The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-04-25

siens.
tparty vote adopted it and presented 10 To-
1.-THE House for its action. and then was,
Exhibited one Of the most extraordinry.
lspectacles ever witnessed in deIiberatiye,
parliamentary body. Members were al.
lowed some thirty minutes, some twenty.
some ten and some one minute only. TO
discuss the most momentous question ever
presented. Many could not get one min.
ute under the arbitrary rule Of the ma
ljority and more than half those even Of
the party voting to enforce the previous,
lquestion, who desired to be heard, were,
permitted only to print their speeches In
the Gtobc after the question upon the
! resolution was decided, and which were.
never delivered in the House. No COM.
mcnt can demonstrate more completely
than the facts themselves the viciousness
and illegality of such proceedings. But
this wanton and excessive use Of the ma
ljority does not stop here. While the
COMMITTEE were in session upon further
proceedings to remove the President, and
in anticipation Of its action, under the op-
alton Of the previous question, without.
debate, in violation of the express rule,
new, special and most extraordinary rules
for the conduct of this proceeding, chang
ing, without previous notice the rules of
the House, were adopted to further limit
debate and completely place the minority
in the power and mercy of the majority.
Thus while the majority of Congress are
warriDg upon the other coordinate de-
lpartmcnts-the Executive and Judicial
l-endeavoring to subjugate and 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
constituents deprived of all represent
atiye voice in the counsels of the repub-
lie.
i We do. therefore, most solemnly pro-
test against the indecorous and undigni-
fed haste with which the majority of this
House has inaugurated, presented and
Irushed through, by strict party vote. in
plain and palpable violation of one Of the
standing rules of the House, aresolution de-
manding the impeachment of the Chief
Magistrate of the people for alleged crimes
and misdemeanors in Office. When the,
gravity of the charge, the character Of the
high Office against which the attack was di-
Ireeted, and the unforeseen and tremendous
consequence which might result therefrom
to the peace and prosperity of the people,
called -or the exercise of the calmest and
wisest judgment, the most unprejudiced
and impartial deliberation on the part of
those who had such proceedings in charge,
we do most solemnly protest against this
thrice repeated attempt to degrade and
break down one of the great coordinate
branches Of the government, through
the spirit of party hatred and vengeance,
against person who, by the Constitu-,
ton, is in the rightful and conscientious
discharge of its functions, thus consum-.
ing the precious time which ought to be
faithfully devoted to an earnest effort to.
relieve the pressing wants of the people,
the restoration of this distracted country
to union and good order, and tolightening
the burden of taxation which is pressing.
down all the energies of trade and COM
merce to point of universal bankruptcy.
and ruin.
We do again most solemnly protest
against and profoundly deprecate and de-.
plore any aud all attempts to array in
hostile antagonism to each other the de-
partments of the Government upon the
mere question Of the constitationality or
construction of law of Congress, the
proper jurisdiction and final adjudication
of which belong to the judicial tribunal,
and we hereby warn the people of the.
United States that the public liberty and
the existence of free institutions are in
volved in this suicidal struggle, and that
they are in imminent peril Of an utter
overthrow. We do further most solemnly
protest against that wild and radical spirit
of innovation upon the early and well
settled practice of Government, prac~
tice established by men who framed the
Constitution and who best understood its
spirit and meaning, which puts the Chief,
Magistrate Of the Republic, the Repre-
sentative of the dignity and power of the,
people, at the mercy of his subordinate,
assuming to be Secretary of War in viol-
alton of his own pronounced conviction
of law, who has the upblushing effront-.
ery to place himself in the unwarranted
position of communicating directly with
Congress in bitter contempt of the author
ity Of his superior, and with the deliber-.
ate purpose of resisting that authority.
The undersigned, therefore, in the
character of the Representatives of the
people, being deprived, by the despotic
power of an inexorable majority, of the.
privilege of debate, that great instrument
in the discovery of the truth, and most
cherished heritage of free people, do,
hereby solemnly and earnestly protest
against these infractions of the rights of,
the people, aud ask that this their pro-
test might be spread upon the Journal of
the House.
Chas. A, Eldridge, P. VanTrump. G..
w. Woodward W Mungcn, Stephen Ia
Der, George NJ. Adams, G. w. Morgan,
Is. S. Marshall, d. NJ. VanAuken, Thom-
as Lawrence Jones, w H, Barnum, John
A. Nicholson, E. D, Holhrook, +. Stone,
Charles f. Phelps, James NJ. Cavenaugh,
Charles Haight, Lewis w. Ross, L. L..
Trimble, r. d, Hubbard, J. S. Galladay,
J. w. Chandler, j. Hotchkiss, s. Axtcll,
w. q. Nihlack, W. G. Holman, Demas
Barnes, A. j. Glossbrenner, Lawrence
Getz, b. NJ Boyer, Stevenson Archer
Albert j. Burr. James A. Johnson, James,
B. Rreck, Asa P. Grover, j NJ. Hum,
phrey, John v. L. Pruyn, Samuel j,
PanjoU Tau,oc Rrooks Fl McCnllouph