Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-06-30

has ever been given from the lips of man. 1t was
this pretentioUs upstart who modesty declined
the position of Minister PIenipotentary the Court
of Spain, when rendered TO him by PresidentPIERc
It was this pretentious upstart" who received the
unanimous nomination for the Vice Presidency
from the Democratic Convention Of the nation at
Cincinnati It was this "pretentiOus ups.a4s who,
at the age of thrty-nine was triumphantly elected
by the people of the United States to the second Of
fee in their gift It was this preteatious upstart'
who has conducted himself in his capacity Of Vice
President of the United States in manner unsur-
passed by any Of his nlustrlous predecessors,
in such a manner as to win the highest eulogiums
from his bitterest political opponents To GO back
a httle it was this "pretentious upstart" who
buckled on his armor during the Mexican war, and
went with his brave Kentucky troops to the defence
of his country, when JOHN BELL was at home, siren
uously opposing the administration of President
Polk. The spotess scroll Of his fame has never
yet been touched by the pen Of calumny.
The Banner Of yesterday publishes the resolutions
of censure upon the President and Secretary of the
Navy recently passed in the House Of Representa-
tives by the Black Republicans and Southern Oppo-
sition The Banner accompanies the resolutions
with the speech made in Congress upon the subject
by Mr. HATToN 1t is but re-hash Of the campaign
speech made by Mr. HATTON in his canvass with M.
READY 1t has been so often repeated to the voters
of the 9TH Congressional District, that we presume it
will prove neither new nor interesting TO Mr. HAT
ToN's constituents Mr.. HATFON is the Chairman
of the Committee on Naval Affairs, to whom these
resolutions were referred, and who reported in
favor of their passage We published few days
since 81 article from leading bell and EVERETT
organ in Philadelphia, the EUeaing Journal in which
it was declared that:
The proceedings instituted in the House Of Repre-
sentatiYes on motion Of Mr. Sherman, were conduct
ed IN most unfair regards tie high officials
whose action in the exercise of their constitutional
authority was professedly made the subject of in
quiry and, secondly, that the pretended inVestiga-
tOn instead Of being designed to elicit truth, with
view to correcting supposed abuses of admlnlstra-
ton, really intended for other purpose than
to excite public Indignation against two eminent
functionsries of the Government as one means among
many such Of making UOtes for the Republican party in
the coming Presidential election. The fact Is every
unprecedented and discerning man must see that the
present Republican majority in the House of Repre-
sentatives have employed their power during this
session Of Congress- chiefly in eI porte inqusitiOns
into the conduct OF the President and his Cabinet
IL lohicb the HquSitOriGl committees lDe~e packed lg
me eeteS y ne GcCiSeI ftleS, whose action was so
sharp to elicit every fact that likely to dis
credit the administration, while every fact that
would have been exculpaJOry, was suppressed.
This Is the language used by one of the organs of
Mr. HATToNs own party, in relation to the investi-
CATION made by certain Committees of the House,
of one of which Mr. HATroS was chairman. We
have italicsed a portion of this article that the
reader may see the unequivOcal manner in which
this Northern organ condemns the policy pursued
towards the administration. This Philadelphia
journal well knows that every vote which can thus
be detached from the Democratic candidates, will
inure not to the benefit of BELL and EVERETT,
but of LINCOLN and HANLIN. In a later number
the same journal under the head Of CONGRESSIONAL
UsURPATION," uses the following language in rela-
ton to the efforts made in the house of Represents
tives to degrade the President in the eyes of the
nation:
The action of the House of Representatives in the
vote of censure passed upon the President involves
a Constitutional question, which is in way affect
ed by the extent of Mr.. Buchanan's malfeasance.
To expatiate upon the corruption of the Adminstra-
ton is to go quite outside Of the real issue We do
not believe that the House of Representatives has
the authority to censure the President. It is en-
powered to impeach him, and, of course, has the
right to collect evidence in order to substantiate such
proceeding but we cannot that il has any right
itself to ntiict a punishment little less severe than
an impeachment when it is known that if the charge
were submitted to the Senate it would not be sus-
tanned If Mr.. Lincoln should be elected, and by a
change of sentiment in the North, the House of
Representatives should become strongly Democratic,
should protest quite as strongly aganzt vote Of
censure, no matter how well grounded as we do
now.
