The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-02-05
IMPEACHMENT CASES.
THERE HAVE BEEN SEVEN SUCH IN
THE UNITED STATES.

Johnson--Two Successful Gases.
The removal of federal officers by i'm.
peachment proceedings, under section 4
OF article of the constitution, has been
attempted seven times.
Inc Blount case was the first, Will
liam Blount, United States senator from
tennessee, was charged in 1897 with
conspirlng with British officers to steal
part OF Louisiana from Spain for Eng
iands benefit. The house prepared ar
ticies OF impeachment. The senate ex-
PEELED him, after putting him under
ponds for trial. Blount's defense was
mat senator was not a civil officer
naole to impeachment, and on the oues-
tion OF jurisdiction only he was &C.
quilted
Judge John Pickering of the federal
district court for New Hampshire was
impeachedia 1903 for drunkenness and
profanity on the bench. The defense
was insanity. On trial before the SEN
ate, PICKERING was convicted by a party
vote and removed from his office.
IN 1904, Samuel Chase of Maryland,
Justice OF the supreme court of the
United States and one of the signers of
the Declaration of Independence. was
charged with improper conduct on the
pencn; among other things, with having
INDUCED 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, instigated
and managed by John Randolph of Vir-
ginla, were political in their origin and
animus. Judge Chase was acquitted
through the failure of the prosecution to
OBTAIN a 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 quarter of century later,
James II. Peck, federal district Judge
In Missouri, was impeached for Cypress
i've treatment of an attorney. The case
was OF no Importance. The judge was
acquitted.
Thirty years afterward, at the Begin
ming OF the war Of the rebellion, Judge
west ii. Humphreys of the federal dis
trlct 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 26. 1862.
One OF the witnesses summoned to ap-
pear against Judge Humphreys was An
drew johnson, then governor of Tennes-
see, destined himself to be the next sub
lect of impeachment proceedings be-
lore the senate. One of the four sena-
'ors who voted not guilty on the article
charging Judge Humphreys with high
reason was William Pitt Fessenden.
whose vote five years later saved An
rev johnson.
march aw A, ,,kQbpson was impeached on
5he president in various forms M1rn~in5.
alton of the tenure of Office act, with
of the constitution, with con-
Ipiracy to prevent the execution of the
enure of Office act, with conduct and ut
erances tending ''to bring the high Of
ice of president into contempt, ridicule
md disgrace" and with the public de- ,
,laration in his speeches while swinging
lround the circle that the Thirty ninth ,
congress was no constitutional legisla-
ure. 1t is not necessary to recite the
history of the memorable trial, which ,
asted for nearly three months and in
which the hottest of political passions ,
we're enlisted. Thirty-six votes were !
needed to convict. No vote was ever :
aiken except on the three strongest ar /
icles-the second, third and eleventh. j
md on each of these the senate stood IS ,
or conviction to 10 for acquittal, i'm ,
oeachment failing by single vote. One
If the counsel who defended President
Johnson was the Hon. William M. Evarts
If New York. q
The seventh and last federal impeach. 8
nent was that of William w. Belknap. q
Grants secretary of war. He was charged t
n 1876 with corruption in office, and the t
house voted unanimously to impeach G
aim. He resigned hastily few hours Q
before the passage Of the impeachment c
and his resignation was /
accepted by Grant. The trial q
proceeded nevertheless. Belknap's de- d
'ense was denial of jurisdiction, based L
on the circumstance that when the i'm |
parchment resolution passed the house {
ne had ceased to be civil officer of the o
United States. The impeachment pro- ,
,eedings failed by the lack of two |
thirds majority in the senate for convic- G
ton.
1t will be observed that in only two {
cases have impeachment proceedings c
against civil officer of the United t
states been prosecuted successfully be {
fore the senate by the house of repre- I
One of these was for the re- {
noval of drunken and profane Judge, I
whose presence upon the bench was a {
public scandal. The other was purely :
formal proceeding to vacate the Office of
1 judge actually engaged in open rebel
ion against the government, but tech
aically still an incumbent of his Office /
lnder the government. OF the five I'M ,
successful impeachment proceedings on i
'ecord, two failed for want of juris-
LECTION. Of the whole seven cases, four
judicial officers. Only once ,
1as there been an attempt to punish by ,
a cabinet officer. Only I
'nce has there been an attempt to pun
sh and remove by impeachment a presi- ,,
lent of the United States. York
Sun.
Greenland Suuerstition.