The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-03-03
THE NEW ORLEANS BULLETIN FRIDAY MARCH 8, 1876

| At the close Of the reading, and after u
many members who had taken mp position
near the clerks desk, the better to hear Il
testimony and accompanying statements, Ia
returned to their proper seats, Mr.. Clyme
who had also gone to bis own seat, again rot
and said with great emotion:
Mr. Speaker. I would not if could. and
could not in my present condition if wou!t
add anything to the facts reported to II
House. Another occasion may be eHorde
me to do SO they are SO plain that ever
where throughout this broad land, an
throughout Christendom, wherever the Eng
lish language is read or spoken, tha
they will for long years corstltut
a record Of off ,ial corruption and crimes
such as there is no parallel for in our ow
history or that of any other county, that
know of. II in this hour one sentiment Q
pity, one word Of sympathy could hnd utter
ance from me, it would be because feel tina
the late Secretary of War is but the prope
outorowth. the true exponent Of the corrup
ton. the extravagance, the misgovernment
that have cursed this land for years past
That being my own reflection, will discharg'
nv duty best to myself and to this House b.
demanding the previous question OF tn
adoption of the resolution.
Mr.. Robbins pleaded his mental and physi
cal exhaustion from his continuous service OF
the committee as . reason why he should mo-
address the House at any length. he spoke
Of the report as presenting case of grea'
shame and disgrace to all American citizens
As to the question Of the impeachability of ar
officer who bed resigned he was not prepared
to speak woEthily, except to suggest that il
could not be true that an oIsoer who was
being Investigated, and who had been found
by evidence to be criminal, could fee from
justice.
He alluded to what he called the unseemly
acceptance of Secretary Beiknaps resigna-
ton, and referred to the English cases OF
Warren Hastings and Lord Francis Bacon,
both OF whom had been impeached after they
had ceased to hold the Offices in which they
committed crimes and misdemeanors.
MIR. Bass. Republican, Of New York, an
other member of the comraittee, questioned
the statement Of the chairman Mr.. Clymer)
as to this case having no parallel, and said
that he would not have to leave his own Dor
ders in order to find not only parallel for it.
but that he could find cases compared with
which this case was as white as the driven
snow. He admitted that mere statement of
this case. as presented by the testimony, was
sufficient to justify every member to vote for
the resolution presented.
Mr.. Lamar, Of Mississippi, inquired from
Mr.. Bass, his opinion as to the impeacha-
bility of resigned officer.
Mr.. Bass replied that the English authori-
ties seemed to maintain the jurisdiction of
in such cases, but in this coun-
try it was an unadiudicated question, and one
that was not free from doubt, but his own
best judgment was in favor of the right to i'm
peach and to let the question be adjusted by
The Senate.
Mr.. Hoar, of Massachusetts, In reference to
! casual remark OF some member as to this
being political question, entirely disclaimed
md repudiated such an idea. On the point
If impeachability Of q person not in Office,
10 referred to the case of Whitimore, of
south Caroline, in which the House had de-
ermined that formal actual Remuneration of
m Office terminated the office, and that any
American citizen could lay down an Office
held by him without any acceptance of his re-
ignation.
Judge Story had laid down the doctrine that
t could not be done in England, but there
ny citizen could be impeached, and, there
ore, the English cases Of Warren Hastings
nd Lord Bacon did not apply. In America
nd when he ceased to be civil officer he
eased to be within the literal description of
he Constitution.
In this country the only judgment that
ould be rendered in an impeachment case
,as removal from office and future cisquali- |
cation from holding Office; but BY the |
tatutes, Q person guilty Of such offsnses |
ould be indicted, tried and sentenced by the |
riminal courts of the country. He protested |
gainst hot haste in this matter, without hav- |
az the testimony printed. He thought such |
aste unworthy Of this grave question, and if |
o stood alone, he would still stand here to |
~ so.
Mr.. Blackburn, of Kentucky, another men,
or Of the committee, expressed his satisfac- |
ion that the report which had been read by |
Is colleague (Clymer) showed to the world |
hat nothing had been left undone by the |
to shield and shelter from dishonor
very person except the one whom it was the
ort upon. He could not consent that the
entleman from Massachusetts, should make
his political or partisan question.
louise should be placed in the position of
D the position of defenders It was ques-
on which addressed itself alike to every
ember of the House. He regarded the case
an unprecedented one in more respects
IAN one. The action of the President in &C.
,pting Secretary Belknap's resignation,
nder the circum stances, was unprecedented,
Id this was the first instance in the history
the country where any man claiming man
bod and holding an exalted station, had
'ught to shelter himself from legitimate in
,stigation by interposing the dishonor of q
lie. [Sensation
Passing to the question Of the impeach-
,ility Of MI. Belknap, he suggested that that
aestion. as Judge Story had intimatsd,
light properly be left to the decision of
70 Senate. On such q state of facts, would
10 House, he asked, shrink from the per-
rmance of it's duty because there might be
mist or shadow of doubt on that point?
be House could not do it. 1t would not be
He quoted from the impeachment
Sc Of Lord Bacon, in which it was stated
at when the Lord Chancellor had sought to
We himself by the resignation of his Office,
70 attempt was vain-the King did not and
'uld not interpose.
Was the House to be told that the man in