The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-06-26
NEW YORK HERALD TUESDAY JUNE 2e lseo-1RIPLE SHEET

The President and the Covoie Committee.
Tie most remarkable feature in the proceed
ings of Congress yesterday was the second pro-
test from the President against the inquisitorial
proceedings of the House in the matter of the
Covode Committee, touching the conduct of the
Executive in official briberies and cOrruptions
connected with his administration of the affairs
of the general government
In this second protest the President repeats
and enlarges upon the grounds of the first,
against the proceedings of the House
in instituting, prosecuting and supporting
this Covode smelling committee. We give the
message in full, in connection with our reports
of yesterdays Congressional proceedings, on
reference to which our readers will obtain
the arguments on both sides of the question.
That the President makes out a clear case of an
infringement of the boundaries of his depart
ment of the government by the House of Rep
esentatives, in the matter of this Covode Com
mittee, we think every dispassionate reader will
agree that his complaints are just against the
INSCRIPTIONS partisan malignity which has gov
erned this Covode investigation, no intelligent
eader can deny. Nor can any doubt be enter
aimed that the hostile majority of the House,
which has prosecuted and sustained this inves-
tigation to this point, will sustain it to the end
Mr.. Buchanan, however, is not without his
reasons for exultation over the indefatigable re-
searches and curious discoveries of this Covode
experiment. Thus he declares, " I have passed
triumphantly through this ordeal. My vindica-
ton is complete. The committee have report
ed no resolution looking to an impeachment
against me no resolution of censure not even
a resolution pointing out any abuses in any of
the executive departments of the government to
be corrected by legislation" But still. in the
name and as the representative of the people
and standing upon the ramparts of the const-
tuition. he ''solemnly protests against these I'M
precedented and unconstitutional proceedings"
This protest is we'll applied, for the manner in
which the President has been triedbefore this
committee has been about as fair and Legitimate
as would be the trial of man before grand
jury for high crime and that, too, in advance
of the bill of indictment. We have no doubt
that the question at issue will receive at the
next session of Congress that serious considera-
ton which il demands. but which at this session
has been denied.
Meantime, we apprehend that the purposes of
this Covode investigation have ceased to exist.
The committee and its drag net were created
under the idea that the democratic party and
the administration would be a unit in this Pre-
sdential campaign. and that thus anything and
everything that could be raked and scraped
together smelling Of spoils-corruptions on the
part of the administration. would be good
political capital against the powerful demo-
cracy. like the White House silver teapots and
gold spoons discovered there by one Paul Pry
Ogle. of Pennsylvania, about the year 1s40.
But all this is changed now. The powerful
democracy have gone to pieces, and such swift
witnesses for the uses of Covode as Forney and
Wendell in their shocking testimony Of moral
degradation, have only convicted and disgraced
themselves before the world. Bowman, of the
Constitution newspaper and Rice, formerly Of
the Pennsvl,union have also shown themselves to
be mere hucksters in the spols of Office. The
whole batch have proved themselves such nui-
sance that the administration has suffered in CIV
moment they began to chatter and wrangle over
the spois of the public printing. They should
all have been sent off TO Coventry with Forney.
The dissolution of the democratic party places
Forney and all his anti-Lecompton brethren
who have been warming themselves in the re-
publican kitchen at discount in the market.
The republican party can do without them,
will not want them, and will whistle them down
the wind. As for the administration, it now
comes forward to the judgment of the unpre-
JUDGED historian. Relieved of the demoralized
and disjointed party which has given him SO
much trouble-having no more favors to ask of
1t. and nothing more to fear from it, nor from
any other party-Mr. Buchanan is free to pursue
his own course for the remnant of his term. On
its expiration he will return to Wheatland with
something of the grateful emotions Of be-
wildered traveller escaping from q nest Of
thieves to the shelter Of his own roof.
PARTY CONTESTS IN ExoLAxD-The resistance
offered to Lord John Russells Reform bill by
the rump of the old whig party, in combination
with the Dcrbyites, has compelled its with
drawal for the present session. This, with the
defeat Of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's pro-
position for the abolition Of the paper duty, will
probably lead to a fresh organization of the
Manchester league and a series Of violent de-
monstrations against the enemies Of popular
rights. The opposition think they have accom-
a. L. he la(oo ~ xxx-~