The daily gazette., 1876-05-09
WASHINGTON.
TIE BHLKNAP IMPEACH-
MENT.
George r. Hoar's Speech.

Inc following were the closing sem
tences Of Mr.. Hoar's speech:
my own public life has been a
very brief and Insignificant one, ex-
tending little beyond the duration of
a single term of Senatorial office, but
in that brief period have seen Ave
Judges Of high court Of the United
States driven from Office by threats of
impeachment for corruption or malad-
ministration. l have heard the taunt
from friendliest lips that when the Z.
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 institu-
lions in which she surpassed all others
beyond question was her corruption.
have seen in the State in the Union
foremost in power and wealth four
judges of her Courts impeached for
corruption. and the political admins
tration of her chief city become dis
grace and by-word throughout the
world. l have seen the chairman to
the Committee on Military Affairs in
the House, now distinguished mem
ber of this Court, rise in his place and
demand the expulsion of four of his
associates for making sale cf the Off
cial privilege of selecting the youths
to be educated at our great military
school. When the greatest railroad of
the world, binding together the cont.
nent and uniting the two great seas
which wash our shores, was finished,I
have seen our National triumph and
exalitation turned to bitterness and
shame by the unanimous reports of
three committees of Congress, two of
the House, and one here, that every
step of that mighty enterprise had been
taken fraud. have heard in high
est places the shameless doctrine avo-
wed by men grown old in public Office
that the true way by which power
should be gained in the Republic is to
bribe She people with the offices crea-
ted for their service. and the true end
for which it should be used when
gained is the promotion of selfish
ambition and the qualification of per
sonal revenge. l have heard that sus-
picion haunts the footsteps of the
trusted companions of the President.
These things have passed into history.
The Haliam, or the Tracitus, or the
Sismondi or the Macaulay who writes
the annals of our time will record them
with his inexorable pen; and now,
when hight Cabinet officer, the con-
stitutional adviser of the Executive
fees from office before charges of COZ
ruptlon, shall the historian add that
the Senate treated the demand Of the
people for its judgment of condemna>
tiOn as farce, and laid down its high
functions before the sophistries and
jeers of the criminal lawyer? Shall he
speculate about the petty political cal
culations as TO the effect on one party
or the other which induced its 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, re-
formed, and punished by constitution
al processes which the wisdom of our
faith er devised fer us, and the virtue
and purity of the people found their
vindication in the justice of the SEN
ate.
SHALL BELKNAP BE TRIED.
Both sides of the Belknap case have
now been fully heard on the question
of jurisdiction by the National Senate
sitting as court Of impeachment. On
Monday Mr.. Proctor Knott resumed
his argument for the managers, main
tanning that the doctrine commended
for by the defence that the guilty per-
son can deprive the House of Repre-
sentatives of the prerogative to accuse
or the Senate Of Its jurisdiction to try
an impeachment, was simply to render
the provisions of the Constitution re-
lating to the subject a ridiculous ab~
surdity, and to stupify the trainers of
that instrument. Judge Black closed
for the respondent. He contended
that the House of Representatives
could not throw its drag net out over
the whole nation and draw in every
man, whether public officer or pri-
vate citizen, and he denied the doc.
trine asserted by the managers that a
man oncc an officer was always an
officer. He quoted from Rawle, Sargent
and Story on the Constitution in sup
port of his views. The Senate then.
after short secret session, ordered
that "until further notice the atten-
dance of the managers and the accused
will not be required" and that the
court adjourn until Monday next.