Thus option (A) is correct. The President did know that it was Republican money, that it was money from the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, which was found in the possession of one of the burglars arrested on June the 17th. Well I am going to close my speech by quoting a Republican President and I ask you that as you listen to these words of Abraham Lincoln, relate them to the concept of a national community in which every last one of us participates: And I feel that notwithstanding the past, that my presence here is one additional bit of evidence that the American Dream need not forever be deferred. The subjects of its jurisdiction are those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men." Convert your audio or video into 99% accurate text by a professional. Her rhetoric was decidedly old-school, shaped by her legal and legislative work, and the fact that she was a groundbreaker as both a woman and an African-American. More senior committee members had already made their statements, and Jordan was struck by how they all seemed to start by quoting the preamble to the Constitution, "We the people " "It occurred to me that not one of them had mentioned that back then the preamble was not talking about all the people," Jordan wrote. Omissions? Moreover, the President has made public announcements and assertions bearing on the Watergate case, which the evidence will show he knew to be false. African American History, Impeachment, President, Womens History. "It is to be used only for great misdemeanors," so it was said in the North Carolina ratification convention. For all of its uncertainty, we cannot flee the future. Were trying to be big, because the task we have before us is a big one. If the impeachment provision in the Constitution of the United States will not reach the offenses charged here, then perhaps that eighteenth century Constitution should be abandoned to a twentieth century paper shredder. Fair use is permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Two days later, on July 27, 1974, Jordan voted to impeach the president (Nixon would resign before the Senate commenced a trial). I yield back the balance of my time, Mr. Chairman. The Constitution doesn't say that. She won national acclaim for giving a measured, eloquent lesson on the constitutional principles at stake. The Constitution charges the President with the task of taking care that the laws be faithfully executed, and yet the President has counseled his aides to commit perjury, willfully disregard the secrecy of grand jury proceedings, conceal surreptitious entry, attempt to compromise a federal judge, while publicly displaying his cooperation with the processes of criminal justice. These assertions, false assertions, impeachable, those who misbehave. Lyndon Johnson, who invited her to the White House for a preview of his 1967 civil rights message. A lot of years passed since 1832. It is reason, and not passion, which must guide our deliberations, guide our debate, and guide our decision. I do not mean political parties in that sense. The drawing of political lines goes to the motivation behind the impeachment, but impeachment must proceed within the confines of the Constitutional term high crime and misdemeanors. This is a belief that each American, regardless of background, has equal standing in the public forum, all of us. 65. Earlier today, we heard the beginning of the preamble to the Constitution of United States. "1 Jordan was named Best Living Orator by a professional speakers' organization. We call ourselves public servants. Why would settlers have a vegan diet? Learn more about the different ways you can partner with the Bill of Rights Institute. Although she acquired a reputation as an effective legislator, Jordan did not become a national figure until 1974 during the Watergate scandal, when her participation in the hearings held by the House Judiciary Committee on the impeachment of U.S. Pres. I have confidence that we can form this kind of national community. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, My faith in the Constitution is whole; it is complete; it is total., Notice of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity. Discover why Rev is the #1 speech-to-text service in the world. 7. Barbara Jordan: ( 14:23) A nation is formed by the willingness of each of us to share in the responsibility for upholding the common good. Ibid., 193. She captured the attention of U.S. Pres. What was the purpose of Barbara Jordan's speech? The audience benefits best from this medium of communication because it is better to hear precisely how a person felt about a topic, rather than read their thoughts and interpret their feelings. We know that there was absolute complete direction on September 3rd when the president indicated that a surreptitious entry had been made into Dr. The nature of impeachment, is a narrowly channeled exception to the separation-of-powers maxim; the Federal Convention of 1787 said that. That is what we are talking about. When speaking to students, its ok to use broken English so that they can understand you more easi Only two years later, Jordan delivered her speech to introduce the idea of impeachment to her colleagues and to the American public. I could easily spend this time praising the accomplishments of this party and attacking the Republicans, but I dont choose to do that. We are a people in search of a national community. And if we do it as individuals, there is no president of United States who can veto that decision. American physician and government official. Chairman: (00:04) There has not even been an obfuscated indication that this committee would receive any additional materials from the President. There is no law that can require the American people to form a national community. I have that confidence. What is different? Because we believe this idea so firmly, we are an inclusive rather than an exclusive party. Jordan died in 1996 from pneumonia, a complication of leukemia. The fact is that on yesterday, the American people waited with great anxiety for eight hours, not knowing whether their President would obey an order of the Supreme Court of the United States. The purpose of the speech was to tell the problem that the Constitution had with the wordings. Since that time, Democrats have continued to convene once every four years and draft a party platform and nominate a presidential candidate. These assertions, false assertions, impeachable, those who misbehave. In a perfect storm of unlikely circumstances, Barbara Jordan, a junior congresswoman from Houston, Texas, who grew up in segregation, landed a primetime spot to deliver an opening statement on. A President is impeachable if your attempts to subvert the