Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1860-04-12
Covode's Smelling Committee.

The dirty attempt of an obscure, bar
room politician of Pennsylvania, named
JOHN CovoDE, to manufacture capital for
the coming Presidential contest by inti-
mating charges against Mr.. BUCuANAN's s
honesty is meeting with Just and with
ering rebuke from honorable men Of all
parties. The Black Republicans are great
on Smelling COMMITTEES" which serve
the purpose of creating intimations and
suspicious where there are no grounds for
charges. The Boston Courier, an oppo-
stion PAL er, speaks of this affair in the
following language:
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
1t is manifest, from this view of the
subject, that the President not only is
right in the points presented by him, b ut
that he discharges his simple duty as the
Executive head of the nation in offering
his rcmonstrance to the insidious, and un-
parliamentary, and dangerous methed
adopted by the House to investigate vague
charges against him. Such an investiga-
tion we hold to be altogether inconsistent
with the principles and provisions of the
Constitution, and in itself of the worst
possible example. If there is i'll posses
sion of members Of the House serious
foundation for grave charges against the
conduct of the President in the admins
tration of his high Office, this would con-
,titute ground of impeachment, which is
the only constitutional means provided
for trying him. If there are such charges,
they are either definite and specific, or
they are not so. If not, they should not
be countenanced by the House, which
otherwise becomes a starchamber, an in
quistion, or grand jury--ior inquiry, not
for accusation. If they are SO, then the
course Of procedure is clarly pointed ont
by the law, in the way Of Impeachment,
The President claims that this power of
impeachment is the only authority pos
scsscd by the House in the premises, and
he is right. I'm fact, the people cannot
regard with too much Indignation the con
duet OF the House. II it had any sense
of Justice or candor, matter of this sort
if anything so indefinite were counten'
anced at all, would have been referred tC
u standing committeeman to one raised
to gossip and plot over such an affair
If Mr.. Covodc, who made the motion, haC
any sense of delicacy or honor, he woulc
be ashamed to sit on the committee ap
1 pointed for such purpose on his own
motion. Mr.. Sherman, who first com
mcnted on the message, we preceive fool
ishly and falsely said its doctrine wa
like that OF Charles |, which cost him hi.
head, namely, 1.-The King can do NJ
wrong" There is nothing of the sort il
the message. Besides, the English Par
ailment openly and manully impeacheC
the King, and tried him in the eyes Of tn,
world, upon plain and specific charges
instead of sneaking into lobby to Sc,
what they could find against him. Th,
message of the President is in itself dig
ntied and conclusive document. Wher
ever else he may be wrong he is right il
this, in the name and for the cause of tn
people and the Constitution. We see i
took the House by surprise. We hav
no doubt it must have overwhelmed then
with confusion And it will stand, Will
such proceedings as they have instituted
deserve and will undoubtedly be visite,
with public indignation and contempt.