The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-09-02
THE FIRST IMPEACHMENT.
IN 1SO6-HIs IMPEACHMENT BY con-
GREsS AND TRIAL,

IN 1S0o-HIs IMPEACHMENT BY con-
GREss AND TRIAL.
Among the lot of judges on the bench
of the United States court appointed by
the elder Adams when president of the
United States, because he was federal
ist, and confirmed by the senate for the
same reason, Judge Samuel Chase-no
relation, L think. of the late Chief Justice
Chase-obtained an unenviable notoriety
by carrying politics in his trial of cases
brought before him.
In 1903 Judge Chase, while charging
the grand jury at the circuit court of the
United States at Baltimore, stated "that
the administration (of Mr.. Jefferson) was
weak, relaxed, and inadequate to the du-
ties devolved upon it; that its acts pro
ceeded not from view to promote the
general happiness, but from desire for
the continuance of unfairly acquired
power" Passing from the general to
the state government, the Judge took up
a recent law passed by the legislature of
Maryland, which he styled the "Univer-
sal Suffrage Law" for it gave the right
to vote to every free white male having
the qualification of age and residence,
though he had no property in, an interest
with an attachment to the community,
| being suffered to choose those who con-
stituted the legislature; and the Judiciary.
| being dependent on the legislature for
| their support and continuance in Office.
few characters of integrity and ability,
competent to discharge the duties of judi
ges, would be bound to accept appoint
ments held by such tenure-that those
| measures were destructive of the happi-
ness and welfare of the community, and
would have tendency to sink our repub-
lican government into what he called
mobocracy-the worst of all possible gov
ernments. In IN impressive manner he
called on the grand jury to pause and re-
fleet, and when they returned to their
homes to use their best endeavors to save
their country. A proposition, he said,
was submitted, which depended on the
next legislature of Maryland, which, if
adopted, would destroy the independence
of the Judiciary, electing the judges by
the legislature, and make the administra-
ton of justice dependent on legislative
discretion. If this shall, in addition to
that which establishes universal suffrage,
become part of the constitution, nothing
will remain that will be worth protecting.
Instead of being ruled by regular and
respectable government, We shall be gov
erned by an ignorant mobocracy.
This charge of Judge Chase to the
grand jury, as above given, was sworn to
on The trial whom tue Judge was lmpeach- |
ed and tried by the United States senate.
1t is fair to presume that lie did not, in
addressing the grand jury, intend that
the body should indict the United States
and the state of Maryland and bring them
before his Honor for trial, but rather was
intended as stump speech from the
bench to enlist the jurors in aid of the
policy of the federal party.
In the exciting times of the Alien and
Sedition law, one John Calender wrote a
book entitled "The Prospect Before Us, p"
in which he arraigned President Adams
in severe terms. Under the Sedition law
it was provided:
''Sec. 2. That if any person shall
write, print, utter, or publish, or shall
cause to be written, printed, uttered or
published, or shall knowingly or willingly
assist or aid in writing, printing, utter
ing, or publishing any false, scandalous,
and malicious writing or writings against
the government of the United States, or
either house of congress of the United
States, or the president of the United
States, with intent to defame the said
government, or either house of the said
congress, or the said president, or to bring
either of them into contempt or disrepute,
or 10 excite against them, or either, or
any of them, the hatred of the good peo-
pie of the United States, or to stir up
seditioD within the United States, or to
excite any unlawful combination therein,
for opposing or resisting any law of the
United States, or any act of the president
of the United States, done in pursuance
| of any such law, or of the powers in him
| vested by the constitution of the United
States; or to resist, oppose, or defeat any
! such law or act; or to aid, encourage, or
abet any hostile designs of any hostile
nation against the United States, their
| people, or government; then such person,
| being thereof convicted before any court
of the United States having jurisdiction
thereof, shall be punished by fine not
exceeding $4,000 and by Imprisonment
not exceeding two years.
! For the offence of writing this book,
which charged John Adams, then presi-
dent of the United States, with being an
aristocrat, and with other sentiments and
acts antil-republican, Calender was in
dicted, and against the law, which pro-
vided ''that the laws of the several states,
except when the constitution, treaties, or
statutes of the United States shall other
wise provide, shall be regarded as the
rules of decision" and against the law Of
cases not capital the offender shall not
| be held to answer any presentiment of a
grand jury uctil the court next succeed
ing that during which such presentiment
shall have been made" Calender was
| hurried to trial in the same court, al
though his counsel urged postpone
ment, declaring that for want of necess-
airy witnesses, naming them, the defend