Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1860-04-11
4 Protest from the President Of the
-laal United States. rry ..

HoVeSoI 0oSosnuout, 70 T1ox1YT against The
two first clauses Of The drst resolution adopted
BY tho House Of Representatives on the 5th
instant, and published in the Congressional
Globe on the succeeding day. The clauses are
in the following words: First, " Resolved, That
9 committee Of five be appointed by the
Speaker for the purpose Of investigating
whether the President Of the United States. or
any oficer Of the Government has by none, :,
patronage or other improper means, sought To-
influence the passage Of any law appertain;ng
to the rigbis 81 any State Or Territory; and
sec0Dd, also |" to inquire into aud investigate
whether any officer or officers Of the govern.
ment has by combination or otherwise pre-
vented or ATTEMPTED to prevent Or defeat the
execution OF any laws VOW upon the statute
refused to compel the execution of any law
thereof" cohdnc myself exclusively to these
two branches Of the resolution, because the
portions Of that which follows relate to alleged
abuses 10 tue Post Office, Navy Yards, Public
Buildings, aud other public works of the
limited lStatsA In SUCH cases. inquiries are
highly proper in themselves, and belong equally
to the Senate and the House. as incident To
their legislative duty, and being necessary to
enable them to discover aud provide appropri-
ate legislative remedies for any abuses which
ohat AZ aecertained 70 exist. & .7E y =
Although the terms of the latter portions
Of the resolution are extremely vague and
general my sole purpose III advertiug to them
NJ present IS 10 uiako the broad line of tlis,nc-
ton between the accusations aud remedial
clauses OF this resolution. The House OF Rep
rescptatives possess no power under the Consti-
tuition, over the first accusat0ry portion Of the
resolution, except az an impeaching body;
whist ovc: the last, in common with the Sen
ate their authority rs legislative body is
fully and cheerIuy admitted. IT is solely il
re'ercnccto the first or impeaching power .....
propose o.nak0 few observations. Except
10 this single case, the Constitution has invested
the House Of Representatives with no power,
no juris4letion, no supremacy whatever, over
the President. In ill other respects he is lust
az Independent OF them as they are Of him.
As \ co-or,ii,ate branch Of the government he
Is their equal. Indeed be is the only .l;rec,
representative on earth of the people OF all and
each OF the sovereign States. 10 them, aud
to them aloLe, il he responsible whilst acting
within the sphere Of bis constitutional duty,
and not in any manner to the House of Repre-
sentatives. The people have thought proper
TO invest him with the most honorable respon-
'sible and digni6ed Office in the world, and the
individual, however unworthy, now holding
this exalted position, will take care, so far as
in him lies, that their rights aud prerogativcs
shall never pass tn his successors uuimpaired
BY the adoption Of dangerous precedent He
will defend them to the last extremity against
any unconstitutional attempt, come from wha,
quarter it may. to abridge the constitutional
rights Of the Executive, and render him sub.
servient to any human power except themselves.
The people have not confined the President
10 the exercise Of the executive duties They
have also conferred on him large measure oil
legislative power. No bill can become law
without his approval, as representing the pco.
pie Of the United States, unless it shall pass
after his veto by a majority Of two-thir,is OF
both Houses. In his legislative capacity, he
might, in common with the Senate and House,
institute inquiry to ascertain any facts which
are to influence his judgment in approving or
votoing any bill. This participation in the
performance Vi legislative duties between CO.
ordinate branches Of the government, ought to
inspire the conduct Of all of them in their rcla-
tions toward each other with mutual forbear.
nnce aud respect. At least each has a right
to demand justice of the other.
The cause Of complaint is that the constilu-
tional rights aud immunities OF the Executive
have been violated in the person Of tue Presi-
dent.
The trial Of au impeachment Of the Preside1::
before the Senate on charges preferred aud
prosecuted against him by the House of Rep
resentatives, would be an imposing spectacle
for the world In the result, not only his re-
moval from tho Presidential Office would be
involved, but what is Of infinitely greater
Importance to himself bis character, both in
the eyes Of the present aud future generations,
might possibly be furnished. The Disgrace
cast upon him would in some degree be reflected
upon the character OF the American people
who elected linn. Hence the precautions
adopted by the Constitution to secure q fair
trial. On saeh trial it declares that the Chief
Justice shall preside This was doubtless
because the framers Of the Constitution
believed it to be possible that the Vice Pres.
dent might be biased by the fact that in the
case Of the. removal vi The President from Office
the same shall devolve upon the Vice President
The preliminary proceedings in the House
10 case OF charges which may involve impeach.|
meat have been we'll and wisely settled by long
practice, and upon principles Of equal justice,
both to The accused aud to the people. The
precedent established in the case Of Judge
Peck, OF Missouri, in 1881, after a careful
sC'1SV " ~ vno sOsLss0s pteCSucuLSs VIII, ~
venture 70 predict, stand the test Of time. In
that case, Luke Edward Lawless, the accuser,
presented q petition to the House, in which he
Get forth infinitely and specifically bis causes
Of complaint. He prayed that " The conduct
and proceedings in this behalf of the said Judge
Peck may be inquired into by your honorable
body, and such decision made thereof Us to
your wisdom and justice shall seem proper"
This petition was referred the Judiciary
Committee. Such has ever been deemed the
appropriate committee TO make similar inves.
tigation. 1t is a standing committee supposed
10 be appointed without reference to any spe-
cial case; and IT. a!l times is presumed to be
composed Of tho most eminent lawyers in the
House from different portions of the Union,
whose acquaintance with judicial proceedings
: and whose habits Of investigation qualify Their,
peculiarly for the task. No tribunal, from
their position aud character, could in the
nature Of things be more impartial.
In the case Of Judge Peck, the witnesses
were selected by the committee itself, with o
view to ascertain the truth Of the charges.
They were cross examined by him, and every
thing was conducted in such manner as to
afford him no reasonable cause for complaint
In view Of this precedent, and, what is OIL
fer greater Importance, in view of the Const-
tuition aud the principles OF eternal Justice, in
hoe AIo F~L. Al