Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-02-28
From the New Orleans Picayune.
THE FIRST IMPEACHMENT.

The first impeachment case ever tried by the
Senate of the United States was that Of justice
of the Supreme Court. The accused was Judge
Samuel Chase, native of Maryland, and, In ms
time, one of the leading men of the country. He
had been an ardent patriot during the war Of the
Revolution. He was repeatedly member OF the
Continental Congress- a signer Of the DeclaratioIL
Of Independence and 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 arden
temperament. Being very decided and fret
spoken Federalist in the party contests Of the day
he was particularly offensive to the Jeftersonans
When Jefferson came into power, his polltlca
friends, led by John Randolph, of Roanoke, ther
rising rapidly into the great distinction he subse
ouently acquired as an orator, instituted an i'm
peachment of Judge Chase. The party character
of the prosecution is sufficiently shown by the vo
ting on the articles of impeachment, and the col
lateral questions preliminary to the trial The de-
bates did not show this fagrantly, for the differ
ence between the parties grew out ofconsttutlona
doctrines; and there was nothing Extensively per
then, such as the furious disputants Of this day
display in political warfare incessantly and shame
lessly.
The course which the impeachment took was, by
motion, February, 1904, for committee OF inqui
ry, whether grounds for impeachment existed. =
This was adopted by vote Of 81 to 40, and the
committee was appointed, of which John Ran
dolph was chairman On the 9th day Of March
the committee reported in favor of impeaching
Judge Chase.
Richard Peters, of the United States District
Court of Pennsylvania, had been included in the
required motion of inquiry, but the committee re
ported that there was no ground for including
Judge Peters.
The House Immediately appointed a committee
to 20 to the bar of the Senate and acqualnt thai
body that the House had ordered the Impeachment
of Judge Chase.
On the 18th of March committee was appoint
ed to prepare the articles Of impeachment. These
were reported on the 26th, approved by the House
and seven managers Of impeachment appointed.
The Congress then adjourned, and the impeach
ment lay over till the next session to be efhed II
November of the same year, 1904
The material charges were based on two judlcla
acts of Justice Chase, while holding Circuit Courts
one i'll Pennsylvania and one in Virginia. The
two cases in which his delinquency was asserted
were the famous trials of John Fries, for treason
and of James Thompson Calender, for sedition:-
These figure among the most exciting topics OF dis
cussion during the whole period Of the struggle be-
tween the Federalists and the Republicans.
The Fries case was tried in Philadelphia. Ii
the spring of 1899 an insurrection broke out in thf
counties of Bucks and Northampton counties
Penn, against the execution Of the laws OF tht
United States, for assessing and collecting direc
taxes John Fries was indicted as ring leader, anc
tried on charge of high treason. On his frs
trial his counsel pleaded that, resisting by force
particular law of the United States, does not
mount to levying war against the United States
In the meaning of the constitution. The court
composed of Justice Iredell and Peters, ruled a
gainst them, and Fries was convicted. A new trla
was granted, on another ground and on the secone
trial Justice Chase sat with Judge Peters On thu
trial Judge Chase announced, in advance, to the
prisoners counsel, that the opinion OF the eo1r
was made up on this constitutional point, and the
counsel need not argue it. The counsel retlrec
from the case, and Fries was convicted without de
fence 1t is this ruling which was declared to bt
so ''arbitrary, oppressive and unjust" as to de
mand impeachment.
The other case arose in the Circuit Court of Vir
ginia, under the sedition law of John Adams.
That famous act made it misdemeanor, punish
able with fine and imprisonment, for any person t.
write, print, utter or publish anything intended
ito defame the President of the United States o.
bring him into contempt or disrepute." Unde
this act James Thompson Calender was indicted
for having published political article agalns
President Adams, under the title of "The prospec
before us" On the trial Judge Chase overrulec
the objection of one of the jurors that he had made
up in his mind that the publication was seditious
and constrained him to serve on the trial. 1t wa
also charged that he had arbitrarily, and tor mere
y political purposes, ruled out important testimony
offered by the prisoner. -.
There was special charge of indecent partisan
ship in his charge to grand jury in Maryland.
These are the material points on which the tes
timony was taken, and on which the argument Wa'
made. ,.
The trial was called up early in December, put Il
was not till the 4th of February, 1903, that Judg'
Chase appeared at the bar, pleaded to the I'M I'M
peachment, and read his defence, which was ex
trenely able His counsel were Messrs; Martin
Harper and Key, OF Maryland, and Hopklnson, o
MLo ,,onooore for tho House of Representative