Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-03

as they deem appropriate.
The Testimony.
Nr. Clymer then proceeded % read the testl-
mony Of Caleb 2. Marsh, tsken yesterday be-
fore the committee. showing that he had paid
Secretary Be!kDap about twenty Thousand
dollars in consideration o. Ills appointment
as post-trader at Fort Sill, Indian Territory.
The reading was listened to with intense in
terest BY tae members Of the house and by the
large audience in the galleries. In the more
pathetic portions of the narrative, Mr.. CIymer
was frequently forced by his feelings 10 pause
nntl MS voice recovered from its tremulous-
hess and himself from bis agitation. At the
close or the reading, and after many members,
who haa taken up position near the clerk =
desk, the better 10 hear the testimony and the
accompanying statements, had returned to
their proper Seats Mr.. Clymer, who had also
gone 10 his seat again, Toss and said with great
emotion.
Mr.. SPEAKER-I would not If could, and
could not, In my present condition, II would,
add anything 10 the facts ] st reported to the
house. Another occasion may be afforded me
10 do so. they are 80 plain, thst everywhere
throughout this bread land and throughout
christendom, wherever the English language
iG read or Spoken they viii for long yearE.cOn-
stitute a record of official corruption and
crime such as there Is no parallel for in our
own history or that OF any country that
know Of IN this hour, II one sentiment OF
pity, or one word of sympathy could find ut
terance nom me, IL would be because feel
that the Late secretary of war Is but proper
ouigrowth ana true exponent of the corrup-
ton, extravaganza and nisgOVernment that
have
CURSED THIS LAND FOR YEARS
past. That being my own reflection, will
discharge my duty best to myself and to this
house by demanding the previous question
on the adoption of the resolution.
Mr. KaSson appealed to Mr.. ClYmer to give
an opportunity for some suggestions to be
on a matter OF 20 gfsTe fmpttrteaoes
Mr.. Clymer regretted that he could not
oblige his friend several Democratic mem
bpTS-tsNRS " tsN VI. and for the reason that
his colleagues on The committee desired to be
heard after the previous question was Sec
Onded.
Mr.. Kasson-AllOw me to say that there will
not be the slightest opposition to their being
all heard.
Mr. Clymer-I decline to yield, and demand
Mr., Kassor-Does the gentleman expect the
hou sc tonight, after five O'CLOCK, and without
this report being printed, to vote on theCe
resolutions, when sven the impeachabilIty OF
the officer at present is point TO be consid-
cred by the house?
Mr. Clymer-After the previous question
has been ordered will yield halt the hour to
the members of the committee who are on the
other side OF the house.
After some further discussion the previous
question was second ed and Mr.. Clymer Yield
ed the floor TO his colleague on the committee
IRObbinsl.
M Robbins pleaded his mental and physi-
cal exhaustion from his continuous service on
the committee as the reason why he should
not address the house at any length. He spoke
u bu6 TopOIJ dS pItschGAuB u SttSO vi 3 cat
SHAME AND DISGRACE TO ALL AMTrI.
ICAN CITIZENS.
As to the question OF impeachability CT ~
officer who had resigned, be was not PIE
pared to speak worthtly, except to suggest
that 1t could not be true that an officer y no
was being Investigated, and who had been
found by evidence to be criminal, could flee
from Justice. He alluded to what he called
the unseemly acceptance of
SECRETARY BELKNAP'S RESIGNATION.
- gfeI,o ,NFT OIL
Warren Hastings and Lord Francis Bacon,
both OF whom had been impeacbed after they
had ceased to hold offices in which they had
committed crimes and misdemeanorS.
Mr.. Bass, of New York, another member OF
the committee, Questioned the statement OF
the chairman tMr. Clymerl as to this case
have to leave his own borders to find not only
q parallel for it, bat that he could find cases
com pared with which this case was as white
as is the driven snow. He admitted that
mere statement of this case as presented by the
testimony was sufficient TO Justify every MEM
Der TO vote fer the resolutions presented.
Mr.. Lamar inquired of Mr.. Bass his opinion
as to the impeachabiity of q resigned officer.
Mr.. Bass replied that English authority
seemed to maintain the jurisdiction OF I'M
parchment In such cases, but In this country
it was an unadju1icated question, and one
that was not free from doubt. His own best
Judgment was in favor of the right to tmpeach
and to let the question be adiudleated by the
senate.
