Year: 1868

crime in. one of your tribunals of JUS
tice as It is for the President of the
United States to do it, for the simple
reason that the Constitution is no res
pector Of persons and vests neither in
the President or private citizens any
judicial power. Pardon me, Senators,
for saying It'll speak it in no offen-
siye spirit speak it from a sense OF
duty. 1 utter but my own conviction,
and desire to place it on record, that
for the Senate to sustain any such plea
would, in my judgment, be a gross
violation of the already violated con-
stitution and laws of a free people
Can it be, Senators, that by your decree
YOU are at last to make this discrimi-
nation between the rules of the peo-
ple and q private citizen, and allow
him to interpose his private right Of
Interpretation iudiciously of your con-
stitution and laws ? Are you really,
solemnly, to proclaim by your decree
here as the Senate of the United States
'plate sin with gold, and the strong
lance of Justice hurtless, breaks; arm
it in rags and pigmY straw doth pierce
it." put away. Senators, possibility
that the Senate of the U. s., equal IN
dignity to any tribunal in the world, as
capable of recording any such decision
even upon the petition and prayer OF
this accused and guilty President
Can it be that by reason of his great
Office, the President is TO be protected
in his high crimes and misdemeanorE
violation alike of his oath, tie Constt
tuition, and of the express letter of youl
written law enacted by the legislative
department of the Government.


Senators, have said perhaps more
than 1 ought to have said; more per
haps, than there vas occasion to say
l know that l stand in the presence o.
men illustrious in our country's history
know that 1 stand in the presence o
men who for long years have been II
the nations councils know that
stand in the presence of men who may
in some sense, be called, to-day, living
fathers of the Republic. / ask you
Senators, to consider that | speak be
fore you to-day in behalf of the viola
ted law of a free people who commits
sion me; l ask you to remember tina
I speak this day under obligations o
my oath; ask you to consider that
am not insensible to the significance o
those words of which mention wa
made by the learned counsel from New
York; Justice, ""duty, ,""law," OATH
I ask you, Senators, to consider that a
the stand this day pleading for the vio
lated majesty of the law, BY the grave
tof half million of our murdered he
roic patriots who made death beautiful
by the sacrifice of themselves for thei
country, its Constitution and laws, anS
by their sublime example taught u
that all must obey the law, that nom
are above the law, that no man live
for himself alone, but each for all, tina
some must die that the state may live
that the citizen is at best but for day
while the commonwealth is for all time
and that no position however high, NJ
patronage however great, can be per
mitted to shelter crime to the peril o
4 the Republic &


1t only remains for me, Senator's, h
thank you for the honor you have don,
me by your kind attention, and to de
mand in the name of the House o
Representatives. and Of the people o
the United States, judgment agains
the accused for high crimes and misde
meanors in Office. Of which he stand
charged, and of which before God ant
man he is clearly guilty,