Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-05
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT.
PREFERRED BY THE PEOPLE OF
TENNES0EE

JOHN TRIMBLE, HOR ACE MAY
NARD. n. A. PATTERSON and J. j.
NOAH, Of counsel against THOS. n.
FRAZIER, late Criminal Judge Of Da-
ridson Comfy; and W. j. SMITH,
WILSON DUGGAN and JOHN A.
FUSON, Managers Of the prosecution
against the same; and JOHN AID
RIDGE, VIM. BOSOM, A. NJ. CATE
W. K. HALL, G. W. KEITH, C. J.
MCKINNEY, T. B. McELWEE, p. P.
. C. NELSON, JOS POWELL, H. S.
PATTERSON, D. w. C. SENTER, w.
t. ROBINSON, JOSHUA B. FRIER-
SON and VIM. SPENCE, Of he Senate
of Tennessee, and all others cOunseiliag, con-
Mining at, or cOnsenting TO the decision of
the utroeious Judicial mookery called a
Court Of Impeachment, begun at The Capitol
at Nashville on the 9Th Of Nay, 1867, and
concluded on The Sd Of June, 1867, de-
handing that they be pronounced disgaced
and unworthy ofpaSJiic trust and confidence:
Article l. That the said JOHN TRIArBLE
did resign and vacate his Office as Senator,
and did accept, or agree to accept, a fee to
prosecute Judge, knowing him to be in
nocent of the charges made against him;
and that this he did for the purpose of be-
coming conspicuous before political party.
thereby to gain its good will, and subserve
his selfish ends. and in willful violation of
Justice, morality and decency.
Art: .. That the said HORACE MAYNARD,
out of a generally malicious and depraved
heart, did conspire with, aid and assist the
said Trimble in that unjust prosecution,
and did agree to accept a fee, the greater
portion Of the fee voted being fraud upon
the State Treasury.
Art. 3. That the said n. A. PATTERSON
being a Circuit Judge, in violation of Sec
ton 1920 of the Code, as follows at is
the duty of Circuit Judge to attend his
court at the time appointed by law" did
absent himself from term Of the court of
which he is Judge, to assist in that prose-
cution; and in violation of section 1912
of the Code, as follows: "No, Judge or
Chancellor shall practice law, or perform
any of the functions of an attorney or
counsellor in any of the courts of this
State, except in cases in which they have
been employed as counsel previous to their
election" did act as a feed attorney for the
conspirators against Thomas n. Frazier
before the Court of Impeachment; all
this in contempt of his oath of office aud
of his sworn duty, and greatly to the
damage of litigants before his court, and to
the scandal of the judiciary of the State.
Art 4. That the said j. J. NOAH did
write certain minor papers in assistance of
that prosecution, and perform such other
mental offices thereto as was assigned him,
aud that, in the degree of his capacity, he
is as guilty as the said Maynard.
Art. s. That the said w. J. SMITH,
WILSON DUGGAN and j. A. FUsoN did be-
come the Managers of that impeachment,
and voluntarily act in behalf of the said
conspiracy, knowing that they were the in
struments of a groyelling party resent
ment against a judicial officer, whose firm
execution of the law had exposed the lille
gal proceedings to which they were parties
in July, 1866, and that they have pursued
him to conviction maliciously and cor
ruptly.
Art. 6. That each of the above named
Senators, in derogation of their oaths, well
and truly to try the charges against Judge
Frazier and well knowing that it was the
sworn duty of him (Frazier) to discharge
under the writ of hd6edS corpus, whoever,
upon evidence before him, was proven to
be held under illegal custody, and that the
question Of what constitutes lawful custody
is committed to the decision of the Judges
1f h. e. IL IL
did pronounce him (Frazier) guilty of
high crime, and maliciously attach corrup-
ton and infamy thereto all this in obed-
ence to the behests of party hate, in known
of the constitution, in contempt
for well settled principles of law, and with
hearts regardless of social or public duty,
and mischevously bent on the fnrtherance
Of party schemes, and to the lasting dis.
grace of the State.
And the said people of Tennessee, Of
ering to make good these several
charges, and reserving to themselves the
light of preferring other charges and
evidences that these men are a portion of
/ party of conspirators against their
iberties and franchises and banded TO-
5ether for the purpose of cOrruptly hold |
ne and using for their own benefit the |
,fices and monies of the people for set
ing at defiance the supreme law of the |
tate, and the statutes under it and of |
for political ends with their
and of melting strife and dis
rider the better to Justify their usGrpa-
ions of power, do formally impeach
hem before their fellow citizens of the
ther States of the American Union, and |
,efore mankind and this they do in the
lame of the great trusts that have been |
'asely betrayed; in the name of the ages
hat have passed since the writ of habeas
OrpuS, which Judge Thomas n Frazier
las fallen in defending, was wrested from
he tyranny of kings and parliaments
n the name Of the heroic ancestry who |
ought to preserve it for the present gen
ration of Americans; in the name of |
that asks that it shall be trans
litted to them; in the name of truth
nd Justice; in the name of the Constitu-
ion through whose shield an eminent
itizen has been pierced, and every mem
er of society, whether high or humble,
as been injured and they appeal for
Judgment and sentence of condemnation
gainst them, that they may be utterly
nd finally driven from the places they
ave dishonored, and stand in their shame
nd confusion, in the pillory of public
a by-word and reproach
mOng men.
SOMEBODY wrote to the Senate, now sit.
ing as a court to try Judge Frazier, that
Richards had seen a letter written by the |