Mr.. Hoar Mass in reference to the casual
remark of some member to this being pont'
ical question entirely, dlSclalmed ana repuol-
ated such an idea. On the point OF the i'm
peachability of a person not in office, he re-
ferTed to the case of Whtttemore, OF south
Carolina, in which the house had determined
that formal, actual remuneration of an Off
cer'terminated his office, and that any Ameri-
can gould lay down an office held by him
without any acceptance of his resignation.
Judge Strong had laid down tho doctrine that
1t could not be done in England,
bat there any citizen H. could be
Of Warren Hastings and Lord Bacon did not
apply in America. No man could be i'm
peacued but CIVIL officer, and when ne ceased
literal iescs rtt5n OF the Constitution. In this
country the only Judgment tnst could be rem
dered in an impeachment case was
REMOVAL FROM OFFICE,
and future disqualification from holding Of
fee; but, by statutes, person guilty of such
offenses, 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 hot haste unworthy of this grave
question. If he stood alone, he would still
stand here to say 50.
Mr.. Black burn, a member of the committee,
expressed mis- satisfaction that the report that
had been read by his colleague Mr.. Clymerl
showed to the world that nothing had been
left undone by the committee TO Shield and
thelter from dishOnor every person but the
one whom it4was the duty of the committee 10
investigate and report upon. He would not
consent that the gentleman from MaSsachu-
sets should make this political or partisan
QUESTION. He would not consent that his side
of The house should be placed in the position
OF prosecutors, and the other side take up the
position of defenders. 1t was question
which addressed itself alike to every member
of the house. He regarded the case as an I'M
precedented one in more respects than one.
The action Of the President in accepting the
resignation OF secretary B6Iknap, under the
circumstances, was unprecedented, and this
is the first instance in the history OF the coun-
try where any mRD claiming manhood and
holding an exalted station hsd sought TO
shelter himself from legitimate investigation
by interposing the dishOnor OF wife. SEN
sation.l Passing to the question of the i'm
peachabllity OF MIR. Belknap, he suggested
that the question, as Judge Story had intt-
mated, 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 theve might be the mist
or a shadow of q doubt on that point? The
house could not do 50 II would not be ad-
missible. He quoted from the impeachment
case of Lord Bacon, which, 1t was stated, that
when the lord chancellor had sought TO save
himself by the resignation of his high office,
the attempt was an, Ss The king did not ana
could not inteTpoSe. Was the house to be told
that the man in power at the other end of the
avenue was able TO rob an American congress
OF a right and power which the king of Great
Britain could not take from parliament?
[Sensation and applau-e.l It used to be
theory that king could do no wrong, but no
man had ever been found DO enough In this
country TO say that the President could DO
no wrong. If.the man who hat uttered the
memorable words, a. Let no guilty man es-
cane" held IL in his power TO rob an Amert-
can congress OF its right TO lnfltct punish
ment, or TO pronounce censure, on publicly
convicted criminal, where was the barrier TO
be found beneath whose shelter the Liberties
of the people could rest secure? Applause.
Mr., Hoar-DOes the gentlsman say that
congress has the power to punish any man
in this country
Mr. Blackburn Will not submit TO inter-
ruption, l am the last man who would in
troduce one atom OF politics in this discus
sion-it is not admissible here. The Repub-
llcan members OF The committee were as
earnest and honest In the prosecution OF this
inquiry and in the presentation OF this re-
port, az the members representing the ma
torlty OF this house. We nave seen no differ
ence in the cOmmittee-Toom, and appeal To
the members of the house that there snail be
no difference manifested here. II fraud has
been perpetraLed, If crimlnality exists, If cor.
uptlOn has been proved, let the representa-
tiYes Of the people In this house 50 declare
it, and send the issue TO the court where II
may finally be tried, andif we are unable 70
punish where the guilt is almost openly con-
fesssd, let the responsibility for that failure
rest on other shoulders than ours.
Mr.. Danforth, another member OF the
committee, expressed it as his judg-
meat that the acceptance of Secreta
~ Belknap's resignst on would in
| no manner change the position OF that officer
| to the country. he disagreed however, with