Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-03-03
THE PROTEST OF THE DEMOCRATIC
MEMBER<

| N0l N - Cl lAe U nAttQ fFl esentnE Ul-
recily or in principle more than one half OF ilae
peopie OF the United States, do hereby. in ths.
name Of law and justice and in behalf OF those
! they repiesent, most soleInnly protest against
! The tyranny and injustice practic q by the ma
Joiiiy OF the Hsuse m violating the sacnd rrg ht
| OF iree debate and uucoi.strained deliberauon
upon the ar atest questions ever brought before
1 an American Congrss.
ne rules Of the House made for uhe protec-
Tor OF ma critics, and sby strict adherence 10
! Mn.en Ihe weaker party can only b. projected
Hom u reg iaritics and abuses " hich the wan
tonnsss OF powsr II but too often apt 20 sugrest L
10 lAAse -lid successful Hla y .Iiss. have been.
aur.he thls entire Congress. in violation OF
tleir tone sririt and intrnt. rautoniy w and un :
z rreCedenieoly suspended and s.t aSsaa. not
upon q particular and pressing matter, bat
d npon all pending subjects Of 1 gislation go
mat by Tins reckless and arbitrary sus rension
J Of the ruleS, and the wanfon ann "a a.. -.
Nions question, the rights OF the minority have
Q BEEN utterly dIsregarded, the House OF Ken
rcsentatiNes has ceased 10 be a delab.rafixa
body, and the minority have bsen c,mnsiisd
TO vote upon the most important questtonS
without any proper or reasonable time
for debate or consideration. To such an ca
tent has tins dangerous and oppressive
practice obtained that measures affecting vital
ly the whole country and the dearest interests
OF our constiiuen nts, tending. as we believe. TO
me subNersion OF our republican IL. an of gov
, ernment IN their very nature demanding Of the
peoples representatives the most careful ex-
animation and scrutiny, have been hurried
lbfough with forms OF legislation without being
printed, without one wond OF debate. or one
moments conslderatlon-withouI indeed. ths.
opportunity Of the undersigned 10 protest eA-
cept IN violation OF the then operating order,
enforced by the majority a. the order OF fh,s
House. These alarming abuses Of powsr NIGH
not seem TO demand thls formal protest n We
were not forced TO the belief that a deterrnina-
ton exists with the majority 10 reyolutioniv..
this Government by destroy ing the other co-or-
dmate branches and yesting all the powers OF
GoNernmt Mt In Congress.
In tine steps taken 20 depose the President Of
the United States, We are admonished that there
is end 10 these Oppressive meas ures 10 crtppl,
the power and silence the voice OF the minority
The resolution was rushed through the Hous.
under the operation Of the previous question
refernng the matter 10 the Committee on Recon-
struetion; the committee, in hot haste. sitting
when the House was an session, in violation OF
one OF its express rules, considered aud by a
strict party vote adopted and presented again
70 the House for its action. Aud then was
eAhibited one OF the most extraordinary spec-
tacles ever witnessed ia a deliberative. parlia-
mentary body. Members were allowed some
thlrty minutes some twenty, some ten, some
hVe, and some one minute only. TO discuss the
most momentous questions ever presented iu
Congress Many could not even get one minute
undei the arhltrary rule OF the majority. And
more than hall OF those even Of the party voting
to oenforce the previous question who desired TO
be IA ard We're permitted only 10 PRINT speeches
IN the CtO1e, after the question upon the resolu-
uon was decided, and which was never de-
hvered i'm the House No comment can demon
strate more completely than the facts Themselves
the yiclousneSs and illegality OF such proceed
OF the majority does not stop here. While the
committee Were in session upon the further pro-
ceedlngs TO remove the President. and ia anti
clpatlon OF It's action under the operation of th.,
prev question, without debate in violation
Of an express rule, new, special. and most ex-
uaordinary rules for the conduct of this pro-
ceedlng, changing, without previous noflce.
standing rules OF the House. were adopted TO
further limit debate, and more completely TO
place the minority IN the power and nj th..
mercy OF the majority.
