day that a duty OF twenty per cent the next DAY
that 4 duty ofsixteen per cent, and the day AFTER that
aduty OF five or Of fifty per cent, accord'ngt TO ms plea
sure, should be levied. There was no limit to his au'
,hori,y, If be had the right to collect u dollar oil duty
Here they sat and asked themselves what IS the RENE
dys Was there no remedy? Did the Constitution pre-
scribe no remedy Was this man TO excuse himself oy
asserting that this was the construction OF his law ON
Ger or of himself on this law; Was there any outrage
which he could commit that might not be excused on
The same ground-on the ground that II was ms con
slruc,ion OF the law: Was not he responsible for his
m;sconstruction of the law-for the mIsconstruction oil
his law officer? Yes, Sir, said Mr.. Bolts, and l pro-
claim now, if there is any spark OF spirit, manlIness or
freedom in this House, that they VIII exercise mat re-
medv at the proper time.
Impeachment was the remedy, and the only remedy
save that of revolution; and he declared that 1t was hs
sincere belief, (and gentlemen might not take 1t as an
IDLE deelarationO that if this u%surpation OF power were
suffered by the House, six months would not pass over
their heads before they saw ten thousand bright bayo-
nets ulitterinr on Pennsylvania avenue. lie had no
idea that The People Of the country would submit to 1t.
Bu, there were great difficulties in the way of i'm
peachment. There were some OF his friends (Mr. Is.
vas understood 10 say) who concurred with him, but
he disclaimed for his party any participation in the de-
son Of impeachment, or in the midnight cancuSeS that
had nj any time been held, as had been rumored.. AS the
Secretary of the Navy had claimed to be the first to raise
the far of Gisunion in Virginia, so MIR. B claimed 10 be
The first to raise the flag Of impeachment IN this House.
He was alone IN il. AS an American citizen, indie pendent
OF beng Representative ofa free people, he would resist
this Executive assumption OF power, as long as he had
4 voice TO raise against it. Difficulties were in the way,
and the fear that they could not succeed, was an argu-
men, with gentlemen. All that he proposed 10 do when
the proper time arrived, was 10 prefer charges against
the President-to ask this House to appoint a commit
tee with power TO send for persons and papers, to in
quire into the truth Of those charges, and to let the tes-
tmony collected co before the Senate. If these charges
we're sustained, he would trust to the Senate 10 perform
their duty. For thirteen years the President of the
L. :. had been rioting in lawless power. 1t was time
10 arrest it. He would not give the snap OF his finger
for the Government, if it were not arrested. Mi. Is.
then went on and spoke his hour out. The speech is
IN the National lntelligencer, TO which is subJoined the
following, by way of appendlx+9
The following are the charges which Mr.. Bolts pro-
poses 10 prefer against the President, and which were
intended 10 be read for information in connexion with
his remarks, Of which a copy has been furnished to the
Reporter for publication:
Isl. | charge John Tyler with a gross usurpation Of
power and violation of law, in attempting TO exercise
a controlling influence over the accounting officers of
the Treasury Department., by ordering the payment
of accounts that had been by them rejected, and threat
ening them with expulsion from office unless his orders
we're obeyed.
%. / charge him with being guilty Of a high INSIDE
mcanor in retaining men in Office for months after they
have been rejected by the Senate as unworthy, 'ncom.
pctent, and unlaithful, 10 the great detrlment OF the
pnblic interests, and hazard of loss 10 the public Urea
sury, the Government having no security Tor the faith
fal application Of the public funds passing through Their
hands, and he thereby defeating that provision OF the
Constitution which requires the advice and consent of
the Senate to all nominations made by the President.
I'd. | charge him with gross official misconduct in
attempting, in 4 spirit OF revenge, tor 4 constitutional
exercise OF power BY the Senate, in the rejection OF one
q; his nominees to office, to remove 4 large number of
faithful and mnritorlors subordinate officers from the
Custom house Of Philadel phla, with whom no fault vas
found save that Of a supposed political preference Tor
smother, and who had discharged their duties with en-
Use satisfaction To the collector OF customs, and Tor at
tempting 10 substitute in their stead men having no
other recommendation than that of a supposed acqui-
escencc III his views.
ilh. | charge him With the high crime and misde.
mcanor of endeavorIng to excite n disorganlzing ana
revolutionary spirit in the country, by inviting a dis.
regard Of, and disobedience TO a law OF Congress,
which law he has himself sworn 10 see faithfully exc
cutcd.
9th. charge him with the high crime and INSIDE
meanor IN office OF Withholding his assent to laws m
dtspensable TO the operations Of Government, involv-
my no constitutional difficulty on his part-ot depriv-
inr the Government Of all legal sources of revenue
OF assuming to himself the whole power of taxation
and Of collecting duties from our citizens without the
authority or sanction of law.
9TH. | charge him with the high crime and misde-
mcanor ofopen prostitution and ~profigacy in a willing
ness to barter away the offices of Government, and
the principles lie protested, to obtain the support OF one
OF the parties in Congress to which he has heretofore
been opposed.
7th. / charge him with gross official misconduct, in
having been guilty Of a shameless duplicity, equlvoca-
ton, and falsehood with his late Cabinet and Congress;
such as has brought him into disgrace and contempt
with the whole American people, which has disqualified
hun from administering this Government with adVan'
,age, honor, or virtue.
s,h. charge him with an arbitrary and despotic abuse
Of The veto power, to crafty his personal and political
resentment, with such evident marks of inconsistency
and dupliclty, as leave no room to doubt his total dlsre-
gard of the interests of the people and of his duty to the
country.
oh. ! charge him with the high misdemeanor OF ar
Tay'ng himself in open hostility to the legislative DE,
paFtment of the Government, by the publication oil
s|anderous and libellous letters under his own sigma,
ture, with a view of creating a false and unmerited
sympathy for himself, and bringing Congress into dis
respite and odium with the people, by which means
that harmony between the Executive and Legislative
departments so essential to good government and The
welfare Of the people has been utterly destroyed.
10Th. | charge hin with an abandonment Of an ac'
kaowledged constitutional duty, in refusing to render
such aid 10 the constituted authorities of Rhode Island
when called m. ne he had himself previously promised