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13-002 Impeachment of Samuel Chase II
Lead: Quick-tempered, indiscrete and overly partisan in a time of political transition and stress, Supreme Court Justice Samuel was impeached by the Republican House in a political vendetta.
Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts.
Content: Sam Chase was born in Maryland in 1741 and was an early champion of freedom from Great Britain. He was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The deeply religious son of an Anglican priest, he was of federalist persuasion but did not favor the adoption of the Constitution. Nevertheless, he was appointed to the Supreme Court by George Washington in 1796.
He was blunt, indiscreet and outspoken in his denunciation of Thomas Jefferson’s fast ascending Democratic Republican Party. When out-going President John Adams flooded the court system with so-called “midnight judges” in 1801, Jefferson was incensed. These were federalists with lifetime appointments thus extending the federalist philosophy beyond the time it had been rejected by the voters.
Chase’s lack of caution in his public statements, sometimes from the bench, made him a target for Republican ire. In two cases particularly, that of James Callender for violation of the Sedition Act and John Fries for treason both in 1800, and his statements in a third trial, Chase’s rulings and comments formed the basis for eight charges and impeachment in the House during 1804. This was little more than a Republican political vendetta. After a surprisingly fair trail in the Senate presided over by Vice-president Aaron Burr, Chase was acquitted. This helped establish and preserve judicial independence and the separation of powers. Research assistance by Sandra Treakle.
At the University of Richmond, this is Dan Roberts.
Resources
Haw, James. Stormy Patriot: The Life of Samuel Chase. Annapolis: Maryland Historical Society, 1980.
Martin, Luther. “Impeachment Trial of Justice Samuel Chase, Senate.” The Founders’ Constitution, Document 16 Impeachment Clauses. 23 Feb. 1804. Annals 14:429—32, 436 v2. Annals of Congress. The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States. "History of Congress." 42 vols. Washington, D.C.: Gales & Seaton, 1834--56.
Rehnquist, William H. Grand Inquests: The Historic Impeachments of Justice Samuel Chase and President Andrew Johnson. William Morrow and Company, Inc., New York, N.Y. 1992.
“The answer and pleas of Samuel Chase one of the associate justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, to the articles of impeachment exhibited against him in the said Court, by the House of Representatives of the United States in support of their impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors, supposed to have been by him committed.” U.S. 8th Congress, 1803-1805. Washington City: Printed by William Duane & son, 1805. February 7, 1805.
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Senate_Tries_Justice.htm
http://www.americanrevolution.com/SamuelChase.htm
Copyright 2012 by Daniel M. Roberts, Jr.
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In spring
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in the United
States revealed
that a large
percentage
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