Of -,
warrlng upon the other coordinate Depart
ments, the Executive and the judicial. en-
aeaNorlng TO subJugaie or bring them boIh un-
DER Tie VIII and control of Congress, the nori-
" of the House of Representatives are steadily
and surely being stripped Of all power. and
Their constituents deprived OF all representative
Voice IN the counsels of the Republic
We do, therefore, most solemnly protest
against the undecorous and undignifed haste
with which the majority Of this House iuau-
gufated, presented. and rushed through by a
strict party vote, I'm plain and palpable viola
ton OF one of the standing rules Of the House.
arsolntlon demanding the Impeachment Of the
Chlef MAJ trate of the people for alleged high
crimes and misdemeanors in Office when the
gravity OF the charge, the character OF he hirh
ONCE against which the attack was directed
and the Unforeseen and tremendous conse-
quences which might result thereffom TO th..
PEACE and prosperity Of the people. called for
the exercise OF the calmest and wisest iudg-
ments tue most unpreju aud impartial de-
ceeding in charge
We do also most solemuIy protest against
tins thrice-repeated attempt 70 degrade and
brs<tA down one of the great co-ordInate branch
es OF the Government, through the spirit of
party hatred and vengeance, against the person
VINO, by the Constitution, is in the rightfal and
CONSCIENTIOUS discharge Of it's functions. thus
consuming the precious time which ought TO
be ialthfully devoted to an earnest effort 10 re-
heve the pressing wants of the people a reetor
alton OF a torn anddistracted country uuion an,
good order, and 10 the lightening Of a burden of
uAatlon which is pressing down all the en-
eIgies ol uaoe and commerce TO the point OF
universal bankruptcy and ruin.
We DO again most solemnly protest against
ana profoundly deprcate and deplore any and
all attempts 10 array in hostile antagonism TO
each other any Of the departments of the Gov
ernment upon the mere question of the consti-
tutlonality or construction of a law of Con eress
the proper jurisdiction and final ad iudicafion
OF which belongs exclusively 20 the judicial
tribunals; and We hereby warn the people OF
the United States that the public liberty and
the existence Of free institutions are involved,
ana mat they are in imminent peril of uftpr
overthrow in this suicidal struggle
We do further solemnly protest against the
Wild ano radical spirit Of innovation upon the
early and well-settled practice OF the Govern-
ment, practice established by the men who
framed the Constitution. and who best UNDER
stood iis spirit and meaning, which binds the
Chief Magistrate OF the republic, the represent
atiye of the dignity and power of the people ,t
the mercy Of one OF his subordinates. assuming
TO be- Secretary of War. in violation Of his own
pronounced convictions of the law: who has
the unblushing efrontery to place himself an
the unwarraDted position of Communicating
directly with Congress in utter contempt Of the
authority OF his superior. and with the deliber-
ate purpose OF Resisting his authority.
The undersigned, therefore, in their charac-
ter OF Representatives of the people being de-
pr1yed by the despotic power of an inexorabls.
majority of the high privilege Of debatp. that
great instrument in the discovery of truth and
the most cherished heritage OF free people, do
hereby soiemnly and earnestly protest against
these infractions of the rights OF the people and
respectfully ask that this, their protest NAV be
spread upon the Journal of the House
tSignedl-Chas. A. Eldridge, Il. Van Trump,
Geo. W. Woodward, W. Nungen, VIM. f Nib
lack, Stephen Taber, VIM. =. Holman. Geo M
Adams, Demas Barnes, Geo. w. Morgan, A J.
Giossbrenner, :. =. Marshall, ]. Lawrence
Sietz, ID NJ Van Auken, Il. NJ. Bower. Thom.s
Laurens Jones, Stevenson Archer, W IA Bar.
mum, Albert q. Burr, John A Nicholson Jas
A. johnson, +. ID. Holbrook, James b. Beck p
Stone, Asa y. Grover, Chas. u. Phelps. James
NJ. Humphrey, James N. Cayanaugh. John
FOX. Chas. Haight John v. L. Pruyn, Lewis
w. Ross, Samuel ]. Randall, l. = Triuble
James Brooks. r.. d. Hubbard, III. Mccullough.
j. :. Golladay, j. p. Knott, John w Chauler
Chas. SitgTeaves, Julius Hotch kiss. M @ Kerr
Samuel B. Axtell, and James r. McCormick
- BY stupid blunder of the Town Clerk
OF East Greenwich, X. l.. about $50 of the rec-
istered voters of that town are disfranchfsed for
The present year. Application has been made
TO the General Assembly for an act Of .recon-
struction."