Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1876-06-01
THE SENATE ASSUMES JUR1S.
DICTTON.

THE SENATE ASSUMES JURIs-
DICTTON.
Contrary to the general public sntic'-
patton, the Senate assumes that 1t has
jurisdiction to try W. w. Belknap for
high crimes and nisdsmeanors in Office,
Notwithstanding that he is now private
citizen, his resignation having been ten
dered AID accepted before the fact was
known to the President that any one was
implicated in the sale Of post trader
ship but Mrs. Belknsp. There is one
crea. authority in justification Of tho
course pursued by the Senate-John
Quincy Adams-the most thoroughly
educated of all tho Presidents of the
United States. All the penalty the Sem
ate can infiict upon Belknsp. should he
be convicted, is to pass 3 sentence upon
him disqualifyine him from hereafter
holding any Office of honor or trust under
the Government Of the United States.
We presume that he will be convicted
and that this sentence will be passed
upon him. We say this without know
ing what evidence his defense may pro-
duce. His resignation under vile charges
preassumes his guilt, and that act made
his name a reproach to the party to
which he belonged and disgrace to tho
nation, But inasmucG as private cltl-
zens can be i1npeached for high crimes
and misdemsanors committed while IN
Office, We hope that the intimation con-
| tanned in telegraphic dispatch few
days ago, to the effect that Zach Chan
der would bring charges before the
| House for the impeachment OF Jacob
THOMPSON, will be carried into effect
Jacob Thompson robbed the Govern
1nent. OF that there is not the least
do,bt. He was James Buchanan Sec
rotary of the Interior, and IS now living
quietly life OF luxury. His irregu
! larities'' in office amounted 20 shout a
! million OF dollars. Surely If Belknap
can be impesched, Thompson can. And
il q man can be thus impeached. Judg-
meut ought to be recovered against him
for the amount purloined. So let the
work 60 on. Belknap is not accused OF
robbing the Government. He was q
petty larceny thief compared with
Thompson. But We are not sorry that
the Senate has arrived at the conclusion
it has reached. High authorities on this
subject differ. We had presumed the
preponderance of authorities against the
impeachment of private citizen would
have decided the question the other way
In this We we're mistaken. 1nasmuch
as this action of the Senate marks an
epoch in our history, We subjoin the
vote for and against jurisdiction:
For-Bayard. Bogy, Burnside, Cam
eron of Pennsylvania. Caper'on, Cock
rell, Cooper, Davis, Dennis. Edmunds,
Goldthwaite, Gordon, Hamilton. Hitch
cock, Kelly. Herman, Key, McCreery,
Mcdonald. Mitchell. Ma1ey, Morrill, of
Vermont, Norwood Randolph, Ransom,
Robertson. Sargent, SALISBURY. Sher-
man. Stevenson. Thurman. Wadleigh.
Wallace, White. Withers and Wright 81
Against - Allison, Booth. Boutwell,.
Bruce, Cameron of Wisconsin, Chris
tiancy, Clayton. Conkling, Cragin, Dor
sey, Eaton, Ferry, Frelinghuysen. Ham
lin, Harvey, Howe. Ingalls,. Jones OF
Florida, Jones of Nevada, Logan, Nc
MILAN, Morrill, of Maine, Morton. Ogles-
| by, Paddock, Patterson, Spencer. West
and Windom-29.
1t will be seen that of our Pacific Coast
Senators, Sargent Of California and Kelly
and Mitchell of Oregon voted in favor OF
impeachment. while Booth of California
and Jones of Nevada voted against it. A
careful psrusal of the list for and against
leads US to believe that the preponder-
ancs of the legal minds of the Senate Is
| to be found on the side Of the jurisdic-
| ton of the Senate as assumed. But this
decision opens wide door, from which
no high officer can escape during life,
and we trust it's hinges Will remain ajar
until the Confederate thief Thompson is