Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-06-03
The Last Phase of the Revolution.

From the National Intelligencer.l raff H
The revived committee OF managers of
impeachment, aided by the outrageous
rulings of Speaker Colfax, have grown
holder and more defiant of public epin-
ion in the desperation engendered by
their defeat. Not content with tran
scending and openly tramping under
foot the plainest provisions of the Fede'
raj Constitution for the protection of the
people "in their persons, houses, papers,
and effects, against :. unreasonable
searches and seizures against their
being q" deprived of life, liberty, or prop
erty, without due process of law" this
committee, composed exclusively of the
most reckless aud inscriptions parti-
sans OF faction of lawless revoutionists,
have converted the Capitol of the nation
into prison-house for whomsoever the
partisan malignity or personal prejudice
or caprice of any of its members may
choose TO drag before it, and subject to
inauisition unheard of and undreamed OF
among an enlightened people since the
days of the Spanish inquisition.
The chief inquisitor of Spain, in the
darkest days of the tyranny of the in
QUESTION: Robespiorre and his confreres,
in the climax of the bloody French rev.
olution even Stanton and Baker, during
the darkest period Of our war of the re-
belion, when military necessity was ad'
mitted as plea for the most Infamous
and excessive use of executive power,
did not dare to attempt what these mad
dened revolutionists are now, IN the
Kindness of their rage, actually doing TO
the free people of the Republic of the
United-States. -,-.
Stanton, in time OF war, when the pro-
cess Of habeas corpus was suspended,
when military law prevailed, erected
prisons in view Of the National Capitol,
and arrested citizens by military author
i,y: but these were executive military
acts, aud he was then an executive mill
tary officer; but this committee, simply
committee of q purely Legislative
body, has assumed to itself all the pow
.ers Of the judiciary and executive depart.
ments of the Government, and attempted
to realize the annunciation of one OF ITS
members, "that Congress is the Govern,
ment," nay, more, that a committee OF
the House of Representatives is the
Government.
This committee brings before it by
summary process whomsoever any one OF
its members pleases, subjects these wit
uesses to an inquisition absolutely for
hidden by the fundamental law of the
nation, incarcerates them for pleading
their constitutional rights, and converts
the nations Capitol into prison house
for the victims Of the partisan malignity
or personal hatred or caprice of any 'oi
its members.
Do the American people realize the
extent of this unmitigsted, unprece-
deuted outrage Are they willing that
their government shall be eyerturned,
that their Constitution aud laws shall be
set aside, and the Judiciary aud execu-
tive departments, which they have or
dained for their own protection, shall be
trampled under foot by such men as
Butler. and Stevens, aud Bingham, and
Boutwell,, aud Logan7 Shall such 40
infamous oligarchy Of desperate, unscru-
pulous revolutionisls be allowed 10 ab-
serb aud use and abuse not only all the
powers Of the GoFernnenL but % assume
powers forbidden BY the organic law Of
the Government itsef, and expressly re-
served BY The people for fheir own pro-
tection2 Desponsm Of the worst char
acter. welded by bad men, is already
upon US, and II thepeople do not soon
arrest such lmposiuons. they must sub
nit 10 a bondage more iniolerable, q
tyranny more terrible, and degradation
more despicable than has ever been i'm
posed upon any enlightened people.