The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1860-04-05

us,;ce. in what mannershas the President OF
The United States been treated BY the House
Of Representatives.? -
..Mr. John Covode, a representative from
Pennsylvania is an aceuser OF the PRESIDENT
Instead of following the wise precedents of
former times, and especially tha. IN the Case
Of JUDGE Peck, and referring the accusation
10 the Committee On the judiciary, the House
has made nv accuser one OF my Judges
ITO make the accuser the Judge Is Viola
lion of the principles OF universal Jasnce'
and is condemned by the pracllc' OF All CIV
lied nations. Every freeman must revolt
at such spectacle. am TO appear before
Mr.. Coyode, either personally CT by suostI- .
tute. to crossexamine the witnesses which
he NAV produce before himself, to sustain his
own accusations against me, aud perhaps
even this poor boon may be denied to the
President.
What is the nature of the Investigation
which his resolution proposes 10 investigates
1t is as vague and general as the English
language affords words with which to make
il. The Committee is To inquire, not into
any specific charges, but whether the Presi-
dent has By money. patronage or other I'M
nroner means sought TO influence, not the
action of any individual member or members
of Congress, but the action OF the entire
BODY Of Congress itself, or any committee
thereof.
THE President might have had some glim-
mering of the nature of the ofense 10 be IN
vestigated, had his accuser pointed to the
act or acts Of Congress which he sought TO
pas or defeat by the employment OF money.
patronage or other improper means. but the
accusation is bounded by no such limits. Il
extends to the whole circle of legislation, to
interference for or against the passage of
| any law appertsining TO the rights OF any
| State or Territory? and what law or laws
has the President failed to execute? These
might easily have been pointed out had any
| such existed.
/ Had Mr. Lawless asked an inquiry to be
made by the House, whether Judge Peck in
general terms had not violated his judicial
i duty without specifying any particular, do
! not believe there would have been single
vote IN that body in favor of the inquiry
] Since the time of the Star Chamber and OF
general warrants there has been no such pro
ceedings in England. The House Of Repre-
sentatives, the high mpeaching power of the
country, without conserving to hear word
of explanation. having endorsed tins accuse
ton against the President. and made it their
own act. They even refuse TO permit a mem
Der to inquire of the Presidents accusel
Thus in this preliminary accusation OF high
crimes and misdemeanors against a CO ordi
; nate branch of the Government under the
impeaching power, he House refused te
hear single suggestion, even in regard te
the mode Of proceeding, but without a mo
ment's delay passed accusatory resolutions
under tie pressure of the previous question
.sIn the institution of prosecution for any
, offense against the most humble citizen, (ant
claim for myself no greater rights than h.
, enjoys the Constitution of the United State
; and OF the several States require that b.
shall be informed in the very beginning o
the nature and cause Of the accusation agains
him. to prepare for his defense. There ar
other principles which l might enumerate
not less sacred, presenting an impene BIZ
shield to protect every citizen falsely charg
ed with criminal offense. These have bee
violated in the prosecution instituted by III
House Of Representatives against the Exec
utve branch Of the Government. Shall tn
President alone be deprived ofthe protection
, Of these great principles which prevail in CIV
cry land where ray of liberty penetrate
despotisml Shall the Executive alone be de
prived of the rights which all his fellow cit
, zens enjoy?
/. 1.-The whole proceeding against him just
fes the fears of those wise and great me
( who, before the Constitution was adopted
the States, apprehended that the tendency {
3 the Government was to the aggrandizemer
of the legislative at the expense of the exec
utive and Judicial departments.
81 again declare emphatically, that max
this protest for no reason personal to myself
and l do it with perfect respect for the Hous
of Representatives in which l had the hon
? of serving for FIVE successive terms.
Il have lived long in this goodly land, an
have enjoyed all the offices of homo
which my country could bestow; amid al
the political storms through which / hav
passed, the present is the first attempt which
was ever made to my knowledge to assail my
personal and official integrity; and this ha
been done the time is approaching when
shall voluntarily retire from the service o
my country. feel personally conscious tina
there is no public act Of my life which will
not bear the stiictest scrutiny. / DEFY al
investigation; nothing but the basest perjury
sully my good name. do not fear ever
this: because l cherish an humble confidence
that the gracious Being who has hitherto de
I Tended and protected me against the shaft:
| oil ialsehood and malice, will not desert me
now when have become old and grayhead-
] ed.
Il can declare before God and my country
| that no human being, with an exception
scarcely worthy Of notice, has at any period
of my life, dared to approach me with cor
rupt or dishonorable propositions, and unit
recent developments it had never entered in
to my Imagination that any person, even in
storm of exasperated political excitement.
would charge me in a most remote degree
with having made such a proposition to any
:, human being.
81 may now, however. exclaim in the Ian
. guage of complaint employed By my frs
and greatest predeces sor. that have beer
abused in such exaggerated indecent term:
as could scarcely be applied to Nero, to ,
notorious defaulter, or even to a common
pickpocket