Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-02-25
ARKANSAS.
The Great Conspiracy - Clayton,
Chief IustlCs Mcclure and the
Senate Majority, the COH-
spiraIOrs.
Tbs Plans and Purposes Of the Con-
spira Ors-What ihsy Are and
How TO be Carried Out.
Clayton Ellisting Negroes and
Breathing out Thrsateni0gs-A
Paragraph for the New
York Herald.
From the Little Rock Gazetto.l

From the Little Rock Gazette.l
THE GREAT CONSPIRACY.
1t is very well understood that John
Mcclure, the impeached Chief Justice
OF the Supreme Court, is the editor of
the Little Rock Republican, OF at all
events is the author of all the leading
editorial articles in that paper bearing
upon the political situation. It is also
we'll understood that the Republican
is not only the organ of Clayton, but
that he owns an interest in the paper,
and owns and controls its editorial
management. Therefore whatever
that paper may have to say on any
matter connected with the present
political situation may be fairly re-
garded as coming directly from Clay
ton, and indOrsed by majority of the
! Supreme Court and of the Senate.
That being so, we think a clear case
can be made out of a conspiracy on the
part of Clayton, three members Of the
] Supreme Court and a majority of the
Senate, to overthrow the constitution,
subVert the government and inaugU-
rate a dCgDOtiSH1 in this State.
CLAYTON ADMITS HIS IMPEACH-
MENT.
Now, let US see about this: On
! Thursday last the House Of Represen-
| tatives impeached Powell Clayton,
! Governor Of Arkansas. We believe il
I has not been denied by Clayton, or
/ any of his friends, that the House had
I the right TO impeach the Governor.
! All parties seem to agree in COnceding
to the House not only the right, but
the sole power to impeach the Cover
nor. So far, then, the House did
! nothing but what it had the cOnstitU-
/ tiOnal right and power to do. As the
! House had the sole power to
! impeach, OF course that body was the
! sole Judge as to the prOpTi-
! ETY. and eXpediency of exercising
/ that right. 1t could look to no other
| department Of the government for
| counsel and advice as to its duties in
| the premises, and was behOlden to no
| power on earth, bat the Constitution,
| for the time and manner of exercising
/ that right. In the exercise of its
| clearly defined Constitutional rights
/ and powers, the House did impeach
| Governor Clayton, and no power on
| earth has the right to question the
propriety Of that act. Clayton, in
communication to the House on the
/ following day, acknowledged and
confessed that he had been informed,
unofficially, of his impeachment; and
the Republican, In yesterdays issue,
admits that "artiCles of Impeachment
were preferred and passed" by the
House.
EVERYTHING IN ORDER.
So far, then, everything has been
raFrrr1aw md in hnrr7nuTns h0uHrT
may have been the act, or whatever
political combination may have been
made to effect it. The Constitution, of
course, knows no parties-it only re-
cOgniZes members; and whatever the
majority does Is the lawful and con-
stitutiOnal enactment of the House.
WHAT NEXT?
Now what is the next step, under the |
Constitution, to be taken in the pro- |
gress Of an Impeachment proceeding?
The Constitution provides that all inn
peachments shall be tried by the Sen !
ate, sitting as a high court Of impeach-
ment; and the statutes Of the State
provide for the manner in which the
| trial shall be conducted before the
Senate.
THE DUTY OF THE SENATE.
It IS, therefore, clearly the duty Of
] the Senate to try all mpeachments; |
and, in the discharge of this duty, |
that body is subject, as all other judi |
cial tribunals are, to these cOnstitU- |
tiOnal provisions Every person |
ought TO obtain Justice freely, and |
without purchase ; completely and |
without denial; promptly and with |
out delay, cOnfOrmably to the laws"
ANY judicial tribunal that Wilfully |
and deliberately violates any of these |
sacred provisions and guarantees of |
the Constitution isTecreant to its high |
duties and faithless to its obligations. |
A MAJORITY OF THE SENATE COR
RUPTLY COMBINED.
Now, how has the Senate discharged |
its duties; and how has each indiVid- |
ual Senator, who is responsible for the |
conduct Of that body, discharged his |
sworn duties in regard to the trial of /
this impeachment ? They have cor
ruptly combined 10 defeat a trial of 4
this Impeachment by cOntumaciously /
refusing to hold a session Of that body i
since the impeachment was had.
We say that a majority of the Sem
atOrs have cOrrupuy combined to de-
feat tlial Of this Impeachment; and
also to di5Organize the General As
sembly by preventing any further ses-
sion Of the Senate; and
THE PROOF
Of this is to be found in the following
extracts taken from the Republican
Of yesterday:
On the next morning the managers
of impeachment betOOk themselves,
with the articles, to the Senate
Chamber, and much to their astOnish-
ment there was no quorum Of the
Senate, and the managers returned to
the House, smelling a mice" The |
code declares an Impeachment to be a
prefeTring Of the charge "6efOre the
Senate" but in this instance there was
no Senate to be found. What the
House viii do with its articles we are
not prepared TO say. Our advice is to
keep them as an evidence that
The best laid plans Of mice and men
Gang aft aglee."
And again:
'The impeachment of Governor /
Clayton ICiU fail, FOR WANT OF A
SENATE TO PRESENT THE ARTICLES
TO. All that is now left for these men
to do is to make fair, square fight,
and this, we Opine, they will not do"
WHY IMPEACHMENT WILL FAIL.
And thus it is announced by the 4
"Ofiicial organ" known to be the
mOuth-piece Of Governor Clayton, and /
edited by the Chief Justice OF the Su-
preme Court, that the Impeachment Of /
Governor Clayton JDiU fail, not be- /
cause he is gUiltless of the charges
preferred against him; not because a /
majority of the Senate are his personal !
or political friends, and would acquit 4
him, right or wrong, 6n because /
THERE WILL BE NO SENATE TO PRE- /
SENT THE CHARGES TO-nO tribunal /
TO frv the accused before! And this |
Is not revolutionary? Oh, mo- We
Opine that the Congress Of the United /
states will think differently.
CLAYTON ENLIsTIEG NEGROES.
We understand that Clayton and his /
band ofeonspiratOrs are inviglinga few
deluded cOlOred men from the country |
into his service, under the delUsl0n /
that he Is swearing them In as militia
men, and that they viii get pay for /
their service. These men ought TO be 1
informed that Clayton is not Acting /
Governor Of the State, and has no /
more right TO call out the militia than 1
any other private citizen. They, OF |
course, will never be paid for their |
service, and Il any Of them, under /
mistaken sense Of duty, were to shoot |