Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-09-24

supreme power over The 0ovcrn
mont.
The statement Of Mr. Morton that
he and bis party were educated "a
new doctrines by tho war, and that
they learned rapidly, la true, IN point
Of fact. and II can vouoh n very re-.
spectacle precedent II is like in
spirit, but mcro modest N language
than the boast Of Mr. Dlsrach, In
Parliament, last summer that he had
educated his party into the acceptance
OF doctrines ropugnant 10 their most
cherished conviction. But this pro
cess Of education, unluckily for the
precedent, threw the Premier and
his party at once into total ininori-
ty. And such may, possibly, be tho
case hero.
When the impeachment failed. tho
committee Of the House appointed 10
conduct il was not discharged, but
continued TO sit under the guidance Of
Gen. Butler, who had been from the
first its actual, though not its nominal
head. The continuance Of the inves-
tigation was founded on nothing, and
tended to nothing except party spite
and party calumny. One point IN
his report deserves noGice-not be-
cause It was his report, but because ii
was adopted by the committee, and
published by order of the House.
The fourth amendatory article Of
the Constitution provides that "the
right Of the people TO be secure in
their persons, houses, papers and ef-
tects against unreasonable searches
and seizures shall pot he violated and
no warrants shall issue but on pr0ba-
Bile cause, supported by oath or afr
nation, aud particularly describing
the place to be searched and the per-
sons or things 10 DC seized" Now
notice the construction of this clause
Of the Constitution by General Butler,
speaking in the name Of committee
Of Congress, if indeed IL occurred 70
him or them that we had a Constitu-
tion. The impeachment has ended in
failure. There was no question
pending before the House, on which
that body had right TO call and ex-
anime witnesses under compulsory
process, but General Butler supposed
that the Senators who voted for ac-
quittal were bribed. and on this fuun-
dation and no other, he in the name
Of the committee and with the concur
renee of the House, proceeded TO in
vestigate the matter Of his supposition.
He says in his report, WHICH was
agreed to by the committee aud pub.
lished by the House q. y;
Learning that many telegraphic messages rel
ative TO impeachment had been sent and received
by the parties supposed 10 be implicated in fraud
ulent practices, your committee issued a subpoena
duees tecHm in the usual form TO the managers OF
the several telegraphic companies in this city and
Baltimore 70 produce telepraphie dispatcher dur
ing certain period and then directed the witness
os, officers Of the telegraph companies TO collect
such ielegrams As were supposed would throw
light on the investigation
"Ths exercise Of an ordinary power confdod 10
every justice Of the peace Of the country who has
a cause pending before him, was the only seizure
Of kilograms made by your committee, which has
been the subject Of much severity, and useless vi
tuperation'"
Mr.. Butler and his committee as
sumo that if somebody is supposed to
be implicated 10 fraudulent practices,
the papers Of everybody may be seizd
and searched To give that power to
the House Of Representatives, no pen
ding suit, according TO him or them,
is necessary; no affidavit, no probable
cause against anybody or anything;
it is enough that somebody is "sup-
posed TO be implicated in some fraud
ulent practice, and the power Of
committee of the House is complete
to seize and search the papers OF any
body-aye, and to seize and imprison
in the vaults Of the capitol any per
son who refuses TO explain his own
private business transactions to the
committee. The appeal to the Con.
stitution, whicn forbids unreasonable
searches and seizures, and provides
that "no warrants shall be issued but
upon probable cause, supported by
oath or affirmation" is characterized
as "senseless and useless clamor." A
privateperson, Colonel Wooley, whose
dispatches had been seized by tho
committee, was summoned before
them, and denied, under oath, that
they related to the matter about which
the committee had assumed to INQUIRE.
but refused to testify as to his own
private business, whereupon they i'm.
prisoned him-iirst in a wholesome
room, then, by order of the House,
transferred him to a dungeon in the
vaults of the capitol
There seems TO have been no mo-
tive on the part Of the House for this
act Of arbitrary individual oppression
but to show their power over the Con
stitution and their contemp. Of its
guarantees. Or, perhaps, their object
was merely TO sustain General Butler,
whom they had adopted as their lead.
er, and TO indorse his acts. As TO him.
he was so morally constituted that he
could not even transmit the truth
when be had il before him on paper.
Ii changed its very nature under his
eye while he read, or under his hand
while he transcribed it; and the coarse
ness OF bis perceptions disqualified him
from forming any just opinion on any
matter involving Constitution or law,
or the proprieties of official or profes,
sional action. Hence a case as he
presents it is never the actual case
and the Constitution, after passing
through his rank mental digestion. Is
no more the Constitution as il is writ.
ton than the guano of Alta Vela is the
fish that was swallowed by the sea
bird.
The Constitution declares that "no
bill of attaiuder or er post facto laws
shall be passed" whereupon, as if the
hint were taken from the clause, the
last Congress, at their last session,
passed an er post fact0 law attaining
a class Of our citizens aud depriving
them OF citizenship-an unworthy
class, It's true-men who had violated
their oath 10 support the Constitution,
and with il their oath 90 render mill.
tary service. These men were proba.