In order to guard against the effects of partisan
prejudice, the Constitution provides that the popu
lar branch Of the Legislature shall only prefer the
charges and conduct the prosecution, while the Sc
nate shall pronounce the judgment. Now, it is evil
dent that tie House of Representatives has AFRO
gated the functions of the Senate. Except that its
influence is mitigated by the fact that is the act of
body bitterly opposed to the politics Of Mr.. Buchan
an. the vote of the House would be 4 severe and
Overwhelming punishment upon the President.
Whether he be guilty of the charges made agai nst
him or not the House has no right to deliver de-
csiOn in the case and this it seems TO us, is quite
as important feature in the proceedings as any
thing that has appeared in the way of exposure"
In this aspect of the matter, it is worthy of note
that this question of constitutional law has been de-
cided by a strict party vote. If it be hard to be-
Heve that the Republicans were BIASED by a de-
sire to make capital for their party, it is no
less difficult to understand how the Democrats
should have their views Of abstPet proposition so
warped by their prejudees.
This vote is certainly discredHabe to the House
and enables US to see how much dependence we
could place upon the fairness and equity of its inter
pretauOns of the Constitution if Mr. Lincola's the
DRY regard to the Supreme Court should be adopt
ed in practice.
We have no desire to shield Mr. Buchanan from
the penalties that should follow misconduct but we
are not disposed 70 give too implicit credence
to the evidence obtained by pde investigation.
If however, the members who voted for the resOlu-
tons of censure believed ali thRt is alleged why do
they not impeach the President? TIC offences charg-
ed against him would if sustained justf ysuch pro-
ceeding. The Constitution says The shall be PemOy
ed from office on impeachmentfOra and convection of
treason bribery, or high crimes and misdemeanOrs."
The resolutions Of the other House declare
Tha che Secretary Of the Navy has with the sanction OF the
President, abused his Discretionary power in the selection Of
coal AGENT and for tie purchase Of fuel for the Government
shat heconract with Swift for live oak timber in violation
Of law that the distribution Of e patronage OF the NsVyyaTds
among the members OF Congress Obstructive Of discipline and
Of the Navy in considering the party relations q bidders and
the effect Of awarding contracts pending elections deserving
These offences are certainly included under the
terms bribery and misdemeanOrs and as the House
has the power Of impeachment, it is obviously its
duty to use it, whenever, in its judgment officer
has been guilty Of any Of th8 offences named.
This attempt to pass Judicial sentence is as alb
surd as If the District Attorney were 70 announce
to the public that some prisoner whom he could not
convict before jury, was in reality guilty Of mgr-
der, and therefore deserving Of Teprobati9n" As
the Herald very well says
ssng aside the fact that the House Of
only component part Of the legislative body which coequA
with the President the act in itself Of grave import Grim
punished with penalties parake largely
ota physical ea1se but to the Of honor and integrity
public censure punshmen Of the severest kind. It's mDos
ton judicial act the aggreved party
redress but in the unutted and unusAb judgment OF the
people lit imposed lightly without due confederation
from base and unworthy motives reacts upon the body
iPOsesit and diminsheS its public sonderaton and moral
he House Of Representative The motives which Induced it
too evidently base in their character and the itself
maney paTzan TO inure the President tut debaB the
House itSsh, dErsds hs OF which it part de-
precaes the standard Of political morality srates
the moral influence q Qqr country"
The Baltimore CORyenIiCu.
The New Hampshire Gazete a sterling Demo-
cratic paper in article written during the sitting
of the Baltimore Convention, thus allgdes to the
rule or ruin policy of Mr.. DOUGLAS:
This body, which assembled on Monday, as via
be seen by their proceedings in another place, have
not succeeded IN accomplishing anything up to the