Year: 1868

Protest of Democratic Members.
q The following is the Protest presented
by Mr.. Eldridge in the House yesterday
afternoon, spoken of in the Congression
al proceedings: s,...,..-. -. I,


The undersigned. members of the
Fortieth Congress of the United States,
do hereby, in the name of law and JUS
tice, and in behalf of those they repre-
sent, most solemnly protest against the
tyranny and injustice practiced by the


majority of the House in violating the
sacred rights of free debate and unre-
strained deliberation upon the greatest
questions ever brought before an Ameri-


can Congress. The rules of the House


made for the protection of the minority,
and by strict adherence to which the


weaker party can only be protected
from those irregularities and abuses
which the wantonness 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 un-
precedently suspended and set aside, not
upon particular and pressing mat
tiers, but upon all pending subjects
of legislation, so that by this reck-
less and arbitrary suspension of 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 a
deliberative body, and the minority
have been compelled to vote upon the
most important questions without any


proper or reasonable time for debate or


consideration. To such an extent has
this dangerous and oppressive practice
obtained, that measures affecting vitality
the whole country and dearest interests
of our constituencies, tending, as we
believe, to the subversion of our own
republican form Of government in their
very nature, demanding of the people
and representatives the most careful ex-
animation and scrutiny, have hurried
through the forms of legislation without
being printed, without. one word of de-


bate, or one moments consideration,


without, indeed, the opportunity of the
undersigned to protest, except in viola
tion of the then operating order 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 a determined intention
exists with the majority to revolu-
tionize this Government, by destroy


ing the other coordinate branches, and
vestihg all the powers of the government
in Congress. In the steps taken to, de
pose the President of the United States,


We are admonished, that there is no end


tothese oppressive measures to cripple
the power and silence the. voice of the
minority. The resolution was rushed
through the House under the operation
of the previous question, referring the


matter to the committee on Reconstruc
ton. The committee in hot haste, sit


ting when the House was in session, in
violation of one of its express rules, con-
sidered, and by strict party vote, adopt
ed and presentedit to the House for its
action, and then was exhibited one of
the most extraordinary spectacles ever
witnessed in deliberative parliamentary
body; members were allowed, some thirty
minutes, some twenty, some ten. some
five and some one minute only to discuss
the most momentous question ever pre-
sented. Many could not even get one
minute under the arbitrary rule of the
majority, and more than half of
those, even of the party voting
to enforce, the previous question, who
desired to be heard, were permitted only
to print speeches in the Globe after the
question upon the resolution was decided,
and which were never delivered in the
House., no comment can demonstrate
more completely than the facts them
selves, the viciousness and illegality of
such proceedings. But this wanton and
excessive use of the power of the major
ity does not stop here. While the Com
mittee were in session upon the further
proceedings to remove the President,
and in anticipation of its action under
the operation of the previous question,
without debate, in violation of an ex-
press rule, new, special and most extra
OF dinary 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 to place the minority in
the power and at the mercy of the ma
jority, while the majority of Congress
are warning upon the other coordinate
the Executive and the
Judicial, and endeavoring to subju-
gate and bring them both under the
will and control of Congress. The mi
nority. of the House of Representatives
are steadily and surely being stripped
of all power, and their constituents be-
ing deprived of all representative voice
in the counsels of the Republic. We
do, therefore, most solemnly protest
against the indecorous and undignifed
haste with which the majority of this
House inaugurated, presented and rush
ed through by a-strict party vote, plain
and palpable violation OF the standing
rules of the House, resolution demand
ing the impeachment of the Chief Magis-
trate of the people, for alleged high
crimes and misdemeanors in office, when
the gravity of the charge, the character
of the high office against which the at
tack was directed, and the unforeseen and
tremendous consequences which might
result therefrom to the peace and pros
perity of the people, called for the exer-
else Of the calmest and wisest Judgment,
the most unprejudiced and impartial de-
liberation, on the part of those who had
such proceedings in charge. We do
most solemnly protest against this thrice
attempt to degrade and break
down one Of the great co-ordi-
nate branches of the government
through the spirit of party hatred and
against the nersnn who hy