Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1860-05-12
What the English Think Of the
Doings of the Covode Inves-
tigati on Committee.


The Message sent by President Buchan
an to the House of Representa- is n
public act, which will not be forgotten in
the political history of the Anglo Saxon
race. A strange use has been made of it
in this country, with a sort Of inverted
moral TO attest the dangerous tendencies of
rcpublicanism in the United States, The
majority in Congress have an idea that
things might be better managed in the
Public Printing, the Post Office, the Navy
Yard, the Public Buildings and Public
Works. Now it would be difficult for an
Englishman to find in these ideas anything
peculiarly monstrous or revolutionary for
il occurs to us that we have encountered
precisely the same IDEAS in the British
House of Commons, and at not distant
date. The House Of Representatives pro-
posed committee of inquiry, as the House
of Commons has done, and we shall have
BuebookS, with plenty of materials, in
some of tic American departments, for
rather telling exposure The Post Office
importcction5, for instance, would, even in
the eyes of that journal which is so severe
upon Rowl,nd Hill and his system, appear
something rather proper to the realms OF
poetry than oE fact in these days of penny
postage. The co mmittec began with Il
very legitimate question; it was made the
subject Of party competition, and faction
oycr,rcachrd itself. The said committee
Of Ave members was instituted to inquire
whether the President of the United Sta cs
o. any other officer of the government had
10y corrupt means sought to influence
the passing Of any Law, or the execution
Of any law. This i, an attempt to impeach
the President without rcsorting to the form
OF impeachment; it is an attempt to obtain
the benefit OF something little short of de $
potiSm, on a staple yota of no confidence,
or committee to inquire; it is, in short,
an attempt to carry out co4l' de- H,whil,
incurring only the responsibilities OF 4 qui-
ct proceeding within tn, House. 1t Is an
cncroachmcnt Of one branch of the L~gis-
latur, upon coordinate and independent
branch of the Legislature.
1t is direct attack upon the Amcricrn
Constitution, which lodges with the Pre,i-
dent the discretion Of arrc,ting any act of
Congress by his veto, and preventing it,
further progress save under certain condi-
tion4. If two-third, of the Legislature
p,rscvcrc in maintaining the proposed
enactment, the veto is oyrrruled. 50 long
therefore, as the veto i'not ovcrrulcd, the
fact is taken to imply that large proper
ton of the representative body, and pos
sbly Il large majority Of the community
out OF doors, agree with the President in
his doubts. Hence tlig propriety of sus.
p'nling the enactment until a new Con-
grcsS. Should there he any ground for
inspecting Il member Of the Executive of
corrupt conduct, the Constitution also pro .
vidcs II process for bringing the accused to
usti'e. lie can be inp,achca by the
House of Representatives, before the Sem
ate, the Chief Justic, OF the United States
presiding. In England we at once per.
ceye the value Of these safeguards. O
course, there were motives for the attempt
, tn break through them. Pennsylvania, q
| central State representing almost the Who'll,
Union in it, different pha cS, returns a
= mongst its members Il violent anti slavery
5 p'r|on, Mr. John Coyodc In the rank,
A ofthc anti-slaycry party will be found t
h v'ry strong infusion of the old tory party
| which survives in the republic, That ole
+ tory party shlrcs with other ambitious po
= lit cal sections the hope of obtaining som,
= Kind of'alvautagc at the next clcction.-
= An accu.ation of tn hi ghc,t officer in tn,
D republic, even though it may not be car
{ ried out i'll condemnation would be a crca
, political scandal aud nj ght affect the clcc
y tlon, SectArian z.al, personal ambition
U the feeling Of affection, esprit nc corps
5 have all combined il whrt,if it not to b,
regarded an absurd cscapadc, would be al
- act of treason against the Constitution o
+ the American Republic.
= 1t is a juncturc at which a man worth,
t Of the earliest days Of the Republic wa
j. wanted at thr chief post; ami luckily tn
,, American R"ppbli, ro scsscS such ma
G in James Buchanan, spgaciou. lawyer
= an experienced stat sman, SCUM pat 10
h and, a' all who know him will attest,
II strong hearted aud earnest man. lie Ia,
the cy" to see tho danger, the JUL cement t,
+ recognize, and the courage to adopt tn
+ true course, In lii message to the IIous
c Of representatives, he point, out the uttc