The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1866-11-07
lmpeaohment-The Only Four Gases il
the History of the Government,

the History of the Government.
The Detroit Adre,ttser and Tribune
gives the following succinct statement of
the only cascs Of impeachment which
Save occurred since the foundation of the
Government. H. isa radical sheet aud
IN giving this somewhat interesting re-
cord, it Of course anticipates the i'm
pcachmcnt OF the Prcsidcnt:
|. William llomt, OF tennessee, for
some years Governor Of the territory
So"Ll, of Tic Ohio River, having been
elected to the United States Senate,
was, III 1890, expelled from that body
hy vote ol twenty-five to one, and de-
clarrl'o be guilty Of high misdo.
mranor entirely inconsistent with his
public trust AMI duty as Senator" !"
us ollrncn WAS an attempt to scducc an
United States interpreter from his duty.
ana 10 alirnaLe'the affections and conf
dcncc OF the Indians from public officers
residing among them. /, was believed
that he ins,iSatcd the Indians to assist
The British IN conqucring the Spanish
territory adjoining the United states
Two points were made for the defence.
First. That Blount had not done these
evil deeds in his capacity Of public
officer, but rs private citizen. Second.
That his being a United States Senator
screened him, for an officer elected by
State Legislature, and neither chosen,
nor appointed, nor removable by the
General Government, could not DO q
''civil officer Of tho United States" with
III the scope Of the Impeachment clauses
"i the. Constitutions. On these technical
grounds, the Senate "lct him down
easy" by dismissing the case Blount
had many friends aNJ hackers, the
South west being then corrupt and tur.
bulcnL to degree that (arcshadowed the
great rebellion lately qucllcd by tho
North and West.
2. In 1904, John Pickering, Judge OF
Tho United States District Court Of New
Hampshire, was impeachcd before tho
Senate, by or'lcr of tho House, for
drunkenness and profanity on the bench,
and refusing to perform his dn,ies in
case where, he was called to enforce tho
revenue laws Of the United States The
Judge did not appear; but his son sent a
petition, setting forth that his father
was insane, and asking leave to be heard
by counsel. This was granted, and
several dispositions were pit in going to
show insanity. The reply was That he
had brought run crazincss" on himself.
Jndg" Pickering had raved anil bias.
rhcmcd Oh the bench in open court
cursed the parties called people (somc-
times perfect strangcrs( to come tip and
sit beside him Oh The bench, threatening
to cane them il they refused We can
find no evidence that he compared him.
self to the Saviour Of mankind, o, black.
guarded that branch Of the Government
which voted him his "brcad and butter.
or called for Tho hangiHgof those who
differed from h!m in opinion. But, per-
haps, tho whislcy Of those times was
not SO fiery as the Presidential beverage
Of to day. Judge Pickering having
exercised judicial authority during in.
sanity, and not offering to resign, tho
Senate voted him guilty, and removed
lim from olicc-yeas twenty, nays six.
All The Federal Senators voted in the
negative: just as the Democrats of our
time, having swung clear Ground tho
vote Oh JolsnSon's case, if ho were to be
impcaclcd.
3. III 1905, Samuel Chase, Of Mary.
land an Associate Justice of tho United
States Supreme Court, was impeached
by the House (79to 32) and tried by
tho Senate. He was grey haired old
man, OF powerful intellect, vast legal
learning and irrcproachable morals He
had sat in tho Congress of '76 and Sign
cd The Declaration Of Independence, and
had by hio' zeal ard energy done won.
dcrs in rc0ccming Maryland from British
and Tory sway, and bringing her over
tothc side Of American liberty. Ho
had, BY hard word, sharp Figuring g" and
legal shrcwdness, secured for his State a
debt Of $685. due her IN England
Before the Revolution. Not n man of
oFgrcater ability and patriotism thei
sat Oh tho judicial bench in our land.
Ills faults were ultra Federal notions an
abusive tongue and quick temper.
The great public services Of the accused !;
tho national cmincnce of the tribunal /;
thc excited state Of party, feeling, well
represented by the celebrated John
Randolph. of Roanoke, as accuser on
the part OF tho House, and tho coutinu.
anco Of tho trial for nearly month all
these things combined to mako most
notable and interesting brilliant descrlp.
tive pom Of Molly or Macaulay. Judge
Chase was allowed one month to prepare
his dcfonco, and, in consideration of his
ngo and lnirmities, he was seated, in Tie
centre Of tho area Of tho Senate cham.
Dor, in front of tho Vicc-P President. That
= officer was tho "black sheep" of orr ear.
ly politics, Aaron Burr, who, with pros
poets and reputation blasted by his
Southern filibustering and his murder oI
Alexander Hamillonc yet presided with