Articles of Impeachment Voted by the House of

Representatives

ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT VOTED BY THE HOUSE

IMPEACHMENT OF SENATOR WILLIAM BLOUNT

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1798.

A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. Condy, their Clerk:

Mr. President: The House of Representatives have resolved that articles agreed by the House to be exhibited in the name of themselves and of all the people of the United States against William Blount, in maintenance of their impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors, be carried to the Senate by the managers, Messrs. Sitgreaves, Bayard, Harper, Gordon, Pinckney, Dana, Sewall, Hosmer, Dennis, Evans, and Imlay, appointed to conduct the said impeachment. And he withdrew.

On motion,

Resolved, That the Senate will at twelve o'clock this day be ready to receive articles of impeachment against William Blount, late a Senator of the United States from the state of Tennessee, to be presented by the managers appointed by the House of Representatives.

Ordered, That the Secretary acquaint the House of Representatives therewith.

A message was announced from the House of Representatives, by the abovementioned managers, who, being introduced, Mr. Sitgreaves, their chairman, addressed the Senate as follows:

Mr. Vice President: The House of Representatives having agreed upon articles, in maintenance of their impeachment against William Blount, for high crimes and misdemeanors, and having appointed on their part managers of the said impeachment, the managers have now the honor to attend the Senate, for the purpose of exhibiting the said articles.

The Vice President then ordered the sergeant-at-arms to proclaim silence, after which he notified the managers that the Senate were ready to hear the articles of impeachment. Whereupon,

The chairman of the managers read the articles of impeachment, and they were received from him at the bar by the sergeant-at-arms, and laid on the table.

The Vice President then informed the managers, that the Senate will take proper order on the subject of the impeachment, of which due notice shall be given to the House of Representatives. And they withdrew.

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The Secretary then read the articles of impeachment in the words following:

Articles exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States, in the name of themselves, and of all the people of the United States, against William Blount, in maintenance of their impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.

ARTICLE 1. That, whereas the United States, in the months of February, March, April, May, and June, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety seven, and for many years then past, were at peace with his Catholic Majesty, the king of Spain; and whereas, during the months aforesaid, his said Catholic Majesty and the king of Great Britain were at war with each other; yet the said William Blount, on or about the months aforesaid, then being a Senator of the United States, and well knowing the premises, but disregarding the duties and obligations of his high station, and designing and intending to disturb the peace and tranquillity of the United States, and to violate and infringe the neutrality thereof, did conspire, and contrive to create, promote, and set on foot, within the jurisdiction and territory of the United States, and to conduct and carry on, from thence, a military hostile expedition against the territories and dominions of his said Catholic Majesty in the Floridas and Louisiana, or a part thereof, for the purpose of wresting the same from his Catholic Majesty, and of conquering the same for the king of Great Britain, with whom his said Catholic Majesty was then at war as aforesaid, contrary to the duty of his trust and station as a Senator of the United States, in violation of the obligation of neutrality, and against the laws of the United States, and the peace and interests thereof.

ARTICLE 2. That, whereas, on the twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, a treaty of friendship, limits, and navigation, had been made and concluded between the United States and his Catholic Majesty, by the fifth article whereof it is stipulated and agreed, "that the two high contracting parties shall, by all the means in their power, maintain peace and harmony among the several Indian nations who inhabit the country adjacent to the lines and rivers, which, by the preceding articles, form the boundaries of the two Floridas. And the better to obtain this effect, both parties oblige thems ves expressly to restrain by force all hostilities on the part of the Indian nations living within their boundary; so that Spain will not suffer her Indians to attack the citizens of the United States, nor the Indians inhabiting their territory; nor will the United States permit these last mentioned Indians to commence hostilities against the subjects of his Catholic Majesty or his Indians, in any manner whatever: " Yet, the said William Blount, on or about the months of February, March, April, May, and June, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, then being a Senator of the United States, and well knowing the premises, and that the United States were then at peace with his said Catholic Majesty, and that his Catholic Majesty was at war with the king of Great Britain, but disregarding the duties of his high station, and the stipulations of the said treaty, and the obligations of neutrality, did conspire and contrive to excite the Creek and Cherokee nations of Indians, then inhabiting within the territorial boundary of the United States, to commence hostilties against the subjects and possessions of his Catholic majesty, in the Floridas and Louisiana, for the purpose of reducing the same to the dominion of the King of Great Britain, with whom his Catholic majesty was then at war as aforesaid: contrary to the duty of his trust and station as a Senator of the United States, in violation of the said treaty of friendship, limits, and navigation, and of the obligations of neutrality, and against the laws of the United States, and the peace and interests thereof.

