The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-01-28
| From the Globe Of Wednesday.
THE INTERLUDE OF MIR. ADAMS CON
TINTED

This day, like hundreds Of others, which should
have been devoted to- the public concerns thrown
away upon MIR. Adams, We have little doubt that,
if the Journals searched it would be found that
since Mr., Adams has been in Congress- he has rem
dered abortive for public business least onefourth
part of every session. And before he into Con-
gress, he literally parayzed the body by the adulte
rous conception and travail which brought him into
the Presidency against the will of the people. The
doctrine which he insisted upon, after attaining the
Chief Magistracy, The representative body should
not be pasied by the icH Of lis constituents 1t would
seem that he conceves that this palsying power
should belong to himself alone. And for months to-
gether he has kept the whole Congress at bay with
the phrenzy with which he besets it. After arguing
his case yesterday in reply to Mr.. Marshall and re-
spending to Mr. Wise to-day, he has put in spe-
cal plea denying that Congress has any right to
terrain the question which he has pressed upon it by
his own argument, and by which argument has call
ed the House to decision.
! We leave the explanation of this new point started
by Mr.. Adams, to evade the discussion Of the merits
of Mr. Marshas resolution of censure to the sketch
given in our analysis. The pretence assumed by Mr..
Adams, that the resolution proposed to try and pun
ish him for the crime of subornation of perjury and
treason, shown by Mr.. Marshall to be the merest
subterfuge ever attempted in the face of enlight-
ened body Neither of these imputatons couched in
the preamble, had reference to Mr. Adams, but to
those who sought, through the petition, to encourage
a conspiracy to destroy the Government This is
manifest on the face of the paper, and it was the
contempt offered the House, in presenting paper
fraugh with this design that the resolution of cen
sure predicated.
But Mr.. Marshall well argued that if the charge
against MIR. Adams involved the infamous offence of
subornation of perjury the shocking of
treason, it did not follow that because the House had
no cognizance of such crimes violations of law,
and as punishable in the criminal tribunal that the
culprit could not be censured banshed from the
House in consequence of the infamy they attached to
him, and which, under the rules, subjected him to the
acton of the body, for whatever calculated to
degrade him a member. But the most singular cir
cumstance is that Mr.. Adams should have attempted
this subterfuge, when he could not have forgotten
that he himself, as the Chairman of the Committee of
the Senate founded resolution of expulsion against
John Smith, Senator from Ohio, upon the express
ground of participation in Burr's conspiracy. We
! give the resolution;
/" Resolved, That JoHN SMITH, Senator from the
State of Ohio, by his participation in the conspiracy
of Aaron Burr, against the peace union and Liberties
of the United States, has been guilty of conduct in
compatible with his duty and station of Senator Of
the United States, and that he be therefore and
hereby is expelled from the Senate of the United
States"
Ayes l9-nays 10. Senate Journal 4th vol page
263
Mr.. ADAMS did not argue then as he did to-day,
that the crime Of treason, for which JOHN SMITH
to be expelled, not cognizable by the House of
which he was member. He did not argue that the
Constitution, which guaranteed to him the right of
trial before court-by his peers-a jury-and the
aid of counsel and of witnesses, threw shield over
| him, and secured him from all responsibility to the
rules of the House for such infamy these offences
attached, rendering him unworthy to hold seat in
the body. Far from holding such doctrine then, Mr..
ADAMS backed his resolution with such powerful rea-
soning to persuade the Senate that participation in
conspiracy threatening The peace and penanence of The
! Union sufiic ent to eXpel a member that
nineteen to ten actually voted the expulsion of JOHN
SMITH Two-thirds of the Senate would have voted
i but the agreement of SMITH to resign, in case
the constitutional vote to expel, not obtained,
some members absented themselves to give him that
opportunity, of which he availed himself This old
case conducted by Mr. ADAMS, is precisely in point
to his present case and it is remarkable that he has
made both cases himself. Every word of his deuun-
citation of SMITH, for the crime of participating in
BuRRs conspiracy is applicable TO that atrocious
conspiracy in which he has himself participated, not
only against the peace order, dignity and usefulness
Of the body of which he is member, but against the
safety of the Union.
i Yet we would not commend +" the poisoned cha
lice to his lips" although he did not hesitate to make
Mr.. SMITH drain it to the dregs. We would not give
him or his petition the Importance which would be
impaired by the consideration of either They should
both be dismissed in opinion without discussion
or trial, to the execration which awaits them now
and forever, from all who love their country. What
is the formal censurc of the House, compared with
this censure might be construed into a sort of
! expiaton--but what an expiationi II is better to
leave him to the punishment of public opinion, with
out such ground of mitigation.