Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-02-17
WASHINGT TON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

WASHING TON NEWS AND GOSSIP
IKxooRArIc NorIcE.-The Democratic eau
Gu, viii NOT meet this evening 1t was ad
journed to the call of the Chair.
JOHN COCHRANE, Chairman.
JOHN H. REAGAN, Secretary. 81.
Washington, February 18th, 1858.
HE CoNfEhPT CAsE.-Our exchanges are
beginning to reach US with unfavorable con-
ments upon the assumption Of power on the
part of the House to imprison without trial by
his peers-a jury-a citizen, under an allega-
ton Of q contempt of the authority OF the body
in refusing to testify as to what he did with
money in his hands, which he swears was not
used in any way to influence the legislation Of
Congress.
The impression Of our contemporaries is, evil
IDENTIFY, that If the House have power to do as
they have done in the case of this Mr.. Wolcott,
their lawful authority is really authority with
out any limit whatever-as despotic as that of
Alexander Of Russia, and far more arbitrary
than that of Louis Napoleon extending to any
subject, person or thing concerning which they
may elect to order an investigation, whether
that be transaction affecting the honor Of the
Congress of to-day, or the doings of people in
Kamskatka half century ago.
The Constitution expressly declares that no
American citizen shall be deprived of his lib
ty without due process of law. In this case
the House has not only snapped its finger at
the right Of the citizen under this clause of the
Constitution to which we refer but also at the
obligations of the plain provisions of the law
Of the last session to prevent frauds. &c, where
in a mode of trial prosecution, punishment,
&C., is provided to meet such cases as that
which Mr.. WOlcott's would have been had he
refused to accord the answer he gave, which
really completely covered the ground of the
authority of the House in his case. A single
branch of Congress cannot by itself make law,
as the House has attempted to do in this in
stance. single House, however, can usurp
authority, to the great danger OF the future Of
American liberties. For quarter of q centu-
ny it was the policy of the anti Democratic
party to inveigh against the dangers of E1ecu-
tive assumption of power. The Democracy al
ways, and very properly, secuted the idea that
there was any real danger from that sJurce;
simply because the Executive, being a single
Individual, there existed no difficulty in fast
ening upon him due responsibility for all his
acts
The Democracy have never yet dreaded the
lack of will and spirit on the part of American
public opinion to keep the Executive power
within constitutional and lawful bounds Their
fear has been, on the contrary, of ercroachments
on the part of Congress Individual members
thereof are not responsible, strictly speaking,
for the action Of q majority Of the House
From the formation of the government to this
hour the avenue by which its Capitalization
has progressed land We hold that it has made
rapid strides, indeed,) has been through Con-
gressional usurpations, one by one-acquiriug
the force of precedent, eventually. Ten years
ago that tendency was recognized by all strict
constructionists as tho great danger to the fu-
ture of the character and purity OF the gov
eminent. Now, however, affairs appear to US
to have undergone a very remarkable change
IN this respect. We allude to the votes of
many really conservative members, who claim
to be strict constructionists, in this affair, which
proclaim that they admit no limit to the power
and authority of the body to which they be-
long upon any question whatever which they
choose to assume to be ole affecting their own
- privilege"
THE FIsHr DENocRAcY.-The fact that
Democratic public opinion is everywhere rap
idly coming to regard the allies of the Repub- |
lican party in Congress who formerly acted
with the Democracy on the great and over
'hadOwing question now dividing American
political parties, as being as decided oppo-
'itionists as those who avow that they occupy
that position, is disgruntling them not little
This is evident in the tone Of the newspapers
in their interest, which seem foOlishly to
imagine that by pleading the liberation Of a |
former common political faith, the great Demo
cratic organization of the land can be induced
to overlook the fact that gentlemen who fight
shoulder to shoulder with the Republican
party, aiming their blows against the heart Of
their late party-against the great measure of
The era, the success of which it bases all it's
hope of ascendancy in the immediate future
are essentially its more dangerous enemies
than those who contend against it openly and
avowedly.
Now, the history Of American politics shows
clearly that protestations of common faith on
some points, while laboring to break down the
Democratic party policy on the points really in
ssue between them and their opponents, have
never yet suf6eed to delay for an hour the
eventual entire rafting to the enemy, Of
gentlemen who fancy to take such political
'ehntes." Vide the newspaper efforts made
to argue Messrs. Rives, Talmadge, and fifty
others We might name, to be the soundest Dem
ocratic party men, while they were leaving no
efforts untried to defeat the measures of the
party. Where are they one and all, political
ly, now?
AREcONaENDArIoy.-A the multitude
Of witnesses called hither Of late by authority
Of the House to testify before this or that of
their interminable investigating committees,
are not few brought here from points hun
dreds of miles distant. Such persons are in
most cases thus forced to make grave business
sacrifices. They must be absent at the pleasure
of the House committees, from their own affairs
for weeks, without the slightest regard to their
own business interests. The Emperor of Russia