Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1867-04-03
The First Impeachn,ent.

The first impeachment case ever tried by
the Senate of the United States was that of
Justice of the Supreme Court. The ac.
cused was Judge Samuel Chase, native of
Maryland, and, in his tine, one of the lead.
ins men Of the country. He had been I'm
ardent patriot during the war Of the Revo-
luton. He was repeatedly a member of the
Continental Congress, signer of the Dec
laration Of Independence, and a member of
the Maryland Convention which ratified the
Federal Constitution. In 1896 Washington
appointed him to the bench of the Supreme
Court.
He was man of great ability and very
ardent temperament. Being very decided
and free spoken Federalist in the party con-
test of the day, he was particularly offensive
to the Jetfcrsonians. When Jefferson came
into power, his political friends led by John
Randolph, of Roanoke, then rapidly rising
into the great distinction he subsequently
acquired as an orator, instituted an impeach-
ment of Judge Chase. The party charac.
ter Of the prosecution is sufficiently shown
by the voting on the articles of impeach-
ment, and the collateral questions prelimi-
nary to the tual The debates did not show
this Aagrantly, for the difference between
the parties grew out Of Constitutional doc
trines and there was nothing Extensively
personal and cowardly selfish among public
men then, such as the furious disputants Of
this day display in political warfare inces-
santly and shamelessly.
The course which the impeachment took
was, by motion, February, 1904, for a com.
mittee Of inquiry, whether grounds for i'm
peachment existed. This was adopted by
vote Of 81 to 40, and the committee was ap-
pointed, of which John Randolph was
Chairman. On the 9th day of March the
committee reported in favor of impeaching
Judge Chase.
Richard Peters, Of the United States Dis.
trict Court Of Pennsylvania, had been in
cluded in the required motion of inquiry, but
the committee reported that there was no
ground for including Judge Peters.
The House Immediately appointed com.
mittee to 60 the bar Of the Senate and &C.
quaint that body that the House had ordered
the impeachment of Judge Chase.
On the 18th Of March a committee was
appointed to prepare the articles Of impeach
ment. These were reported on the 26th, ap.
proved by the House, and seven managers
of impeachment appointed.
The Congress then adjourned, and the
impeachment lay over till the next session,
to be held in November Of the same year,
1904.
The material charges were based on two
judicial acts Of Judge Chase, while holding
Circuit Courts-one in Pennsylvania, and
one in Virginia. The two cases in which
his delinquency was asserted, were the "a
nous trials Of John Fries, for treason, and
Of James Thompson Calender for sedit.o 3.
These figure among the most exciting topics
Of discussion during the whole period Of
the struggle between the Federalists and the
Republicans.
The Fries case was tried in Philadelphia.
In the spring Of 1899 an insurrection broke
out in the counties Of Bucks and Northamp.
ton, Pennsylvania, against the execution Of
the laws Of the United States for assessing
and collecting direct. taxes John, Fries
vas indicted - ripglsadsr, and tisa %