Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-02-08

his country; but if he means to do So let him
J. 60 home-let him go to some law school, and
e learn little Of the rights of the citizens of these
states, and OF the members OF this House-lct him
learn, that If there disgrace in this House ts lb
presentation OF such resolutions these which he has
onefeo against one OF IT'S members, charging him with
crimes ready TO admit them as proofs OF crimes and
Offering them II the party implicated had been tried
ana found guilty. That is the foundation of his reso
intlons-nor can the House adopt them without deci
ding that the person is guilty Of those crimes.
And now, ask whether the person is To be pre,um
ed guilty OF these charges, and whether tins House !.
TO Inhct the punishment upon him which the resou,;or
say, Is founded upon his commission of these crimes -
That article III the Constitution which has been road
provides, that I'm all criminal prosecutions the accused
shall enjoy the right speedy aud public ,rol he a..
impartial jury Will the gentleman denv me The
rsh, Of that impartial jury: lie must do so before tbs
resolution can be passed. He must DENY me the noy
er OF being tried by an impartial jury And will lie
gentleman say, that if am tried by this House shall
De tired before an impartial tribunal: NJ; he bos ion
much sense anG candvr to say SO He himSelf - -,
impartial The very draught fins resolution shows il,
"Sn 70 speak Of the shareholders this House and
OF Tue oh"h wan resoect There three classes of
persons ihcuded Ia Use save interest as represpnta
lives here. AS 10 the STAKEHOLDER. have no,h;ng :,
say against HIM. except at it am to be tried BIZ linn
shall not have an impartial trial | CHALLENGE HIM
Tor partiaiiiy-.or pre-adutcalon upon this cues
"on as question 81 con'emr, which, repeat is the
only charge on which can be made 10 answer bere
say he is not impartial Every STAKEHOLDER has moi
only an interest but the most sorGd Of all interests
q personal pccnniary interes-whci Will Govern him
come from portion Of the country where slavery
- known only by name come from ST., that he,,,
not the foot OF slave upon represent here The de-
scendans Of Bradford, and Wins!ow, and Carver and
Alden-the first who alghted the rock of Plymouth
Ana am the representative OF the descendants of Ties.
nen-ot tie free people Of the State Of Massachusetts
that bears not slave upon it-am 10 come herr and
be tried Tor high treason, because presented n nett
tion-a PetttoE-to this House, and because the fancy
or Imagination of the gentleman from Kentucky sun
poses tha ihec was antI-savery, the abolition oil
slavery IN IL: The gentleman charges me with subor
nation OF perjury and Of high treason and lie calls npon
tins House, as matter Fl crryaad grace not To expel
me for these crimes but 10 nc upon Inc the seyeres,
censures they cam and 10 decide upon that there ar,
one hundred members Of this House who are slavehold
crs. Is any one OF them impartial No. thrust they
VIII not consider themselves impartial men, trust
that many o,tem VIII hive those Galms conscience
which the gentleman from Accomac MIR Wlscl as.
Signs as his reason Tor being excused: and that Icv
VIII not vote upon question which their personal
Pecnniary, ard most sordd interests al stake
ME. WIoE. never avowcd any such reason. The
reasons IL, tie personal loatbng, dread and contempt
feel for the ilan.
Alr. CALHOUN Of Mass rose 10 order The gentle
man from Virginia Mr. WseI had proceeded in his re.
marks without interruption, aud Mr. Z. insisted that th
same right should BE- secured 10 the gentleman from,
Massachusetts, Mr. Adams
Some words passed betwe Mr. Wise aud Mr. Cal.
houn, OF which nothing beyond tie accompanying ees-
tcua'ions on the part Of The former gentleman, is
known 10 the Reporter.
