Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-03


previous question referring the matter 20
the committee. The committee in hot
haste sitting when the House was in ses-
sion, in violation of one of its expressed
rules considered, and by a strict party
vote, adopted and presented tito the House
for action, and then was exhibited one of
the most extraordinary spectacles ever
witnessed in a deliberatiye parliamentary
body. Members were allowed some
thirty minutes, some twenty, some five and
some one minute to disCHss the
most momeutous question ever presented,
many could not even get one minute I'M
der the arbitrary rule Of the majority, and
even more than half Of the party voting
to enforce the previous question who de-
sired to be heard, were permitted only to
print their speeches in the Globe after the
question upon the resolution was decided,
and which were never delivered in the
House. No comment can demonstrate
more completely than the facts themselves
the vieiousness and illegally Of such pro-
ceedings. But this wanton and excessive
use of the power Of the majority does not
stop here but while the committee were in
session upon the further proceedings to
remove the President, and in anticipation
of its action under the operation of the pre-
vious question, without debate and in yio-
lation of an express rule, new, special and
most extraordinary rules for the conduct
Of this proceeding, and changing without
previous notice the standing rules of the
House, were adopted to further limit debate
and more completely to place the minority
in the power and at the mercy of the ma
jority. Thus, while the majority of Con-
gress are working upon the other co-ordi-
nate departments, the executive and Judi
eial, endeavoring to subjugate aud bring
them both under the will and control Of
Congress, the minority Of the House of
Representatives are steadily and surely
being stripped of all power, and their con-
stituents deprived of all representation in
the Congress of the republic We do.
therefore, most solemnly protest against the
indeccrous and >undignifed haste with
which the majority Of this House.
inaugurated, presented, and rushed
through by strict party vote, in
plain and palpable violation of one
of the standing rules of the House
resolution, demanding the impeachment of
the Chief Magistrate of the people, for al
legged high crimes and misdemeanors in of.
fee, when the gravity of the charge, and
the character of the high Office against
which this attack was directed, and the un-
foerseen and tremendous consequence which
might result therefrom to the peace and
prosperity of the people, called for exercise
Of the calmest and wisest Judgment, and the
most uuprejudiced and impartial delibera-
ton on the part Of those who had such
proceedings in charge, we do most solemnIy
protest against this their repeated attempt
to degrade and break up one of the great
coordinate branches of the government,
through the spirit of party hatred and
vengeance against the person who, by the
constitution, is in the rightful and consci-
entious discharge of its functions, thus con-
suraing the precious time which ought TO
be faithfully devoted to an earnest effort
to relieve the pressing wants of the people,
the restoration of a torn and distracted
country to union and to good order, and to
Tightening the burden of taxation which
ia pressing down all the energies of
trade and commerce to the point
of universal bankruptcy and ruin. We
do again most solemnly protest and most
profoundly deprecate all attempts to array
in hostile antagonism against each other
the departments of the government upon
a mere question of constitutionality or
construction of a law of Congress, the pro-
per Jurisdiction and final adjudication Of
which belongs exclusively to the judicial
tribunal and we hereby warn the people
of the United States that the public liberty
, 10 g
involved in this suicidal struggle, and are in
imminent peril of utter overthrow. We do
most solemnly protest that wild and radi-
cal spirit of innovation upon the early
and well settled practice of governments
practice established by men who founded
the constitution, and who best understood
its spirit and meaning which puts the
Chief Magistrate of the republic and the
representative Of the dignity and power Of
the people, at the mercy of his subordi-
nate. Assuming to be Secretary of War
in violation of his own pronounced CON
viction Of the law who has the unblush-
ing etfrontery TO place himself in the IN
warranted position OF communicating d.
rectly with Congress in utter contempt Of
the authority of his superior, and with
deliberate resisting of his authority, the
undersigned, therefore, in character Of
representatives of the people being de-
priyed by the desperate power of an
exertable majority of the high privilege
of debate of that great instrument in the
discovery of truth, and most cherished
heritage of true people, do hereby solemn
ly and earnestly protest against these
infractions, and against the rights
of the people, and respectfully ask that
this, their protest, be spread upon the Jour
nal of the House. Ei4
The protest is signed by forty FIVE Demo
cratic members. l.
The House then proceeded TO vote on
the articles. First article adopted-yeas
l26, nays Al. Second-yeas l22, nays Al.
Third-yess 12l, nays AZ. Fourth-yeas
Ia, nays 80. Fifth, sixth, seventh and
eighth-yeas l26, nays Al. Ninth, changed
from number ten-yeas los, nays As.