Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-03-30
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.


nined and forcible protest Of President Buchanan
against the loose and disreputable imputatious
embraced In the House resolutions Of inquiry. and
t1e violation Of the Constitutional Independents.
OF the Executive. His letter sent in to the Hou..
yesterday is as follows:
To the House Of Repre- sentatirss: IS
Alte1 delay which has afforded me annie tim.
lot renecuon, and after much and ca,ef,,I a.
nsrinn. sa,. i ma myself constrained by an i'm.
R-ious sense OF duty, as a coordinate branch NJ
e. &c IeoeIdi government, to protest aoainst the
nrs' Two clauses OF the first resolution adopted NV
ana OIL Representatives, the 5th instant
aua Puousneo In the Congressionable Globe on
the succeeding day. These clauses Arc in IT, foI
lowing words: 60 Resolved that a committea ~
the pmenoes De appointed BY the Speaker for
President of the United States or anv "tber tue
Oh the government, has by money n,t,nn,o -
oct,an i9fProPer means sought to influence the
acuon OF Congress, or any committee thereof ~,
or against the passage Of any law annertsi 49, vi
the rights of any State or Territorv. 1and Sd
siso 10 inquire into and investigate whether any
binanon or otherwise. prevented or defea{ed -,
attempted 70 prevent or defeat the eyecntion of
any law or laws now upon the statute book. and
whether the President has failed or ,efnSsS ~
compel the execution of any law thereof ,, w
iconnne myself exclusively to these two branches
OF the resolution; because the portions of it which
yards, public buildings, and other puhIic VOL
OF the United States. In such cases INQUIRIES are
mig My proper in themselves and belong eon,Ii,,
i.e Sena.e ana the House as incident to their
.sgsiatlve duties, and being necessary to enable
mem 70 discover and provide the appropriate leo
nsla.lve remedies for any abuses which NAV Be
ns ",tio me- although the terms Of the latter
portion OF the resolution extremely va0ne and
general, yet my sole purpose in adverting To them
az present is to mark the broad line of distinction
Detween the accusatory and the remedial clauses
OF tnis resolution. The House Of Representatives
possess no power under the Constitution over the
nrst or accusatory portion of the resolution. ex
GIeP' IA as an lmPesehing body; whilst over the
| mitted. 'Aoe'uiiy au-
Is solely In reference to the first or impeachng
| power power. 'lat ! propose to make few observations
keep IN tnls single case, the Constitution has
| invested the House of Representatives with no
| power, no jurisdiction, no supremacy whatever
over the President. In all other respects he is
| AS coordinate branch Of the Government ne is
their equal. ladeed, he is the only direct repre.
sentative on earth of the people of all and each of
| the sovereign States To them and tn thorn ,Io,a
is he responsible whilst acting within the snbe,c
OF his constitutional duty and not I'm apy manner
| to the House of Representatives The people Ia We
thought proper to invest him with the most hon.
| orable responsible, and dignfied Office in the
| world, and the individual, however unworthy,
now holding this exalted position, will take care
80 lar as IN him lies that their rights and prero
dtlves shall never be violated in his person: hit
| s1all pass to his successors unimpafred by the
| auoPuon OF dangerous precedent He will de.
tend them to the last extremity against anv uncon
| slltntiohai attempt come from what quarter it
may, 10 aorldge the constitutional rig hts of the
Executive, and render him subseryieut to any
human power except themselves.
| , me people have not confined the President TO
the exercise of executive duties. They have also
conferred upon him large measure of lepislative
discretion No bill can become a law without bis
spproVai as representing the people of the United
lority Of two-thirds of both houses In his Ieois
| ldtive capacity, he might. In common with the
senate and the House, institute al inquiry to as
certain any facts which ought to influence his
Judgment in approving or vetong any bill
| This PARTED pation in the performance of lepis
latlFe duties between the Coordinate branches of
ne government ought to inspire the conduct Of
all Of them, in their relations towards each cihe,
with mutual forbearance and respect At least
each Las right to demand justice from the other
The cause Of complaint is that the constitutional
rights and immunities of the Executive have been
violated III the person of the President
| The Trial OF an impeachment Of the President
before the Senate on charges preferred and prose
| cutsd against him by the House of Representa-
| world. n the result not only his removal from
| the presidential office would be involved Init
what is of infinitely Of greater importance to
present and of futs .neTsfon. sSsf s. ans
be tarnish-d. The disgrace cast upon him would
i'm some degree be reflected upon the character of
| the American people who elected him. Hence
| the precautions adopted by the Constitution to
| secure fair trial. On such trial 1t declares
/ as
doubtless because the trainers of the Constitution
believed 1t to be possible that the Vice President
might be biased by the fact that lin Case of the
removal of the President from office" the same
| shall devolve on the Vice President
| The preliminary proceedings in the House in
| the case OF charges which may involve impeach-
| ment have been well and wisely settled by long
Practice upon principles of equal Justice both Il
| the accused and to the people. The precedent
| established in the Case Of Judge Peck of Mis-.
souri, In 93l after careful review of the former
Precedents, will, venture to predict stand the
| test OF time. In that case Luke Edward Iawless.
the accuser, presented petition to the House in
which he set forth ininutely and specifically his
causes OF complaint He prayed that the conduct
| and proceedings in this behalf Of said Judge Pee
| may be inquired into by your honorable BODY.
and such decision made thereon as to your wsd ON
ana justice shall seem proper" This petition was
/ referred to the Judiciary Committee Such has
| ever been deemed the appropriate committee to
| make similar Investigations It is a standin0
committee supposed to be appointed without ref
erehce 10 any special case, and at all times is
| sumed to be composed of the most eminent Inv
yers in the House from different portions of the
| mon, whose acquaintance with judicial proceed
| ings and whose habits Of investi cation onalify
| them peculiarly for the task No Tribunal from
| their position and character, could in the nature
OF things be more impartial In the case of Judue
ieck the witnesseS were selected by the commit
tee Itself with view to ascertain the truth of the
| charge They were cr0Ss-examined by him and
| everything was conducted in such a manner as to
afford him no reasonable cause of complaint
Il
greater importance, in view of the Constitution
and the principles of eternal Justice in what man
| ner has the President Of the United States been
treated by the House Of Representatives, MIR.
John Covode, a representative from Pennsylvania.
is the accuser of the President Instead of follow
| ing the wise presidents of former times and es
Peclally that In the case of Judge Peck and re-
| ferring the accusation to the Committee on the
| Judiciary, the House have made nv accuser one
| of my judges. 0
| TO make the accuser the Judge is a violation of
the principles Of universal justice, and is con-
| demned by the practice of all civilized nations
| Every freeman must revolt at such a spectacle
! am to appear before Mr.. Covode, either person
ally or by substitute, to cross-examne the wit
nesses which he may produce before himself to
sustain his own accusations againt me; and per
President. -'
And what is the nature Of the investigation
which his resolution proposes to institute, 1t is
vague and general as the English langua We affords
words IN which to make it. The committee is to
inquire, not into any specific charge or charges
but whether the President has. by money Dat.
ronage. or other improper means, sought to in
huence " not the action of any individual member
or members Of Congress, but s'the action; of the
entire body ''of Cong ress' itself .or any commit
Tee thereof" The President might have have had