Trial of Samuel Chase: an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Impeached by the House of Representatives, for High Crimes and Misdemeanors, Before the Senate of the United States: Volume 2

Trial Of Samuel Chase: An Associate Justice Of The Supreme Court Of The United States, Impeached By The House Of Representatives, For High Crimes And Misdemeanors, Before The Senate Of The United States by Samuel Harrison Smith. This work surveys the final phase of the United States Senate impeachment trial of Samuel Chase in the early republic, examining eight articles of impeachment alleging on-bench misconduct during Fries’s treason trial and in Callender’s cases. It traces arguments about the proper limits of impeachment, the independence of the judiciary, and due process. Prosecution managers press charges that Chase prejudged juries, constrained counsel, and used political rhetoric from the bench; defense counters that many actions were legitimate judicial instruments designed to expedite proceedings and uphold the jury’s role. The text juxtaposes American constitutional norms with English precedents and Star Chamber?era ideas, arguing for a robust but constitutionally bounded mechanism to remove public officials. It covers procedural maneuvers in multiple venues (Philadelphia, Richmond, New Castle, Delaware) and presents the outcome: acquittal on all eight articles, leaving the matter unresolved. An appendix reproduces the Fries charge and clarifies the treason statute, illustrating tensions between executive ambition and judicial independence.