The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-01-17
IMPEACHMENT CASES.
THERE HAVE BEEN SEVEN SUCH IN
THE UNITED STATES.


Johnson--Two Successful Cnscs-
The removal of federal officers by i'm
parchment proceedings, under section 1
Of article g of the constitution, has been
attempted seven times.
The Blount case was the first. VIII
liam Blount, United States senator from
Tennessee. was charged in 1897 with
conspiring with British officers 10 steal
part of Louisiana from Spain for Eng
lands benefit. The house prepared ar
ticles of impeachment. The senate ex-
pelled him. after putting him under
bonds for trial. Blount's defense was
that senator was not a civil officer
liable to impeachment, and on the ques-
ton of jurisdiction only he was 40
quilted.
Judge John Pickering of the federal
district court for New Hampshire was
impeached in 1903 for drunkenness and
profanity on the bench. The defense
was insanity. On trial before the sen.
ate. Pickering was convicted by party
vote and removed from his office,
In 1904, Samuel Chase of Maryland, a
United States and one of the signers of
the Declaration of Independence, was
charged with improper conduct on the
bench; among other things. with having
indulged in "highly indecent and extra
judicial reflections upon the United
States government" In the course of a
charge to Maryland grand jury. The
impeachment proceedings, iusiigated
and managed by John Randolph Of Vir-
ginia, were political in their origin and
animus. Judge Chase was acquitted
through the failure of the prosecution to
obtain two-thirds vote against him in
the senate on any one of the eight arti-
cles of impeachment. He resumed his
seat on the bench and held It as long as
he lived
About n quarter OF a century later,
James II. Peck, federal district Judge
in Missouri, was impeached for oppress-
i've treatment Of an attorney. The case
was of no Importance. The judge was
acquitted
Thirty years afterward, mt the begin
ming of the war of the rebellion, Judge
West ii. Humphreys Of the federal dis
trict court Of Tennessee joined the Con.
federacy and accepted judicial Office un-
der 1t, without taking the trouble TO
send his resignation to Washington. He
was impeached mainly in order to vacate
the office and convicted on June 90, 1862.
One of the witnesses summoned to ap-
pear against Judge Humphreys was An
drew johnson, then governorpof Tennes-
see, destined himself TO he the next sub
ject of Impeachment proceedings be-
fore the senate. One of the four sena-
tors who voted not guilty or the article
charging Judge Humphreys with high
treason wac William Pitt iFessenden,
whose vote five years later saved An
drew johnson.
Andrew Johnson was ,impeached on
March 4, 1868, the II articles charging
the president lin various forms with yio-
lation of the tenure Of Office act, with
violation Of the constitution, with con-
spiracy to prevent the execution of the
tenure of Office act, with conduct and ut
terances tending Ito bring tine high Of
fee Of president into contempt, ridicule
and disgrace, land with the public de-
claration in his speeches while swinging
around the circle that the Thirty ninth
congress was mo constitutional legisla-
ture. 1t Is mot necessary TO ,recite the
history of the memorable trial, which
lasted for nearly three months and IN
which the hottest Of political passions
: were enlisted. Thirty-six votes were
i needed to convict. No vote was ever
,taken except on the three strongest ar
nticles-the second. third and eleventh.
and on each of these the senate stood 85
for conviction ito 10 for acquittal, i'm.
parchment failing by single vote. One
OF the counsel who defended President
johnson was the Hon. William M. ,Eyarts
of New York.
aThe seventh and last federal impeach-
ment was that of William w. Belknap.
Grants secretary ofwar. He was charged
inlS78 with corruption in office, and the
house voted unanimously to impeach
him. He resigned hastily few hours
before the passage ,of the Impeachment
resolution, and his resignation was
promptly accepted by Grant. The,trial
proceeded nevertheless. Belknap,s de-
Tense was a denial of jurisdiction, based
on the circumstance that when the iu-
peaciament resolution passed the house
he had ceased to be a,civil officer of the
United States. The impeachment pro
ceedings failed by the lack of a two
thirds majority in the senate for convio-
ton.
IL wiH;be observed that in only two
cases have impeachment proceedings
against @ civil officer of the United
States been prosecuted successfully be
fore the senate by the house of repre-
sentatives. One of these was for the re-
moval of adrunken and peofane Judge,
whose presence upon the bench was a
public scandal. The other was purely
formal proceeding to vacate the Office of
o judge actually engaged in open rebel
lion against the government, but tech
nically still an incumbent of his Office
under the government. or the five un-
successful impeachment proceedings ON
record, two failed for want of iuris-