New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-03-03
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NIB, s.cai exhaustion from h's conunoGo'
k.:v;ca on the committee as . reason why
6H ahould not address the House ut any
leneth. He spoke Of the report % present
ino q case of great shame and disgrace u
al5 Americsn citizens. As to the question Of
the impeschsbility Of an officer who had re
sieped, he was not prepared to epeas
worthily, except to suggest that it conId no'
be true that an officer, who was beng IN
evidence to be . criminal, could nee irom ~
iustice. He alluded to what he caiied tne
Tneeemly acceptance Of Secretary PEI.
knan'a resignation, and referred 10 tne
English cases of Warren hesungs sno
Lord Francis Bacon. both OF whom mao
heep impeached after they had ceased 70
hold the Offices in which they committed
crimes and misdemoanOrs.
Mr.. Bass, Republican, OF new 1ofk,
,nother member of the committees, ques-
1ioned the statement OF the chairman (Mr.
Clymer) as to this case having no parallel.
and aaid that he would not have to leave
IN own borders in order to find not only
narsllel for it, hut he could find cases COM
nared. with which this case was as white az
10 driven snow. He admitted that mere
easement of thus case, - presented 0y the
testimony, was sufficient to Jusuiy every
member to vote for the resolution pre-
sented.
m. Lamar, of Mississippi. inquired Of
Mr.. Base his opinion as to the impeach-
ability of . resigned officer.
Nr Bass replied that the English author
ikiea seemed to maintain the jurisdiction of
inpeachment in such cases. but that in this
country it was an unsdjudicated question,
nd one that was not free from doubt:
but his own best judgment was in favor
of the right to impeach, and to let
a. kA aA1 a
Mr.. Hoar, of Massachusetts, in reference
to . casual remark of some member - to
this being political question, entirely dis
claimed and repudiated such an idea. On
the point of impeachability of . person not
in Office, he referred to the case of Mr..
Whittmore, of South Carolina. in which the
House had determined that formal actual
renupciation of IN Office terminated the
Office, and that any American citizen could
lav down an Office held by him without
any acceptance Of his resignation. Judge
Story had laid down the doctrine that
it could not be done in Eng:
land, but there any citizen could
Esglish cases of Warren Hastings and
Lord Bacon did not apply. In America no
man could be impeached but . civil officer,
and when he ceased to be civil officer he
ceased to be within the literal description
Ve>S
only Judgment that could be rendered in an
imDeschmept case was removal from office
and future disqualification from holding
Office, but by the statutes person guilty
of such offenses could be indicted, tried and
aentenced by the criminal courts Of the
country. He protested against hot haste
in this matter without having the testimo-
~ printed. He though t such haste unwor.
thy this grave question, and if he stood
alone he would still stand here to say So
Mr.. Blackburn. of Kentucky, another
member of the committee. expressed his
estisfact on that the report which had been
rad by his colleague (Clymer) showed to
the world that nothing had been left I'M.
done by the committee to shield and shelter
from dishonOr any person except the one
whom it was the duty of the committee to
consent that the gentleman from Massachu-
setts should make this political or parti-
san question. He would not consent that
hiS side Of the House should be placed in
the position of prosecutors and the other
ride should take mp the position
Of defenders. 1t was question which ad-
dressed iteelf alike to every member of the
House. He regarded the case as an UMPIRE |
eedented one in moro respects than one.
Belknsp's reeignstion, under the
was unprecedented, and
his was the first instance in the history OF |
he country where any man, claiming man.
rood and holding an exalted station, had
ought to shelter himself from legitimate I
Investigation by interpreting the dishonor of |
! wife. rs nsation Passing TO the
question OF the iwpescbsbility Of Mr.. |
3elknap, be suggested that that
question, 40 Judge Story had init !
mated, might properly 10 left to tbe de. |
,isiOn of the Senate. On auck = state of |
acts, would the House, he asked, shrink |
rom the performance Of its duty because
here might be the mist or shadow of .
doubt on tt at point The House could not
DO 60. 1t would not be admissible. He
Bacon. in which it was stated that when |
The lord Chancellor had sought to save |
himself by the resignation Of his office, the |
attempt was vain-tbe King did not |
and could not interpOse. Was the House |
10 be told that the man in power |
1t the other end Of the avenue was able to |
rob an American Congress OF . right and
power which the King of Great Britain
could not take from Parliament [Sensation
md applause It used to be the theory
that the King could do no wrong, but NO
man had ever been found bold enough in this |
sOuntry to say that the President could do
no wrong. If the man who uttered the
memorable sentence "Let NO guilty man
escape" held in his pc yer to rob an Amer
lean Congress Of its rights to in1lict punish
Dent, or to pronounce censure on publicly
convicted criminal, where was the barrier
10 be found beneath whose shelter the liber-
ties of the people could rest securei lap
plsuse.
Mr.. Hoar-Does the gentleman say that
Congress has the power to punish any man
n thie COuntryS
Mr.. Black bnrn-I will Eot submit to inter-
ruptiOns. l am the last man who would
introduce one atom Of politics into this dis
QUESTION. 1t is not admissible here. The
members of the committee
we're % earnest and honest in the prOsecu-
lion Of the inquiry. and in the presentation
IF this repOI t, ~ the .jOrity of this HOuee. |
We have seen NO difference in the commit |
lee room. l appeal to the members of the |
House that there should be NO difference
manifested here 1t fraud has been perpe- |
trated; if criminslity exists; ii corruption |
has been proved; let the representatives Of l
he people in this House 90 declare it, and |
send the issue to tho court where 1t may |
anally be tried, and if We are unable to /
punish, where guilt is almost openly con-
fessed, let the responsibility for that failure
rest on other shoulders than ours.
Mr. Danforth, Of Ohio, another member
pf the committee, expressed it as his judg
ment that the acceptance Of Mr.. Belknap's
in no manner changed the posi-
lion Of that officer to the country. He dis
agreed, however, with the statement Of the
Bhairman, Mr.. Clymer, that the conduct of
his officer was the legitimate 0utgrowth Of
The principles of the party in power, and
be expressed the hope that there would not
b . single vote on the Republican side
II the Houee against the resolution.
x>I
years ego there had gone from his State
I0ung, well educated and gallant gentle
man to fight the battles Of his country.
he had gone through he war, and the