The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-03-18
Democratic Protest in the House
Against Impeachment.

+ Tn the House on the I'd, Mr.. Elhdge rose
and said: ! am instructed by fotry-fve
members Of the House of Representatives
to presenta communication from them to
the House. 1t is respectful in terms and
is, in my opinion, privileged
The speaker-The gentleman may con-
slider that protest is privileged, but d.
gest should and is not SO considered ia par.
liamentary law.
Mr.. Eldridge-1 ask consent to present
this communication from forty five members
OF the House, and on that propose to sub
NIT a.motion.
Numerous objections were made on the
republican side.
Mr. Eldridge i ask consent to
have the communication printed in the
Globe. i''8' f5's 80 ''ss''. ~
Numerous objections were made
Mr.. Farnsworth made the point Of order
that under the order of the House no pro.
position can be entertained, but that the
house should proceed to vote on tue arti-
eles of impeachment.
THE PROTEST.. @
The following is copy Of the protest
sought to be presented: The undersigned,
members, of the Fortieth Congress of the
United States, representing directly, or in
principle, more than one-half of the whole
people of the United States, do hereby, in
the name of law and justice, and in behalf
of those they represent, solemnly protest
against the tyranny and in Justice practiced
by the majority of the House, in violating
the sacred rights of free debate and unre-
strained deliberation upon the greatest
question ever brought before the Ameri-
can Congress. The rules Of the House,
made for the protection of the minority,
and by strict adherence to which the
weaker party can only be protected from
the irregularities and abuses which wan
touness of power is but top otter aptto
suggest to large and successful majorities
have BEEN, during this entire Congress,9in
violation of their true spirit and intent,
wantonly and unprecedently suspended, and
set aside, not upon particular and pressing
matters, but upon all pending subjects of
legislation, so that, by this reckless and ar
bitrary suspension of rules, and the wanton
abuse of the previous question, the rights
Of the minority have been utterly disregar-
ded. The House of Representatives has
ceased to be delberative body, and the
minority have been compelled, to vote upon
the most important questions without any
proper or reasonable time for debate or con-
|sideration. To such an extent has this
dangerous andoppressiye practice obtained
that measure affecting vitality the whole
country, and the dearest interest Of our
constituencies, tending, as we believe, to
the subversion Of our republican form of
government, in their very nature deman-
ding of the people and representatives the
most careful examination and scrutiny
have been hurried through forms of legis-
Iation without being printed, without one
word of debate or one moments considera-
ton, without the the opportunity of theun.
dersigned to protest, except in violation of
them operating order enforced by the ma.
|iority as The order Of the. House. These
alarming abuses of power might not seem
Ito demand this formal protest, if we were
mot forced to believe that determined in
tention exists with a majority to revolution
ize the government by destroying the other
coordinate branches and yesting all the
powers Of government in Congress. In
the steps taken to depose the president of
the United States, We are astonished there
/ is no end to the oppressive measures TO
cripple the power and silence the voice OF
the minority. The resolution was gushed
through the House under the operation OF
the previous question, referring the matter
to the committee on reconstruction. The
committee in hot haste. sitting when the
House was in session, in violation OF one OF
its express rules, considered and by strict
party vote adopted and presented to the
House for its action; and then was exhibit
ted one of the most extraordinary specta-
cles ever witnessed in q deliberatiye par
liamentary body. Members were allowed
some thirty minutes, some twenty some
ten, and some one minute only. to discuss
the most momentous question ever presen-
ted. Many could not even get one minute
under the arbitrary rule ofthe majority, and
more than half ofthose even Of the party
voting to enforce the previous question who
desired to be heard, were permitted only to
print speeches in the Globe after the ques-
ton upon the resolution was decided, and
which are. never delivered in the House
No comment can demonstrate more COM
pletely than the facts themselves, the VIC
iousness and illegality of such proceedings;
bnt this wanton and excessive use Of the
power of the majority does not stop here.
While the community were in session upon
further proceedings to remove the president
and in acceptance ofits action under the
operation Of the previous question; without
debate, in violation of express rule. new,
special, and most extraordinary rules for the
conduct ofthis proceeding, changing with
out previous notice the rules of the House
were adopted, to further limit debate, and
completely place the minority in the power
and at the mercy Of the majority. Thus
while the majority Of Congress are warning
upolSthe other coordinate departments;
the executive and judicial endeayoring to
snbjugate and bring them both under the
will and of Congress, the minority Of the
House ofRepresentatives are steadily and
surely being stripped Of all power, and their
constituents deprived Of all representative
voice in the counsels of the republic. 81
We do therefore most solemnly protest
against the indecorous and unidentified
haste with which the majority Of the Honse
lnaugurated, presented and rushed through
by strict party vote, in plain and palpa.
bic violation of one Of the standing rules
Of the House, the resolution demanding the
impeachment OF the chef magistrate Of the
people Tor alleged high crimes and INSIDE
meanors in office, when the gravity Of the
charge, the character OF the high office
against which this attack was directed, and
the unforeseen and tremendous consequence
which might resulttherefrom to the peace
and property of the people, called for the
lexercise of the calmest and veisest Judgment
az r,os+ ,,nrro;,id ;cpd and imnartiaI DELHI