The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-04-13
Established inl64 IS.
The President md Saa Domiu
& ePEECH OF
HON. JAMES HARLAN,
or 10 VA,
m sAs Un;ss6 Ssdsss Senate,


y MI, H8SiUBNTs W4 B0u0o0E4
bavc spoken III favor Of the kdbptiuu
Of the pending resoIutions, 1 lsten'
ed to the FIRST for three houfs and
moro with 40 much interest % mot tc
move from my sest Or feel ! senss sol
rweariness, and with enough atten,
tion u heAr, 1 think, every word
that dropped from his eloquent lips,
4 always listen to the honorable Son,
.ator from NJ aesachisetts Mr.. sum,
ner1 with the deepest interest, as We
all know that he has obtalned b righ,
on this floor to be heardswith atlen.
ton. from every \ lnember Of thit
body, having served more consccu'
two years than any other membcl
Of the Senate. But lcst my heart
might have been lod captive BY his
eloquence, and my judgment warped
I read last night All ii, the fifteen
oolumsIand more of that speech care.
fully, fof the purpose o, asceftAining
III 1 could, tho crimes that have been
alleged against the President of the
United States. tho motives for the
charges brought against bim, the
character Of the evidence By which
thoy are supported, and the good
that would probably flow from the
adoption Of tho propositions that
have boon submitted. a4i ssfs3
On yesterday and to-day the
speoch of the honorable Senator
from Massachusetts has been supple
mcnted by the honorable Senator
from Missouri { Mr. Schurx;l ! o Senator
as brilliant as the former, and as
thoroughly verscd in elementary
lore, though younger in years and il
experience on this floor. l intended
this morning TO read very carefully
that part of his speech delivered on
yesterday, as / supposed would
find it reported in tho Globe, but
have been disappointed in not finding
il in this mornings issue. I shall
therefore spend but little time in re-
ference to his speech; for, If I com.
pretended its drift and scope, it was
intended to be in support of that
made by the honorable Senator from
Massachusetts.
The charge made against the
President of the United States hy
the honorable Senator from Maesa.
chusetts is stated with great precis-
ion, as everything is which drops
from his lips. in these words: sol "a
ssOn evidence nov before tho senate Il
is plain that the navy OF the United States
acting under orders from Washington,
has been engaged in measurea of violence
and OF beliigerent Intervention, being war,
without the authority Of Congress.
The honorable Senator proceeds
to say a III 0e 81.
"such case cannot pass without in.
quiry. 1t Is too grave for silence"
Further on il his speech the hon.
orable Senator from Massachusetts
charges moro directly in term, a
violation of the Constitution and
laws by the President of tho United
States. These are his words:
"But it il difficult to see how we can
condemn with proper, whole-he ted
re probation our own domestic XII Kiul
with Its fearful outrages while the Presi
dent pats himself at the head OF apower
full and costly Ku Kiux operating abroad
in.defance Of International law and tht
Constitution Of the United States.Y
Other passages equally pointed
might be read, This, then. is the
charge. How 10 it understood BY
those who listened to this debate
with as keen ears rs any member o
this body !? have some passages
from the newspaper press which
might recite, Indicating the impres
sion made on the public mind by th,
Senator's speech. 1 will read bu
one passage.
Mr.. SUMNER. From wallpaper
Mr.. HARLAN. From the New
York Herald, paper which i hav'
heard the honorable Senator eompli
ment very highly in his scat on thi
floor as great news Journal. Th,
passage | read is in these words: Il
"In fact Mr. Summer makes out cas-
| for impeachment of much more seriou
nature than that worked up against Pres
ident Johnson."S ssfs&f 8B
The substance Of this charge a
understood by tho reporters Of tha
great news journal was repeated b,
tho Senator from Missouri [Ml
Scburzl a few minutes since. Ii
asserted that the case which hc an,
tho honorabla Senat1r from Massa
ehusctts had made out was in hi
opinion, more lit case for impcact
mont than that ofAndy johnson.
Mr.. President. this is . very grav
charge. | am not surprised that tn
two Senators who have seen fit I
bring it have laborcd for two day
land more TO snbstantiates it. Pho
Themselves secm to uNdcrsta1d ths
thcy must fall or stand on +thei
ability to prove it, for if tho charg
lhos brought by them against th
Chief Magistrate OF the snatio
should not DO satisfactorily sustaine
they cannot escape condemnation b
an enlightened public,
4 NowFfor the propclling cause of ii
| first Senator. He is moved b
proper considerations. Those al
his words
"Mr. President. ortering again upc
this discussion, perform "a duty viii.
cannot be avoided. wish il were othe
wise, but duty is task-master TO
obeycd. :"
l agrco with tho honorable So
ator in his convictions that u sem
Of duty is imperious and must |
oheyed, else would not now spca
that the demands OF duty howev,
unpleasant, must bo obcycd, else
would now bo silent. | agpeo vii
HIM also in the conclusion that mu
follow, that it is motive that Civ
! moral coloring to every human az
and, therefore, whether he may ha'
succeeded or not in establishing Il
grave charge brought against Il
President of tho United States,
must DO regarded as morally inn
cent; but men who arc morally j
/ nocent are sometimes nlischievio
members Of society, are somotim
mislcd by ovcr-zcal TO tho perpctl
: ton Of grevions evils. | doubt II
| that tho Jews who clamored for I
0 crucilixion Of the Savior were hon,
in their judgment, that Barabt