Year: 1868

ity have been compelled TO vote upon
the most important questions without
any proper or reasonable time for de-
bate or consideration. To such an ex-
tent has this dangerous and oppressive
practice obtained, that measures affect
ing the vitality of the whole country
and the dearest interests of our con-
stituencies, tending as we believe to the
subversion of our republican form OF
Government questions in their very
nature demanding of the people and
representatives the NEST careful exam
ination AID scrutiny have been hurried
through forms of legislation without be-
ing printed, without one word of de-
bate or one moments consideration,
T without indeed the opportunity of the
undersigned to protest, except IN Vlo-
lation of the then operating order, en-.
forced 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 determined intention
exists with the majority to revolution
ize this Government by destroying the
other coordinate branches, and vesting
all the powers of the Government IN
Congress.


In the steps taken to depose the Pres
id, mt of the United States, we are adj
monished that there is no end to this
oppressive measure to cripple the power
and silence the voice of the minority.
The resolution was rushed through the
House under the operation of the prevl-
Gus question, referring the matter TO the
Committee on Reconstruction. The
committee in hot haste, sitting when
the House was in session, in violation of
one of its express rules, considered and
by strict party vote adopted and pre-
sented it to the House for its action and
then was exhibited the most extraordin-
ary spectacle ever witnessed in a delIb-
erative parliamentary body. Members
| were allowed some thirty minutes, some
twenty, some ten, some five, and some
one minute only to discuss the most mo-
mentous question ever presented. Many
could not even get one minute under the
arbitrary rule of the majority, and more
than half those even of the party voting
to enforce the previous question who
desired to be heard, were permitted on
ly to print their speeches in the Globe.
After the question upon2 the resolu-
tions was decided, which were never
delivered in the House, no comment can
demonstrate more completely than the
facts themselves the viciousness and IL
legality.of such proceedings. But this
waDton and excessive use of power OF
the majority does not stop here. While
the Committee were in session upon the
further proceedings to remove the Pres
ident, and in anticipation of the action
under its operation of the previous
question without debate, in violation Of
an express rule, new, special and most
extraordinary rules for tho conduct OF
this proceeding, changing without pre-
vious notice the standing rules of the
House, were adopted to farther limit
debate and more completely to place
the minority i'll the power and at the
mercy OF the majority. Thus, while the
majority of Congress are warning upon
the other coordinate departments, the
Executive and Judicial, endeavoring TO
subjugatc and bring them both under
the will and control of Congress, the
minority of the House of Representa-
tiyes are steadily and surely being
stripped of all power, and their con0ti'-
uents being deprived of all representa-
tive yeico IN the cOunsels of the RepuO-
| lie.


We do, therefore, most solcmnly pro-
test against the indecOrOus and undig-
nified haste with which the majority of
this House inaugurated and presented
and rushed through, by plain party
vote, in plain and palpable violation OF
one of the standing rules OF the house,
the resolution demanding the cimpeach-
ment of the chief magistrate of the peo-
pie, for alleged high crimes and misde-
meanors in office, when the gravity OF
the charge, the character OF the high
Office against which this attack was .dl.
rected, and the unforeseen and tremen-
dous consequences which might result
therefron,, to the peace and prosperity
of the people, called for the exercise OF
the calmest and wisest Judgment, the
most unpreiudiced and impartial de-
| liberation on tho part of those
who had such proceedings in their
! charge We do most solemnly pro-
test against this thrice repeated attempt
to degrade ard break down one Of the
great coordinate branches of the Coy
ernmeXt through tie spirit of party
hatred and vengeance against the per-
son whs by the Constitution, is III the
rirhtful and conscientious discharge of
it's functions, thus consuming the pre-
cious time which ought to be faithfully
devoted to an earnest effort to relieve
the pressing wants OF the people, re-
storation of torn and distracted cOun-
try to union and good order, and 10
! Tightening the burden of taxation
which is pressing down all the energies
of trade and commerce TO the point OF
universal bankruptcy and ruin.


We do again most sOlemnly protest
against aud profoundly deprecate and de
plore any and all attempts to array III
| hostile autagOnism to each other the
Departments of the Government upon
mere question of the cOnstitutionalIty
or construction of law of Congress,
the proper jurisdiction and final adjudi
cation of which belongs exclusively TO
the judicial tribunal, and we hereby
warn the people of the United States
that the public liberty and the exist
ence of free institutions are involved in
the suicidal struggle, and that they are
in imminent peril of utter overthrow
| We do further most solemnly protest
against tnat wiz TaulCal spun vi W.
nOvation upon the early and well set
tied practice of the governmental
practice established by the men who
framed the Constitution and who best
understood its spirit and meaning,
which puts the Chief Magistrate of the
Republic, the representative of the dig
nifty and power of the people, at the
mercy of his subordinate, assuming to
be Secretary of War, in violation of his
own pronounced conviction of the law,
who has the effrontery to place himself
in the unwarranted position of cOmmu-
nicating directly with Congress in ut
ter contempt of tie authority of his
superior, aud with the deliberate pur.
pose of resisting his authority.


The undersigned, therefore, in the
character of Representatives of the
people, being deprived by the despotic
powers of an inexorable majority of the
high privilege of debate, that great in.
strument in the discovery of truth, aud
most cherished heritage of free peo-
pie, do hereby solemnly and earnestly
protest against these infractions of the
rights of the people, and respectfully
Task that this, their protest, may bp