Year: 1868

Democratic Protest Against the Arbi-


trary Rule of the Radical Majority


in Congress.


The annexed is the protest of the Demo-
cratic members of the House of Representa-
tives, offered after the articles of impeach-
ment had been gone through with in that
body, but which the House refused to receive,
or even allow to be printed:


The undersigned, members Of the Fortieth
Congress of the United States, representing
directly, or in principle, more than one.half
of the whole people of the United States, do
hereby, in the name of law and order, and in
behalf of those they represent, most solemnly
protest against the tyranny and injustice prac.
ticed by the majority of the House in viola
ting the sac,ed right of free debate and un-
constrained dciberation upon the greatest
questions ever brought before an American
Congress-


The rules of the House, made for the pro.
lection of minorities, and "by strict adher
euce to which the weaker party can only be
protected from those Irregularities and abuses
which the wantonncss of power is but too
often apt to suggest to large and successful
majorities," have been, during this entire
Congress, in violation of their true spirit and
intent, wantonly and unprecedently suspended
and set aside, not upon particular and pres.
sing matter, but upon all pending subjects of
legislation, so that by the reckless and arbi.
trary suspension of the rules, and the wanton
abuse of the previous question, the rights of
the minority have been utterly disregarded,
the House Of Representatives has ceased to
be deliberative body, and the minority have
been compelled to vote upon the most impor.
tant questions without any proper or reason
able time for debate or consideration. To
such an extent has this dangerous and op.
pressiye practice obtained that measures af-
fecting Yitally the whole country and the di-
rect interests of our constituents, tending, as
we believe, to the subversion of our Republi-
can form Of Government, in their very nature
demanding of the peoples representatives the
most careful examination and scrutiny, have
been hurried through the forms Of legislation
without being printed, without one word of
debate, or one moments consideration with
out, indeed, the opportunity of the under
signed to protest, except in violation of the
then operating rule enforced by the majority
as the order Of the House."


These alarming abuses of power might not
seem to demand this formal protest if we
were not forced TO the belief that deterni-
nation exists with the majority to revolution
ize this Governm snt, by destroying the other
coordinate branches and vesting allthe power
of the Government in Congress. In the steps
taken 70 depose the President of the United
States we are admonished that there is no
end to their oppressive measures to cripple
the power and silence the voice of the minority.


The resolution was pushed through the
House under the operation oil the previous
question, referring the matter to the Com
mittee on Reconstruction; the Committee, In
hot haste, sitting when the House was in ses-
sion, in violation OF one Of its express rules,
considered and by strict party rote adopted
and presented it again to the House for its
action. And then was exhibited one of the
III III H'd 'deIi5aafatve parliamentary body Mem
bers were allowed some thirty, some twenty,
some ten, some five, some one minute only to
discuss the most nomentouS questions ever
presented in Congress. Many could not get
even one minute under the arbitrary rule of
the majority. And more than half Of those
even of the party voting to enforce the pre-
yious question. who desired 20 be heard, were
permitted speeches only in the Globe, after
the question upon the resolution was decided
and which were never delivered in the House.
No comment can demonstrate more complete
ly than the facts themselves the viciousness
and illegality Of such proceedings. But this
wanton and excessive use Of the power OF the
majority does rot stop here. While the Com
miitee were in session upon the further pro-
ceedinas 10 remove the President, and in an
ticpation Of its action, under the operation
Of the previous question, without debate in
violation of an express rule, new, special and
most extraordinary rules for the conduct of
this proceeding, changing, without previous
notice, the standing rules of the House, were
adopted to further limit debate and more
completely 10 place the minority in the power
and at the mercy Of the majority.


Thus. while the majority of Congress are
warning upon the other coordinate depart
ments-the executive and judicial-endeav-
oring to subjugate and bring them both under
the will and control of Congress, the minorl'
ty OF the House Of Representatives are steadi.
ly and surely being stripped of all power, and
their constituents deprived of all proper rep
rcsentative voice in the councils of the re-
public.


We do, therefore, most solemnly protest
against the indecorous and undignifed haste
with which the majority Of the House inau-
surated presented and rushed through, by a
strict party vote. in plain and palpahle viola
tion OF one of the standing ruleS of the House,
resolution demanding the impeachment OF
The Chief Magistrate of the people for alleged
high crimes and misdemeanors in office, when
the gravity OF the charge and the character
of the hig III officer against which the attack
was directed, and the unforeseen and tremen-
dous consequences which might result there
from 10 the peace aud prosperity OF the people
called for the calmest and wisest Judgment,
the most unpreiudiced and impartial delibe-
ration on the part of those who had the pro-
ceedings in charge.


We do also most solemnly protest against
this thrice repeated attempt to degrade and
break down one of the great coordinate
branches of the Government, through the
spirit of party hatred and vengeance against
the person who, By the Constitution, is in the
rightful and conscientious discharge of its
functions, thus consuming the precious time
which oughtto be faithfully devoted to earnest
efforts to relieve the pressing wants of the
people, restoration of torn and devastated
country to union and good order, and to
tightening the burden Of taxation which ii
pressing down the energies of trade and com


merce to the point Of universal bankruptcy
and ruin.


We do again most solemnly protest against
and profoundly deprecste and deplore any
and all attempts to array in hostile antago
nism to each other any Of the departments


the Government upon the mere question o


the constitu.ionality or construction of Law


of Congress, the proper jurisdiction aud fina


adjudication of which belongs exclusively t


the judicial tribunals and We hereby war;


the people of the United States thatthc pub


lie liberty and the existence of free institu