Mr. ADAMS proceeded. ] object there fore, 10 the
resolution to,o as not only INJURIOUS 10 mo r;uh,s
To Tie rights Of my constituents, and injurious 10 the
rights OF all the free people If the United States hut
because those who decide upon il are go far as
they are shareholders, chaengcable il they were IN.
rors. They rot the Judges by whom | oupht i,
be judged and they ought, every Of them 10 es.
cludc himseli-eitleT from that motive, or II they
please, Tie motive which the gentleman from Accomac
assigns
hlr. Speaker, will not multiply words. | simply
say that as cannot be tired b, tins House for tho
crimes alleged as the motives for the trial. so protest
against any decision Of this House. | call upon the
House 10 dismiss The resolution Of the gentleman from
henncky as one upon which they have power what
ever to act But, prevent the action of tho
members Of the House, whom consider partial and
therefore, disqualified from pronouncing on my often.
ces, am still III the power Of the ma ority II they
say they will Try me- they must try me. If they say
they viii punish ne, they must punish Ii they
say That, IN grace and mercy, they will spare me cx
pnis'on, disdan anj cast their mercy away: and |
ask them If they will come 10 such trial and expel
me ! defy them. | have constituents 10 20 10 TIA,
VIII have something 10 say il this House expes me
Nor VIII 1t be long before gentlemen will see me aran
appears 10 TO BE- clear that there is no rrht
in this House 10 try and punish me-, SHOW me thar
mercy grace which / dsdain TO receive al then
hands, that argument Is unnecessary. But it they say
50, shall then require the application Of the benz fits
which the Constitution 10 persons tried fo
these crimes in judicial courts. shall then claim 10
be s hea I'd IN nv esspGs pil7&iibolh ip!ss7pto
" The moment when was coming to the most point
ed proof Of the case | sustained. ! hope It VIII be
90 hope that if am 10 be tired for crimes, ana 10
have the tender Of The contemplate mercy of the House,
/ hope saw that il Will be done in form that 4
day will be assigned when shall have The opportunity
of defending myself, when shall have the opportu-
nifty Of collecting few OF those documents OF when
the gentleman from Accomac has been making HE
and bundle that he might eypectorate hts bile upon
Here Mr. Adams concluded.
A conversation followed between mr. ADAMS and
the SPEAKER in relation 10 the form IN which the
question on the point Of order should lie put to the
House; when, the suggestion 81 The Speaker, DIR.
A. consented that il should be put in the form OF con-
sderdon to wit, "Wi! The House consider te lesoiu
tons :"
fAnd this question the Speaker SAID was not debata-
Mr. MARSHALL (who was ndisiinctly heard at
the Reporters desk from tie position h" occupted)
sad he wished 10 offer very few remarks in reply To
the argument Of tie gentleman from Massachusetts,
(slr Adams) There two points To be consider
ed-one matter Of law and the other matter oil fact
The gentlemen had assumed in the first place, nat
The resolution offered by hiia (Nr. NJ as substitute
for that Of the gentleman from virginia (Mr Giimerl
CHARGED him (Mr. A. with subornat!on OF perjury and
high treason, and that the censurc OF this House was
invoked against him for these two offences a very
superficial examination Of this resolution would satisfy
every gentleman, he (Nr. thought, that The gentle
man was mistaken in the fact lie OR. Az was not
charged with suborra.on Of perjury or high treason
and IN poin: Of fact not put on ta! on either Of
,hese charges 1t was charged that proposition,
o The Representatives. 0: tie people 10 dissolve the
oraan;c laws framed by the. constituents, and to sup
port which they commanded by those constituents
10 be sworn before they enter upon The execution q
the political powers created by It and entrusted 10 them
is high breach OF privilege, contempt offered to this
House. direct proposition to the Legislature and each
member Of il, TO commit perjury, and involving neces-
sary in It's execution and IL consequences the aes.!uc
ton Of our counlrv and the crime Of high treason
Now this petition was not drawn BY tie gentleman,
! and he was not charged for It,
| Mr.ADaIS Why am 10 be punished for II
Mr. MARSHALL. Because, as member oil TN.
House, the gentleman had permitted himself TO be used
as vehicle By which petition involving "i.E'n l'se
,hc n,ono.tion here Sc, forth was offered the Repre-
sentative body Of the nacr and the charge agans' ne