The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-04-04
C o 8
w AsHINGTONj MARCH 70
HOUSE.

made speeches indicating that they should vot
for the admission of Kansas.
Mr.. Garnet spike TO the opposite effect.
Further proceedings were interrupted by tn
: receipt OF the following communication fro
the President:
D To the House of Representatives. :-
After a delay, VIII oh has afforded me ampl
time for reflection, and after much and careful
del. beration, l find myself constrained, by a,
imperions sense of dury as a CO. ordinate brIncl
of the Federal Government. to protest agains
The first TIVE clauses; OF the first resolution
adopted by the Honse of Representative .i
the 18th inst, and published in the Congress
iohai lube nn the succeed n sday. The clause,
are in the follow ny words:
1st. Res lcrT. That "a Committee of five
members be appointed b, the speaker iur th,
purpose of investigating whether the Prcsidcn
of the United States. or any officer of the gov
eminent has by money. patr mage or other i'm
proper means, sought tn influence the passage
of any law appertaininy t., the rights of any
State or Territory and. I'd. also to inquire in.
to and investigate whether AIRY officer or or.
GERS of the government has, by combination vi
otherwise. prevented or attempted TO prevent
or defeat the execution Of any law or laws now
upon the statute look. and whether the Presi.
dent has failed or refused to compel the execu-
ton of any law thereof. ST.
[ cnnfne myself exclusively to these two
branches of the resolution. because the portions
IF it which follow relate to alleged abuses in
the Post Office. Navy Yards. Public Buildings
and nther Public Works of the United States.
In such cases inquiries are highly proper IN
themselves and belong equally TO the Senate
and HnIse rs ~incilent to their lie ~islrtive du-
ty. and being necessary to enable them TO dis
cover and provide appropriate Legislative rem
edits for any abuse when may re ascertained.
Althou-h the terms of the latter portion of
the resolutions are extremely vague and gen.
eral. yet my sole purpose in adv. rting TO them
at present is to make the bread line of ~ti,ti:c c.
ton between :. G re:Icdial and accusatory clau-
ses OF this resolution -
The House of Reprrsen tatives poSsesscs' no
over under the Constitution over the first or
accusatory %rnltion Of the resolution. except MS
an impeaching duty. whilst over the last. in
common with the Senate, their authority as a
legislative body. is fully and cheerfnlly admit
ted. Except in this ST gle case the Constitu-
ton has invested the House of ] representatives
with NJ power. no iurisdf ciion, no supremacy
whatever over the President.
In all other rrsrccts he e quite as indrpend-
ent of them as they are of HIM. As a CO ordi-
nate branch of fle Government he is their
equal. Indeed he Ia the only direct represen-
tative on earth of the peonlc of all and each of
the sovereign Sfntrs. To them and 70. them
alone is he responsible whilst acfing within the
sphere of his constitutional duty. and not in
any manner to the House of Representatives
The nenp|c have thougE.t proper To invest
him with the most honorable responsibility.
and digniied Office in the world. and the nd
vidual, however unworthy. now holding this
exalted position. will take care, so far as in him
lies. that their rights and preroratives shall
never he violated in his ners N. hut shall pass
fn his cu.caScnr- urin ', airaJ Nv tJa oJont,o,oF
IL dangerous precedent.
He will def.nd tn. III TO the last extremity
any unconstitutional attempt come
frnm what quarter it may. to ahridge the en-
s'itutional rights of the Executive. ard render
him suhsrrvi Mt to any human power except
Themselves The people have NOT confined tho
President % the exercise of executive duties:
T hey have also conferred on hin, IA large meas
urc of legislative discretion. No ILL cain be-
come Il law without his approval. as represent
ing the people of the United States. unless il
skall pass after his veto by II majority of tw'
thirds "f 9th Hruscs.
s In his legislatl e caIiaci:y he mig ht. in com
mon with the Senate aud lIous' institute il.
Iuiries TO ascertain any facts which arr
to influence his judgment in approving Gr veto
ing any bill. This participating. in The per
firmance OF Legislative duties between CO or
branches of the government ought ia:
the conduct of all of them in their re
la;ions towards each other with mu;ual fui
AID respect; a; least, each h. S Il RICH.
IA demand justice Of each other. s-t.a5 ..a
The cause of c"ul,laint is that the ~constitu
linnal ri. hts and iminnnities o. the E.xccutiv.
have been violated in tt.c person of the Pres:
dent.
The trial of an impeachment of TIE Tresi
dent be :ore the Senate on charges preferie!
p osec tied ayainst him by the House Of
Representatives would be an imousing spec'a
Gle for the world. In the result no doubt on
Iy his removal from the Presidential Office
be involved hut. whit is of infni ely
greater Importance to himself. HIS character
both in the ev-s of the present and Of the fu
ture generations might possibly be furnished
The disgrace cast upon hfm would, in some de
gree. be reflected upon the char. cter of the
American people. who elected him. Here
the precautions adopted blythe COasti ution IL
secure ! fair tria. On such a rial 1t d~ecl,re>!
HAT the CHEF Justice shall p%resiie. This
was. doubtless. because the Trainers "f the
e. n stiiu ion believed it TO be pussibic that thu
Vice Tr resident might be blasted by the fac'
hat in case of the removal of the President
Fl IN Office the same shall devulve upon TIL
Vice President. it -
The preliminary Iroecedinus in the House.
in case of oh .rgcs which may involve impe CHI
lnent. have been well and wisely settled by Ion.
practice. upon principles OF equal jrs ice ann
riaht, both to the accused and to the people. The
pr cedent, established ia he case of Jndge
Peck, of Missouri in 1881, after IL careful re-
view of all the form r precedents, will. L ven
ture to predict. stand the test of time. In
that case Luke E-lwud Law!ess, the aceusor.
a p.;iti N to tie House in which he
set forth minutely and specifically his causes
Of complaint. ~ Ia
lie nrnyed that the conduct and proceedinns
in behalf of the said Judge Pick may he in
Iuired into ny your honorable body anil such
decision mall, thereof as Id your wisdom and
Justice may seem proper.
This petition WIS referred to the Judiciary
Committee. TO make a similar inves'isatiOn.-f
1t is IA standing committee, supposed to be ap-
W tiout reference to any special cause,
md at all times IS presumed ii 10 he composed of
the most eminent lawyers of the House from