The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-05-18
MR.. HOAR PUTS THE IMPEACH-
MENT CASE STRONGLY.

WASHINGTON, May 7,-The argument
of George F. Hoar, one of the lmpeach"
ment Managers, in support of the propo'
sition that the Senate, sitting as High
Court of Impeachment, has Jurlsdlcuoh
of the Belknap case, was the ablest de-
livered, and caused those who heard IL
to reverse their judgment that the Man,
ayers are not a match for the impeached
Secretary's counsel. Mr.. Hoar argued
very ably that the only proper construc-
ton that can be put upon the constitu'
tional provision touching impeachment
is. that il means the right to proceed ac'
cording to the usages of Parliament
against such persons, and for such oifen-
ses as those usages permitted. The fol-
lowing were the closing sentences OF Mr.
Hoar's speech:
NV own public life has been a very
brief and Insignificant one, extending III
tie beyond the duration OF a single term
of Senatorial Office, but in that brief per-
iod have seen five judges of a high court
of the United States driven from office
by threats of impeachment for corruption
or maladministration | have heard the
taunt from friendliest lips, that when the
United States presented herself in the
east, to take part with the civilized world
in generous competition in the arts OF
life, the only product of her institutions
in which she excelled all others beyond
question, was her corruption, l have
seen in the State in the Union foremost
in power and wealth four Judges of her
courts impeached for corruption, and the
political administration of her chief city
become disgrace and by.word throug n
out the world. | have seen the chair
man of the committee on military affairs
in the House, now a distinguished mem,
Der of this court, rise in his place and
demand the expulsion of four OF his as.
sociates for making sale of their official
privilege of selecting the youths to be
educated at our great military school,,
When the greatest railroad OF the word
binding together the continent, and uni
ting the two great seas which wash our
shores, was finished, l have seen our ma
tional triumph and exaltation turned to
bitterness and shame by the unanimous
reports of three committees of Congress,
two of the House, and one here, that eV.
cry step of that mighty enterprise had
been taken in fraud. | have heard in
highest places the shameless doctrine
avowed by men grown old in public Of
fee, that the true way by which power
should be gained in the Republic is to
bribe the people with the offices created
for their service, and the true end for
which it should be used when secured is
the promotion of selfish ambition and
the qualification Of personal revenge.
have heard that suspicion haunts the
footsteps of the trusted companions OF
the President. These things have passed
into history. The Hallam, or the Taci-
tus, or the Sismondi, or the Macaulay
who writes the annals of our time will
record them with his inexorable pen;
and now, when a high Cabinet officer,
the constitutional adviser of the EXecu-
tive, fees from Office before charges of
corruption, shall the historian add that
the Senate treated the demand Of the
people for its judgment of condemnation
as farce, and laid down its high funC-
tions before the sophistries and jeers of
the criminal lawyer? Shall he specu-
late about the petty political calculations
as to the effect on one party or the other
which induced his judges to connive at
the escape of the great public criminal; |
or, on the other hand, shall he close the
chapter by narrating how these things
were detected, reformed and punished
by constitutional processes which the
wisdom of our fathers provided for us,
and the virtue and purity of the people |
found their vindication in the justice of
the Senate?