Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1860-04-20

duties of the President and the magni-
Ie of the interests of the people in his /
j. ads justify their representatives in making |
'ch Investigations bRt the same would be
/. re of the courts. Life, liberty. and pro-
rty. upon which the courts are daily called
act should be, and doubtless are, gniie as
portant TO the people as any matters
IS ming within the jurisdiction of the execu-
'e department
The undersigned proposes TO call attention
the resolutions OF Mr.. Covode which were
opted by the House on the 5th of March,
so. His first resolution is in the following
,rds:
"Resofued That committee of five members
appointed by the Speaker for the purpose
investigating Whether the President of the
niied States or airy ether officer of the gov
Bment, has by money, patronage. any
Der improper means. sought TO influence
actin OF Congress, or any committee
ereof, for or against the passage of any
appertaining to the rights OF any State
Territory, also to inquire into and investi-
tie whether any officer or officers of the
yerDment have by combination or other
ise prevented or defeated or attempted to
event or defeat, the execution of any law
laws now upon the statute book. and
bether the President has failed or refused to
5 'mptl the execution of any law thereof: and
rat said committee shall investigate and in
;Iuire into The abuses at the Chicago or other
Post Offices and at the Philadelphia and
S'iber navy yards, and into any abuses in
s;onnection with the public buildings and
-Iiher public works of The Unit Statts.v
IL is important that the object of this reso-
)ntion should be aseeriained. And what is
il! Does il propose an impeachment? Certain
ly not; for if il had. the mover doubtless
would have said so. Instead, howCve of de
cIaring that he intends d an impeachment. he
even denies that be makes any charge against
tie President. In remarks made by him
in the House on the 2Sth OF March last be
said:
In the resolution which offered do not
make The charge against the President. The
President himself made the charge He
charges in his centenary letter 10 the people
of PiItsburg that money has been used in
carrying elections, and stepped forward to
Investigate the matter and TO see who used
that money!"
AIR. U0v0DE. MIR. Speaker, you viii per
ceire that Mfre as no definite and distinct charge
0gaiasd the President, but the President him
self, as STATED, made Il charge, and It was
my wish to investigate the mai ter and ascer-
tain who bad been guilty of this offence"
Other friends If the resolution argue that
il is not INTENDED as an impeachment. but
only TO see whether improper means have
cen used to influence the action ofCOngress.
No one of its friends has keen willing to
avow that it looked 10 an impeachment; then
il is but fair to ascribe TO it no such oil ret.
And yet the charges insinuated in the res
olution are the precise offences mentioned in
he Constitution for which the President may /,
he impPached. The r, solution directs that
Z he committee inquire whether the
resident OF the United States, or any other
{ fficer of the Government, has 10y "money,
patronage, or other improper means, sought
influence the action of Congress &C.;
or, in other words, whether the President
has not attempted 20 bribe the members of
Congress by the use of money. Ii these in
situations be true, than he should be impeach-
ed. The resolution. however, in its wants of
specifications, Is Unprecedented as al inilia-
tory step 10 impeachment. It's insinuatiOns
the mover denies that they are chdTyes-
are as vague as they can well be, and in that
1t violates the plainest principles OF justice
and law. There is no civilized country in
which citizen can he arraigned and pat up
on his trial for an alleged offence without
having secured to him. 10y law. proper iDfor-
nation of The precise offence charged against
him. He is entitled to know what he is re-
quired TO answer. The law. as well jus
tice. demands that the papers, the Indictment
or The resolution, shall st forth his offence.
Does the CovOde resolution do that? 1t an
siu'sates that the President has, ''by The use of
money. patronage, Or other improper means,
sought to Influence the action of Congress, or
u committee thereof. for or against the pas
sage of some law" &c How vague and in
definite is this When and where did the
President make such attempt? What means
did be use or attempt to use? Upon what
member or members did he make the attempt?
or with what committee or committees? and
in relation to what bill or measure? These
things, at least, should appear in che Tesolu-
ton; and why did they not? II there has
been bribery, or any attempt at bribery, the
mover of the resolution doubtless knew it.
Then why did he not specify? For the rea-
son that the ipsiBuation is ulfounded-that
there is no truth in it. And hence as none
of tie prosecutors of the President had the
bOldness to make il as direct charge, resort
was had to the less manly mode of insnua-
ton.
To base prosecution. and arraign citi-
zen, who is either in office or out of office,
upon such vague and indefinite accusations
even IL !hey were presented charges. is an
outrage revolving to the sense of justice of
all honorable men, and in this country will
not he tolerated by even tae most vindictiye
palitical opponent. Snch are the rights of
the citizen, secure to him W the laws of The
land and administered through the insteu-
mentality Of the courts of all the States
Why are they not also the rights of the rights
Of tee President OF the United States? VIII
he be denied rights so essential to the ends
of Justice, and which the laws secure to every
other citizen Can il be that a citizen who,
by long and faithful service in the cause of
his country-by II life, public and private. of
the strictest integrity, whose character is free
from just reDrOach-shsll be denied rights
granted and secured TO every other citizen,
merely because his walk has bePn such a. TO
gain for him the confidence OF his fellow-cili-
Zens. and because he has been by them placed
in the most honorable political Office known
to the Constitution?
The undersigned regards it as appropriate
to present an extract from letter written
by President jackson, in January, 1887 TO
the chairman of committee Of the House of
Representatives, asking il to he laid before
that committee, in which he discusses the
precise point presented in President Buchan-
ans recent message TO the House. The views
Of that departed hero AMI statesman will be
T al with great interest by all who desire to
arrive al just conclusions on the important
issues growing out of the extraordinary
movement of Mr.. COvode in the House OF
Representatives. Speaking of resolution
which had but recently before the date o. bis
litter paSs'd the House of Representatives..
an investigation into the condition
aud operation OF tue Executive departments,
aS well as resolution of the committee ask
ing Information of the President on the
charges, and al<o Of the vagueness OF the
charges that were insinuated in The resolu-
I.nn c eating the committee he said:
Nor myself, shall reprl all such attempts
~ an invasion OF the principles OF justice as
we'll as OF the Constitution. and shall esteem
il my sacred dirty To the people of the United
States To resist them a. | would the estab-
shment of Spanish inquisition.
eli aitir all the severe accusations con-
! lined in the various speeches of yourself aud
your associates, you are unwilling. Of your
own accord. To bring specific charges. then
request your committee 10 call yourself and