ARTICLE 3. That, whereas, by the ordinances and acts of Congress for regulating trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes, and for preserving peace on the frontiers, it has been made lawful for the President of the United States, in order to secure the continuance of the friendship of the said Indian tribes, to appoint such persons, from time to time, as temporary agents, to reside among the Indians, as he shall think fit; and whereas, in pursuance of the said authority, the President of the United States, on or about the eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six, did appoint Benjamin Hawkins to be principal temporary agent for Indian affairs, within the Indian nations south of the river Ohio, and north of the territorial line of

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the United States; and whereas the said Benjamin Hawkins accepted the said appointment, and on the twenty-first day of April, in the year of our I ord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, and for a long time before and afterwards, did exercise the functions, powers, and duties attached to the same, yet the said William Blount, on or about the said twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, then being a Senator of the United States, and well knowing the premises, did, in the prosecution of his criminal designs and of his conspiracies aforesaid, and the more effectually to accomplish his intention of exciting the Creek and Cherokee nations of Indians to commence hostilities against the subjects of his Catholic majesty, further conspire and contrive to alienate and divert the confidence of the said Indian tribes or nations from the said Benjamin Hawkins, the principal temporary agent aforesaid, and to diminish, impair, and destroy the influence of the said Benjamin Hawkins with the said Indian tribes, and their friendly intercourse and understanding with him, contrary to the duty of his trust and station as a Senator of the United States, and against the ordinances and laws of the United States, and the peace and interests thereof.

ARTICLE 4. That, whereas, by the ordinances and acts of Congress aforesaid, it is made lawful for the President of the United States to establish trading houses at such places and posts on the western and southern frontiers, or in the Indian country, as he shall judge most convenient, for the purpose of carrying on a liberal trade with the several Indian nations within the limits of the United States, and to appoint an agent at each trading house established as aforesaid, with such clerks and assistants as may be necessary for the execution of the said acts: And whereas, by a treaty, made and concluded on the second day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, between the United States and the Cherokee nation of Indians, inhabiting within the limits of the United States, it is stipulated and agreed, that "the United States will send such, and so many, persons to reside in said nation, as they may judge proper, not exceeding four, who shall qualify themselves to act as interpreters." And whereas the President of the United States, as well in pursuance of the authorities in this article mentioned, as of the acts of Congress referred to in the third article, did appoint James Carey to be interpreter for the United States to the said Cherokee nation of Indians, and assistant at the public trading house established at the Tellico blockhouse, in the state of Tennessee: And whereas the said James Carey did accept the said appointments, and on the twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninetyseven, and for a long time before and afterwards, did exercise the functions and duties attached to the same; yet, the said William Blount, on or about the said twenty-first day of April, in the year last aforesaid, then being a Senator of the United States, and well knowing the premises, did, in prosecution of his criminal designs, and in furtherance of his conspiracies aforesaid, conspire and contrive to seduce the said James Carey from the duty and trust of his said appointments, and to engage the said James Carey to assist in the promotion and execution of his said criminal intentions and conspiracies aforesaid, contrary to the duty of his trust and station as a Senator of the United States, and against the laws and treaties of the United States, and the peace and interests thereof. ARTICLE 5. That whereas certain tribes or nations of Indians inhabit within the territorial limits of the United States, between whom, or many of them, and the settlements of the United States, certain boundary lines have, by successive treaties, been stipulated and agreed upon, to separate the lands and possessions of the said Indians from the lands and possessions of the United States, and the citizens hereof: And whereas, particularly, by the treaty in the last article mentioned to have been made with the Cherokee nation, on the second day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, the boundary line between the United States and the said Cherokee nation was agreed and defined; and it was further stipulated that the same should be ascertained and marked plainly by three persons appointed on the part of the United States, and three Cherokees on the part of their nation. And whereas, by another treaty made with the said Cherokee nation, on the twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninetyfour, the said hereinbefore recited treaty, of the second day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, was confirmed and established; and it was mutually agreed that the said boundary line should be actually ascertained and marked in the manner prescribed by the said last mentioned treaty. And whereas in pursuanse of the said treaties, commissioners

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were duly nominated and appointed, on the part of the United States, to ascertain and mark the said boundary line; yet the said William Blount, on or about the twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven, then being a Senator of the United States, and well knowing the premises, in further prosecution of his said criminal designs, and of his conspiracies aforesaid, and the more effectually to accomplish his intention of exciting the said Indians to commence hostilities against the subjects of his Catholic majesty, did further conspire and contrive to diminish and impair the confidence of the said Cherokee nation in the government of the United States. and to create and foment discontents and disaffection among the said Indians towards the government of the United States in relation to the ascertainment and marking of the said boundary line, contrary to the duty of his trust and station as a Senator of the United States, and against the peace and interests thereof.

And the House of Representatives, by protestation, saving to themselves the liberty of exhibiting, at any time hereafter, any further articles, or other accusation, or impeachment, against the said William Blount, and also of replyng to his answers, which he shall make unto the said articles, or any of them and of offering proof to all and every the aforesaid articles, and to all and every other articles of impeachment, or accusation which shall be exhibited by them, as the case shall require, do demand that the said William Blount may be put to answer the said crimes and misdemeanors, and that such proceedings, examinations, trials, and judgments, may be thereupon had and given as are agreeable to law and justice.

Signed by order and in behalf of the House.

Attest, JONATHAN W. CONDY, Clerk.

JONATHAN DAYTON, Speaker.