Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-06-27
Protest of the President against the Proceed
ings of the Coyode Committee.
WASHINGTON, June 81, 1850.

To the House Of Representatives.:
In nv message to the House of Represen-
tatives of the 2Sth of March last, | solemn
~ protested against the creation of a COM
mittee, at the head Of which was placed my
accuser, for the purpose of investigating
whether the President had, ''by money, pa
tronage, or other improper means, sought to
influence the action of Congress, or any
committee thereof, for or against the pas
sage of any law appcrtaining to the rights
Of any State or Territory" | protested
against this because it was destitute Of any
specification, because it referred to no par
ticular act to enable the President 10 prepare
for his defence, because it deprived him OF
the constitutional guards which, in common
with every citizen Of the United States, he
possesses for his protection, and because 1t
assailed his constitutional independence as Il
coordinate branch of the Government.
There is an enlightened justice as we'll as
beautiful symmetry in every part OF the
Constitution. This Is conspicuously mani
tested in regard to impeachments. The
House of Representatives possesses 'the sole
power of Impeachment" the Senate ''the
sole power to try all inn eachments;' and the
'
or other high crimes or misdemeanors. =
The practice Of the House from the earliest
times had been in accordance with It's own
dignity, the rights of the accused, and the
demands Of justice. At the commencement
of each judicial investigation which might
lead TO an impeachment, specific charges
were always preferred, the accused had an
opportunity Of cross-eXamlning the witness
scs, and he was placed in full possession of
the precise nature of the offence which he
had to meet An impartial and elevated
standing committee was charged with tins
investigation. upon which no member IN
spired with the ancient sense of honor and
Justice would have served had he ever ex-
pressed an opinion against the accused
Until the present occasion 1t was never deem
ed proper to transform the accuSer into the
Judge. and 10 confer upon him the selection
of his own committee.
The charges made against me, IN vague
and general terms, were of such false and
atrocious character that did not entertain
a moments apprehension for the result
They were abhorrent to every principle in
stilled into me from my youth, and every
practice of my life; and did not believe 1t
possible that the man existed who would so
basely perjurc himself rs to swear to the
truth Of any such accusations. In this con-
yiction am informed | have not been mis-
taken.
In my former protest, therefore, | truly
and cnptatically declared that it was made
| for no reason personal to myself: but be-
cause the proceedings of the i!oHae were in
violation Of the rights Of the coordinate ex-
| ecutive branch Of the Government, subyer-
| sive of its constitutional independence, and,
if unrcsisted, would establish a precedent
| dangerous and embarrassing to all my sue
| cessors Notwithstanding all this, if the
| committee had not transcribed the authority
| conferred upon it By the resolution OF the
| House of Representatives, broad and gene
| raj as this was, should have remained 81
| lent upon the subject What now charge
is, that they have acted as though they pos,
scssed unlimited power and, without any
| warrant whatever in the resolution under
which they were appointed, have pursued Il
course not merely Ill war with the ronSt'tu-
| tional rights of the Executive, but tending
TO degrade the Presidential office itself to
such Il degree rs to render it unworthy OF
the acceptance of any man Of honor or prin-
| cple.
| The resolution Of the House, 80 far as it is
| accusatory OF the President is confined to all
| inquiry whether he had used corrupt or i'm
proper means to influence the action Of Con
| grass, or any Of It's committees, on logisia-
| tive measures pending before them. Moth
| ing mere nothing less. have not learned,
| through the newspapers, or IN any other
| mode, that the committee have touched the
other accusatorv branch OF the resolution,
| charging the President with a violation Of
| duty in failing to execute some law or laws.
| This branch OF the resolution is. therefore,
out of the question. BY what authority,
then, have the committee undertaken to in
vestigate the course of the President in re-
gard to the Convention which framed the
| Lecompton constitution? BY what authori-
tv have they undertaken to pry into our for
eign relations, for the purpose of aSsailing
| him on account OF the Instructions given by
the Secretary Of State to our Minister III
Mexico, relative to the 'rehauntepec route:-
| By what authority have they inquired into
the causes of removal from Office, and this
! from the parties themselves removed, with a
| view to pre- udice his character, notwithstan-
| ding this power Of removal belongs cxclu-
| sivelY to the President under the Constitu-
ton, was 50 decided by the first Congress in
the year 1880, and has accordingly ever
since been exercised? There is in the reso-
luton no pretext of authority for the COM
mttee to investigate the question Of the
printing of the Post Office blanks: nor is it
to be supposed that the House, if asked,
would have granted such IN authority, be-
cause this question had been previously
committed to two other committees one in
the Senate and the other in the House
notwithstanding this absolute want Of pow
er, the committee rushed into this inyesti "a.
ton in advance Of all other subjects.
The committee proceeded for months.
from I'D March, 1860, to examine e. purte,
and without any notice to myself, into every
subject which could possibly affect my cha
ractcr Interested and indicative witness
es were summoned and examined before
them: and the first and only information of
their testimony which, in almost every in
stance, | received, was obtained from the
publication Of such portions of it as could
iniuriousIy affect myself, in the New York
journals. 1t mattered not that these state
rnents were so Ear as / have learned disproy-
ed by the most respectable witnesses who
happened to lie On the spot. The telegraph
was silent respecting these contradictions.
1t was secret committee in regard to the
testimony in my defence: but it was public