The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-08

find cases, compared with which this
case was as w bite as was the driven snow.
He admitted that the mere statement of
this case, as presented by the testimony,
was sufficient to justify every member in
voting for the resolutions presented.
Mr.. Lamar, of Miss, inquired of Mr..
Bass his opinion as TO the impeacbabiliiy
of resigned officer.
Mr.. Bass replied that the English su-
thorities seemed to maintain the jurisdic-
ton of impeachment In such cases, but
that in this country 1t was an unadjudi-
Gated question, and one that was not free
from doubt. But his own best Judgment
was In favor OF the right to impeach and
TO let the question be adjudicated by the
Senate.
Mr.. Hoar, Of Mass, in reference to the
casual remark of some member as to this
being political question entirely, dis
claimed and rpudisted such an idea. On
the point of the impsschability OF person
not 10 office, he referred to
THE CASE OF wHITTEMoRE,
OF South Carolina, in which the House had
determined that formal, actual renunc;-
alton OF an officer terminated his office,
and that any American could lay down an
office held by him without any acceptance
of bis resignation. Judge Story had laid
down the doctrine that it could net be
done in England, but there any citizen
could be impeached. Therefore the Eng
I lish case cases p OF war d;d Hastings
ply. In America no man could
be impesched BUT civil officer and
when he ceased to be a civil officer he
ceased to be within the literal descript on
of the constitution. In this codntTy the
only judgment that could be rendered in
an impeachment case was removal from
Office, and future disqualification tor hold
ing office, but by the statutes a person
guilty of such offences could be indicted,
tried and sentenced by the criminal courts
of the country. He protested against hot
haste in this matter without having
the testimony printed. He thought such
haste unworthy of this grave question. If
he stood alone ne would still stand here to
say Sd.
Mr.. Blackburn, OF KY, member
of the committee, expressed his sat STAG
ton that the report had been read by his
colleague, Ciymer. 1t showed to the
world that nothing had been lett undone
by the committee 10 shield and shelter
from dishonor every person except the
one whom it was the duty of the commit
tee to investigate and report upon.
He would not consent that the gentleman
from Massachusetts, should make this
not consent that his side OF the House
should be placed in the position of prose-
cutors, and the other size should take up
the position of defenders. 1t was a ques-
ton which addressed itself alike to every
member of the House. He regarded the
case as unprecedented in more respects
than one. The
ACTION OF THE PRESIDENT
in accepting Secretary Belknsp's resigna-
ton under the circumstances was unDre-
cedented and this was the first Instance In
the history Of the country where any
man, claiming manhood and holding an
exalted station, had sought to shelter him
self from legitimate investigation by
interposing the dishonor of a wife. (Ssn-
sstiop.) Passing to the question Of the
impeachability of Mr.. B, lknap, he sug-
gestsd that the question, as Judge
Story had intimatsd, might properly
be left to the decision of the Senate. On
such state OF facts would the House be
asked to shrink from the performance OF
its duty, because there might be the mist
or shadow OF a doubt on that point. The
House could not do so. 1t would not be
admissible. Ae quoted from the impsach-
meut case OF Lord Bacon, In which IL was
stated that, wnen the lord chancellor had
ton of his high office, the attempt was
vain, as the king did not and could not
interpose. Was tn House to be told that
the man in power at 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? tSensstion and sp-
plause.1 1t used to be the
theory that tbs king could do no
wrong, but no man has ever been found
bold enough in this country to say that the
pre- sident could do no wrong. /. the man
who had uttered the memorable sentence,
Let no guilty man escape" held it in his
power to rob an American congress OF it's
right to infiict punishment or to pro-
nounce censure on publicly convicted
criminal, where was the barrier to be
found, beneath whose shelter the liner
ties of the people could rest secure? Jap
plsusel.
Mr.. Hoar-Does the gentleman say that
congress has power to punish any man in
this country?
Mr.. Black burn-I will not submit to in
terruptioD. sm the last man who would
in troduce one atom of politics in this dis
cussion. It is not admissible here. The
republican members of the committee
were as earnest and honest in the pros.
ecution of this inquiry and in the presen-
tatiOn of this report as the members
representing the majority OF the House.
We have seen no difference in the commit
tee room. I appeal to the members of
the House that there shall be no difference
manifested here. II fraud has been per-
petratej, If criminality exists, IL
CORRUPTION HAS BEEN PROVED,
let the representatives of the people In this
House so declare is and send
the issue to the court where 1t
may finally be tried, and If we are unable
to punish, where guilt is almost openly
let the responsibility for that
failure RI st on, ether shoulders than ours.
Mr.. Danfortb, of o., aRother member of
the committee, expressed 1t as his judg-
inert that the acceptance of
BelkDap's resignation in no man
ner. changed the position of that
officer to the country. He disagreed,
howe with the atatamanf of the chair