The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-03-06
fGlS Il, INTELLIGENCER.
BEL AIR, MD, MARCH 6, 1868.
DE.WOCR.aTEC PROTEST

The annexed is the protest of the demo-
cratic members of the House of Representa-
tives, offered on Monday after the articles OF
Impeachment had been gone through with In
that body, but which the House refused to
receive, or even allow to be printed
:, The undersigned members of the Fortieth
Congress of the United States representing
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 S0lemny
protest against the tyranny and injustice prac-
-ticed by the majority of the House in vio-
lating the sacred right of free debate and UNI
constrained deliberation upon the greatest
questions ever brought before an American
Congress.
The rules of the House. made for the pro-
lection of minorities and "by n strict adher-
ence 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 unprecedently suspend
ed and set aside, not upon particular and
pressing matter, but upon all pending subjects
of legislation, so that by the reckless and ar
bitrary suspension of the rules, and the wan.
ton abuse of the previous question, the rights
of the minori,, have been utterly disregarded,
the House of Representatives has ceased to
be deliberative body, and the minority have
been compelled to vote upon the most I'M
portant questions without any proper or rea-
sonabe time for debate or consideration
To such an extent has this dangerous and op-
pressive practice obtained that measures af
fecting vitality the whole country and the di-
rect interests of our constituents, tending, as
we believe, to the subversion of our republic
of in thpr mai Ilrn
demanding Of the peoples representatives the
most careful examination and scrutiny, have
b5en hurried through the FORMS of legislation
without being printed, without one word of
debate or one moments consideration with
out, indeed, the opportunity ofthe undersign-
ed to protest, except in violation 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 determ-
nation exists with the majority to revolution
ize this government by destroying the other
co ordinate branches and vesting all the pow
er 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 Grip
pie the power and silence the voice of the
minority.
The resolution was pushed through the
house under the operation ofthe previous ques-
ton, referring the matter to the committee on
reconstruction; the committee in hot haste sit
ting when the House was in session, in viola
ton 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 exhibited one of the most eXtraor-
binary spectacles ever witnessed in deliber-
alive parliamentary body. Members were
allowed some thirty, some twenty, some ten,
some five, some one minute only to discuss
the most momentous questions ever presented
in Congress. Many could not get even one
minute under the arbitrary rule of the major
ity. 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 in the House. No
comment can demonstrate more completely
than the facts themselves the viciousness and
illegality of such proceedings. But this wan
ton and excessive use of the power of the ma
jorty does not stop here. While the COM
mittee were in session upon the further pro-
ceedings to remove the President, and in an
ticipation of its action, under the operation
OF the previous question, without debate, in
violation OF an express rule new, special and
most extraordinary rules for the conduct of
this proceeding, changing without previous
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 majority.
Thus, while the majority of Congress are
warning upon the other coordinate depart
ments-the executive and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ing to snbjugate and bring them both under
the will and control of Congress, the minor-
ty of the House of Representatives are stead
lily and surely being stripped of all power, and
their constituents deprived of all proper rep
rescntative voice in the councils ofthe repub
lie.
We do, therefore, most S0lemnly protest
against the indecorous and undignified haste
with which the majority of the House inau-
gurated, presented and rushed through, by a
strict party vote, in plain and palpable viola
tion of one of the standing rules of the House
resolution demanding 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 tremen-
dous consequences which might result there
from to the peace and prosperity of the peo-
pie called for the calmest and wisest iudg-
ment, the most unprecedented and impartial
deliberation on the part of those who had the
proceedings in charge.
We do also most s0tennly 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 the person
who, by the constitution, is in the rightlul and
conscientious discharge of its functions, thus
consuming the precious time which ought to
be faithfully devoted to earnest efforts to re-
licve the pressing wants of the people, a res
toration of torn and devastated country to
union and good order, and to tightening the
burden of a taxation which is pressing down
the energies of trade and commerce to the
point of universal bankruptcy and ruin
We do again most solemaly protest against
and profoundly deprecate and deplore any
and all attempts to array in hostile antago-
nism to each other any of the departments of
the government upon the mere question of
the constitutionality or construction of a law
of Congress- the proper jurisdiction and final
adjudication of which belongs exclusively to
the judicial tribunals and we hereby warn
the people of the United States that the pub
lie liberty and the existence of free institu-
tons are involved, and that they are in i'm
minent danger of utter overthrow in this sui
cidal struggle.
We dofuather most solemnly protest against
that wild and radical spirit of innovation