The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-05-17


and reasons which might have influenced depart
ment of the Executive branch of the Government
in the exercise Of power vested IN it by laws could
not recognise. But there is difference
in the authority of the two Houses from whose COM
mttees the call has emanated. The House Of Rep
resen tatives constitutes the grand inquest for i'm
peachment; and, when acting in view OF that object
may rightfully examine into the inducements which
were presented to the Postmaster General for max
ing removal or appointment and his motives for
performing such act. And although have not
been apprzed of any such object in calling for these
papers, yet, presuming in this case that the call
was made for legitimate purpose within the scope
of the powers of the committee, have thought pro-
per the present occasion to furnish the whole of
the correspondence required by their resolution,
without excepting any portion Of it whatever p
pide House Does, I'd sess 23d Cong, Rep. Com
mittees, No 1903, .. $50.
Z. In the next place. have to observe that this is
call on the President to furnish means TO crimi-
nate himself, TO which ] shall permit President
jackson to state the objection In his to Mr..
Wise's committee, already referred to, he says
"The first proceeding Of the investigating COM
mittee is to pass series of resolutions, which,
though amended on their passage, were, as under
stood, introduced by you calling on the President
and heads of the Departments not to any
specific charge, not 70 explain any alleged abuse,
not to give information to any particular trans
action, but assuming they have been guilty of
the charges alleged, calls on them to furnish evil
dence against themselves. In open violation
of the Constitution and of that we'll established and
cent until proved guilty according to the established
rules of law, you request myself and the heads of
Departments to become our own accusers and to
furnish the evidence to convict ourselves; and this
call purpors to be founded on the authority of that
body in which alone, by the Constitution, the pow
er OF impeaching us is vested shall resist
all such attempts an invasion of the principles OF
justice well as of the Constitution and / shall
esteem it my sacred duty to the people Of the Uni
ted States to resist them would the establish
ment of the Spanish inquisition "-pide House
Docs, I'd sess- 24h Cong, Reports Of Committees,
No. 1874, p. %.
In the same document, page 45, Mr.. Forsyth
says:
"Self- respect forbids reply as to myself as to
my predecessors, should not become their accuser
if they had committed errors and certainly shall
not vindicate them while following their exam
ple.''
1t appears from the same document, page 46, that
Amos Kendall, then Postmaster General; from do,
page AZ, Levi Woodbury., Secretary of the Trea-
| sury; from do, page 4S, Mahlon Dckerson, Sec
| retary of the Navy; and from the journal of same
committee, page 80, b. F. Butler, acting Secretary
of War, gave similar answers.
1t thus appears that my honorable friend has in
troduced procedure here in the nature of the
Spanish nquisition 81 shall resist t,'' exclaims
President jackson, Gas l would the establishment
of the Spanish inquisition." And therefore sup
pose shall do no injustice to the Senatorif con-
slider him as the grand inquisitor.
g. In speaking of the INJURIOUS character of this
resolution, must not omit very extraordinary
paragraph in the speech of the honorable Senator,
which is as follows:
''Ifany friend of the Administration will, in his
place here, on its behalf, candidly acknowledge
that these pledges and professions made previous 10
| the election, and reaffirmed in the inaugural ad-
dress, have been violated and that Democrats
removed because they are Democrats, and not for
moral or official dehnquency'-f he will make
these frank admissions, and thus relieve honorable
and honest men who have suffered prescription for
their political opinions, from the unjust imputation
of dishonesty, inhdcity, or incaPacity, repeat,
will not ask for the adoption Of the resolution"
With respect to the suggestion that the parties re-
moved were laboring under unjust imputations for
the stated. that can be shown to be groundess
on authority which the Senator must respect being
that Of the opinions of the late Mr. Grundy, of
| the leaders Of the Democratic party. In debate
which took place in this chamber on the 18th of
February, 1885, that gentleman said
at is no disparagement to mans standing or
character that another individual has been found
| who perform the duties of the Office as well as
he can, and that another has been appointed in his
place. If the Office has been advantageous and
profitable, he should not enjoy the whole benefits
in preference TO all his contemporaries. On the
other hand, if the office has been burdensome, he
ought, in proper time, 10 be relieved from it,
Vide Gales 4 Ssotons Register Of Debates, poi. IL,
part !, p. 53l.
These opinions were expressed by Mr.. Grundy,
in face OF ayowals by President jackson, to
grounds Of removals analogous to those Of President
| Taylor, TO which the Senator refers; and hence
there is foundation for the pretence that the in
formation is wanted to relieve the parties removed
| from imputaion. But, If the fact be otherwise,
how does the Senator propose to relieve them! BY
sacrificing the character Of the President of the
United States for honor and rectitudc The honor
able member, after enumerating about a score OF
supposed breaches of faith, which he calls "the
grand result" coolly proposes, that If his friends
"will candidly acknowledge" that Zachary Taylor
has violated his word, he will not press his resolu
ton. II is manifest, then, that the resolution s in
troduced for no practical purpose whatever. No
useful measure Of legislation Is TO be founded upon
IL
this great country. But we are required to admit
that the noble man at the head Of our Government
is infamous, or VIC are TO lie under the terrors oil
this resolution Does the honorable Senator really
suppose that about TO acknowledge that he
who has spent his whole life in the service Of his
countrywide has won for the stars and stripes an
imperishable renown, and whose purity and integ-
rity no man ever doubted befo-e-has all at once
become the basest Of mankind Mr. President,
hold no such commission; and If any one should at
tempt TO impose Il upon me, every impulse of my
heart would lead me to spurn IL.
Having thus fully developed the injurious char.
acter of this resolution, leave il in the hands Of
the Senate, and bid the Senator welcome TO any
laurcls which he is likely TO win in such a con-
test.
But, Mr. President, il will now be my duty To
examine in some detail the basis upon which my
honorable friend has erected his whole superstruc-
turc Of reprehenson Of the Chief Magistrate OF this
country. The honorable Senator takes generally
the ground that the President and his friends gave
n
late Presidential election, of distinct and specific
| character and he insists that the effect Of these
pledges was such as to impose upon the present
Executive the obligation 10 remove one from
office, except for reasons that would lay Just
foundation for Impeachment. He holds out the
idea that these pledges assurances were so bind
ing upon tho President, that IL was not competent
for him to make single removal from any depart
ment Of the public service, without giving notice
TO the party interested, and without afording him
an opportunity to be heard, to examine witnesses,
and TO defend himself by counsel. And where does
the Senator find his basis for such exposition
this, II Is 10 be found, in the main, in certain
| tracts made from seven letters Of the President,
communicated TO the public in advance Of the late
Presidential election, on remarks made by some
two or three Of his leading friends during the
Vase, and in few short sentences produced from
the Presidents inaugural address.
Now, have TO say, in the first place, that very
great injustice has been done TO President Taylor
| in regard TO this correspondence. | utterly deny,
and can prove conclusively, that he never made
any assurances or gave pledges of any sort in
| ference TO this matter. While cannot doubt that
my honorable friend in making the selections from
the seven letters referred to, acted in good faith,
/ vet will say that il the most ingenious man in