Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-03-13
DEMOCRATIC PROTEST
AGAINST THE
ARBITRARY RULE
RADICAL MAJORITY IN CONGRESS-.
OF TILE

The annexed is the protest of the Demo
cratic members of the House of Represen-
tatives offered Monday after the articles of
Impeachment had been gone through with
in that body, but which the House re-
fused to receive, or even allow to be
printed
The undersigned, members of the For
tleth Congress of the United States, repre-
sentlng directly, or in principle, more
than one-half of the whole people of the
United States, do hereby, in the name of
law and order, and in behalf of those they
represent, most SoIenanLy protest against the
tyranny and injustice practiced by the ma
|Jorlty OF the House in violating the sacred
right of free debate and unconstrained de-
, liberation upon the greatest questions ever
brought before an American Congress.
The rules of the House, made for the
protection of minorities, and "by strict
adherence to which the weaker party can
only be protected from those Irregularities
and abuses which the wantonness of power
is but too often apt to suggest to large and
successful majorities," have been, during
this entire Congress, in violation of their
true spirit and intent, wantonly and unpre-
cedentedly suspended and set aside. not
) upon particular and pressing matter, but
upon all pending subjects of legislation, SO
that, by the reckless and arbitrary suspen-
sion Of the rules, and the wanton
abuse of the previous question, the
rights of the minority have been utterly
dlsregarded, the House of Representatives
has ceased to be deiberative body, and
the minority have been compelled to vote
upon the most important questions without
any proper or reasonable time for debate
or consideration. To such an extent has
this dangerous and oppressive practice OBJ
tanned, that measures affecting vitallv the
whole country and the direct interests of
our constituents, tending, as we believe. to
the srbvcr8ion of our republican form of
government, i'll their very nature demand.
ing of the peoples representatives the most
careful examination and scrutiny, have
been hurried through the forms of legisla-
ton without being printed, without one
word OF debate, or one moments considera-
ton; without, indeed, the opportunity of
the undersigned to protest, except in VIC
lation Of the then operating rule enforced
by the majority as the "order of the
House"
These alarming abuses Of power might
not seem to demand this formal protest if
we were not forced to the belief that a de-
termination exists with the majority to re-
voluntionizo this Government by destroy
ing the other coordinate branches and
vesting all the power OF the Government in
Congress. In the steps taking TO depose
the President Of the United States we are
admonished that there is no end to their
oppressive measures to cripple the power
and silence the voice of the minority.
The resolution was pushed through the
House under the operation Of the previous
question, referring the matter to the COM
mlttee on Reconstruction the committee,
IN hot haste, sitting when the House was
IL session, III violation of one of its express
rules, considered and by strict party vote
adopted and presented it again to the
House for its action. And then was ex-
hibited one Of the most extraordinary
spectacies ever witnessed in a deliherative
parliamentary body Members were al
lowed, some thirty, some twenty, some ten,
some five, some one minute only, to discuss
the most mOmentOus questions ever pre-
sented in Congress. Many could not get
even one minute, under the arbitrary rule
of the aiority. And more than half of
those even of the party voting to enforce the
previous question who desired to be heard
were permitted speeches only in the Globe,
after the question upon the resolution was
decided, and which were never delivered
Ill Lu6 llOuSe. NO cOLuuSuG can O6mOQ-
strate more completely than the facts them
selves the vlclOusnesS and lllegalty of such
proceedings. But this wanton and excess
sive use of the power of the majority does
not stop here. 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
previous question. without debate, in vio-
! latlOn OF an express rule, new, special, and
most extraordinary rules for the conduct of
this proceeding, changing, without previ-
Gus 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
jointly.
Thus, while the majority of Congress are
warning upon the other CO. ordinate depart
ments-the executive and iudicial-en-
deavoring to subjugate and bring them
both under the Will and control of Con-
gress the minority of the House of Rep
resentatives are steadily and surely being
stripped of all power, and their constitu-
ents deprived Of all proper representative
voice in the councils of the Republic.
We do, therefore, NEST S0lenanLy protest
against the indecorous and undignifed
haste with which the majority of the House
inaugurated, presented, and rushed
through, by strict party vote, in plain
and palpable violation of one of the stand
ing rules of the House, a resolution de-
handing the impeachment of the Chief
Magistrate of the people for alleged high
crimes and misdemeanors in Office, when
the gravity of the charge and the character
of the high officer against which the attack
was directed, and the unforeseen and ire
mendous consequences which might result
therefrom to the peace and prosperity of
the people called for the calmest and wisest
Judgment, the most unprecedented and i'm
partial deliberation, on the part Of chose
who had the proceedings in charge.
We do also most S0len1nly protest against
this thrice-repeated attempt to degrade
and break down one of the great co-ordi-
nate branches Of the Government through
the spirit of party hatred and vengeance
against the person, who, by the Constitu-
ton, is in the rightful and conscientious
discharge of it's functions, thus consuming
the precious time which ought to be faith
fully devoted to earnest efforts to relieve
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