The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1866-11-01
impeachment The Only Four Cases in
the History Of the Government.

gives the folluwing succinct statement of
tho only cases of impeachment which
hNvc occurred sincs the foundation of the
Government. II is a radical sheet, ahd
in giving this somewhat interesting re-
cord, it OF course anticipates tho i'm
peachment of the President:
!. William Blount, OF Tennessee, for
somo years Governor Of the territory
South OF the Ohio River, having been
elected To the United States Senate,
was, i'll 1893, expelled from that body
by vote OF twenty-five to one, and de-
clared to DO "guilty VI high misde.
meanor entirely inconsistent with his
fnblic trust and duty "a n Senator"
Ills offence was an attempt to seduce an
United States interpreter from his duty,
end to ALLEVIATE tho affections and conf
dsnce OF the Indians from public officers
tesdlng among them. L. was believed
chat hr nstigated tile Indians to assist
tttc British, IN conquering the Spanish
territory adjoining the United s,ntes.
Two points were made for the defence
First. That Blnunt had not done these
evil deeds in his capacity Of public
officer, but as a private citiEep. Second.
That his being United States Senator
screened him, for All officer elected by
S'ate Legislature, aud neither chosen,
nor appointed nor removable by the
General Government, Sa,ld tErt be q
civil officer Of the Unitsd States" with
IN the scope ot the impeachment clauses
of the Constitution. On ,llese technical
grounds, the Senate "let him down
easy" by dismissing the case. Blonnt
had many friends AMI hackers, the
= South west being li,eH corrupt and 'ur.
Ssl,aleist ton degree that iorssl,adowed thH
great Rebellion lately quelled by tho
Nor hand West.
. 2. In 1904, John Pickering, Judge OF
the United States District Court Of New
Hampshire, was ilnpeaclIed before the
Senate, by order Of the House, for
drunkenness and profanity OH tho bench
and refusing to perform bis dutics in a
case. where l,e was called to enforce the
revenue laws OF the United States. Tho
Judg" did not appear but his son sent n
petition, setting forth that his father
was insane, and asking leave to be heard
by counsel. THIS was grauted. aud
several dispositions were put in going to
show insanity. The reply was rh,t he
had brought rum craziness" on hin, seii.
Judge Pickering had ravcd and bias
rhened om the bench in open court;
cursed the parties; called people (solnc-
times perfect strangers) to come up anil
sit beside him on the bench, threatening
to cane them If they refused. We can
find no evidence that he compared him.
sell To The Saviour Of mankind, o, black.
guarded that branch of the Government
which voted him his .brrad and butter"
or called for tho hanging Of those who
differed from him in opinion. But, per-
haps, the whiskey Of those times was
not so fiery as the Presidential beverage
q to day. fudge Fckenng l,sv,ng
exercised Judicial authority during in.
sanity, and not Offering to resign, the
Senate voted linn guilty, and removed
him from office-.yeas twenty, nays six.
Nh the Fedcrai Senators voted in che
Negative: just as the Democrats of our
time, having swung clear "round tho
vote on Johnson's case, if hs were 20 be
'hnpedchPu.
3. In 1905, Samuel Chase. Of Mary.
lanl. an Associate Justice ofthe United
States Supreme Courl, was ianpeached
: by the House (78to 32) and tried by
the Senate. tie was grey haired old
man, OF powerful intellect, vast legal
learning and irreproachable morals. He
tnd sat in the Congress Of '76 and sign.
I'D s,c D,claration Of Independence, aud
had bS his zeal ard energy done. won.
lers in re,leeming Maryland from Britiass
sFd Fory sway, and bringing her over
~ tile side Of American liberty. Hc
Iiiad. By hard word, sharp figuring and
lNegzl shrewaness secreI for his State a.
rbt of $SS0. Geo disc sher IN E,iglan,l
SsEms tie Revelation. Eoa mar of
\ greater ability aHd patriod's thea
jAt ea tho lsdicial ieacl ia our Iafd.