Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-03-30

Of the President from office, the same shall
| devolve upon the Vice President.
= The preliminary proceedings in the House,
| in case of charges which may involve i'm
! parchment have bceh well and wisely settled
| by long practice upon principles OF equal
! justice, both TO the accused and TO the people.
The precedent established in the case Of Judge
| Peck, of Missouri, in 1884, after careful re-
view of all the former precedents, WILL | ven-
ture TO predict, stand the test of time. In
that case, Luke Edward Lawless, the accuser,
presented a petition to the House, in which
he set forth infinitely and specifically his
causes of complaint Heprayed "that the con-
duct and proceedings in the behalf of the said
Judge Peck may be inquired into by your
| honorable body and such decision made
! thereof as 20 your wisdom and justice shall
| seem properp, This petition was referred TO
the Judiciary Committee. Such has ever been
deemed the appropriate COMMITTEES to make
similar investigation.
It is Standing Committee, supposed 10 be
| appointed without reference to any special
| case, and at all times is presumed to be COM
| posed of the most eminent laweTs in the
| House from different portions of the Union,
whose acquaintance with judicial proceed
ings and whose habits of investigation quail
| ify them peculiarly for the task. No tribunal
! from their position and character could be
more impartial. @
| In the case of Judge Peck the witnesses
were selected by the Committee ITSELF with
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 of
| far greater importance in view Of the Con-
stitution and the principles of eternal justice,
| in what manner has the President Of the
United States been treated by the House of
Representatives.
Mr. John Covode, representative from
Pennsylvania, is an accuser of the President.
| Instead of following the wise precedents of
former times and especially that in the case
of Judge Peck, and referring the accusation
to the Committee on the Judiciary, the House
has made my accuser one Of my judges 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 ma
tions. Every freeman must revolt at such a
spectacle. am to appear before Mr. Covode,
either personally, or by a substitute TO cross
examine the witnesses which he may pro-
duce before himself TO sustain his own accu-
satons against me, and perhaps even this
poor boon may be denied to the President.
What is the nature of the investigation which
his resolution proposes to investigate?
1t is us vague and general as the English
language affords words with which to make
| H.. L
specific charges, but whether the President
has, by money, patronage, or other improper
means, sought to influence, not the action oi
any individual member or members of Con-
gress, 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 offense to be in
vestigated, and had his accuser pointed to the
act or acts OF Congress- which he sought to
| DAFT hxrt tha anfn nf nv
patronage, or other improper means, but the
accusation is bounded by no such limit. II
extends TO the whole circle of legislation tC
interference for or against the passage of any
law appertaining to the rights of any State Of
Territory, and what law does not appertain t
the rights of some State orTerritory, and wha
law or laws has the President failed TO exc
, cute? These might easily have been pointed
E out had any such existed.
Had Mr.. Lawless asked an inquiry to bt
made by the House, whether Judge Peck, il
general terms, had not violated his Judicial
duty, without specifying any particular, ] dc
not believe there would have been q single
vote in that body in favor of the inquiry
Since the time of the Star Chamber and o
general warrants, there has been no sucf
: proceedings in England. The House of Rep
resentatives, the high, impeaching power Q
| the country, without consenting to hear
=; word of explanation, have indorsed thi
accusation AGAINST the President. and made i
: their own act. ,. --.. ... s.r.4-.. -sG
Ihey even refuse to permit a member tt
inquire Of the Presidents accuser what wer'
the specific charges against him. Thus, il
: this preliminary accusation of high crimes
Q and misdemeanors against coordinate
branch of the Government under the i'm
. peaching power, the House refused to hear
/, single suggestion, even in regard to the cor
rect mode of proceeding, but without
! moments delay passed accusatory resolu
tions under the pressure of the previou
question. .,f ..t ..
In the institution of prosecution for AM
offense against the most humble citizen (anC
: | claim for myself no greater rights than h
enjoys) the Constitution of the United State
e and Of the several States, require that h,
q shall be informed in the very beginning o
u the nature and cause of the accusation agains
: him, to prepare for his defense. There ar
: other principles which | might enumeratt
Q not less sacred, presenting an impenetrabl'
Q shield to protect every. citizen falsel
charged with a criminal offense. . f"'
= These have been violated in the prosecution
I instituted by the House of Representative
against the Executive branch of the Govern
. | ment. Shall the President alone be deprive'
of the protection of these great principle
! | which prevail in every land where q ray O
liberty penetrates of despotism?, Shall tn
I Executive alone be deprived of the right
which all his fellow-citizens enjoy2 TIL
, | whole proceedings against him justifes tn
: fears of those wise and great men who, be
j fore the Constitution was adopted by tn
= States, apprehended that the tendency Of tn
, Government was to the ACKNOWLEDGMENT {
: the legislative to the expense of the Execu
: tive and judicial departments. again de
J clare emphatically that make this protes
for no reason personal to myself and l do
= with perfect respect for the House of Repre-
! sentatives, in which had the honor of sery
i ing for five successive terms. ffiiroI
,fI have lived long in this goodly land, an
4 have enjoyed all the offices and honor whic
!, my country could bestow. Amid all the pc
I litcal storms through which l have passet
z the present is the first attempt which has eve
, been made, to my knowledge, to assail m
personal and official integrity, and this hf
{ been done as the time is approaching when
j shall voluntarily retire from the service
: my country. ] feel personally conscious thi
: there is no public act of my life which will NJ
| bear the strictest scrutiny. defy all invest
: CATION; nothing but the basest perjury ca
a sully my good name. l do not fear eve
r this, because cherish an humble confdent
: that the Gracious Being, who has hithert
Z defended and protected me against the shaft
. falsehood and malice, will not desert me noN
II when | have become old and gray-headed
a ! can declare before God and my eountr
e that no human being with an exceptiC
II scarcely worthy of notice, has at any perit
n.