constitution.. On July 12, 1976, Texas Congresswoman Barbara Jordan delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. Common sense would be revolted if we engaged upon this process for petty reasons. Barbara Jordan: (06:04) If we as public officials propose, we must produce. In that year also she published Barbara Jordan, a Self-Portrait. A.In the past, people took plenty of photographs using traditional film and typically kept more personal shots, lik The drawing of political lines goes to the motivation behind impeachment; but impeachment must proceed within the confines of the constitutional term "high crime[s] and misdemeanors." who gave a speech at career day at Jordan's high school. Barbara Jordan, a Democrat from Texas, was the first southern African American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. The fact is that on yesterday, the American people waited with great anxiety for eight hours, not knowing whether their President would obey an order of the Supreme Court of the United States. The constitutionis the body of doctrines and practices that form the fundamental organizing principle of a political state. On the national scene, Jordan's defining moment came in 1974 when she earned a spot on the House committee considering impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon. The words are: "If the President is connected in any suspicious manner with any person and there be grounds to believe that he will shelter that person, he may be impeached. We believe that the people are the source of all governmental power, that the authority of the people is to be extended, not restricted. That's the question. It takes a lot of energy, dedication and bullet-proofing yourself to be: Common sense would be revolted if we engaged upon this process for petty reasons. The constitution doesnt say that. Mr. Chairman, I join my colleague, Mr. Wrangell, in thanking you for giving the junior members of this committee the glorious opportunity of sharing the pain of this inquiry. Following graduation (magna cum laude in 1956), she attended Boston University Law School, where she was one of only two womenboth African Americans from Houstonto graduate. Mr. Chairman, you are a strong man and it has not been easy but we have tried as best we can to give you as much assistance as possible. Ibid., 185-86. The most effective way to secure a freer America with more opportunity for all is through engaging, educating, and empowering our youth. According to Jordan, why did a member of Congress not need to be convinced that the president should be removed from office in order to vote for impeachment? Many seek only to satisfy their private work, wants, to satisfy their private interests. No one need be afraid, the Northwest Carolina Ratification Convention, No one need to be afraid that officers who commit oppression will pass with immunity. Prosecution of impeachments will seldom fail to agitate the passions of the whole community, said Hamilton in the Federalist papers number 65, We divided the part is more or less friendly or inimical to the accused. On July 25, 1974, Barbara Jordan delivered a speech on Impeachment. And I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction, of the Constitution. BRIs Comprehensive US History digital textbook, BRIs primary-source civics and government resource, BRIs character education narrative-based resource. It is chiefly designed for the President and his high ministers to somehow be called into account. You can specify conditions of storing and accessing cookies in your browser. The most accurate AI-powered transcription on the market. Updates? My faith in the Constitution is whole; it is complete; it is total. Since June 2018, Jordan is a regional career education hub for . Barbara Jordan: (07:45) It is wrong, I suggest, it is a misreading of the Constitution for any member here to assert that for a member to vote for an article of impeachment means that that member must be convinced that the President should be removed from office. As Americans sensed a fracturing of American life in the 1970s, Jordan called for Americans to commit themselves to a "national community" and the "common good." This morning, in a discussion of the evidence, we were told that the evidence which purports to support the allegations of misuse of the CIA by the President is thin. Under Title 17 U.S.C. 5, No. We're told that that evidence is insufficient. We are trying to be big, because the task we have before us is a big one. *Freedom for all race, sex, and background. What we have to do is strike a balance between the idea that government should do everything and the idea, the belief, that government ought to do nothing. D.Parents with an abundance of pride in their kids often post their children's photos on social media even though such postings can cause their children great embarrassment. Her keynote address at the 1976 Democratic National Convention confirmed her reputation as one of the most commanding and articulate public speakers of her era. Barbara Jordan to the House Judiciary Committee (video, audio, and transcript) http://watergate.info/1974/07/25/barbara-jordan-speech-on-impeachment.html, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. In 1962 and 1964 she was an unsuccessful candidate for the Texas House of Representatives, but she was elected in 1966 to the Texas Senate, the first African American member since 1883 and the first woman ever elected to that legislative body. , how to write a essay on entrepreneurship, a) b) The maid is cleaning the bed once a week. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). First, we believe in equality for all and privileges for none. We are a people in a quandary about the present. I, Barbara Jordan, am a keynote speaker. Barbara Jordan: (04:51) Earlier today, we heard the beginning of the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States, "We, the people." Although they were a large part of Jordan's audience, the public and their opinions surrounding the idea of impeachment were barriers to Jordan's purpose. "4 Beginning shortly after the Watergate break-in and continuing to the present time, the President has engaged in a series of public statements and actions designed to thwart the lawful investigation by government prosecutors. Now, we must look to the future. Today I am an inquisitor. We are a heterogeneous party made up of Americans of diverse backgrounds. We have a positive vision of the future founded on the belief that the gap between the promise and reality of America can one day be finally closed. More is required of public officials than slogans and handshakes and press releases. We have been talking about it awhile now. Congress has a lot to do: The Constitution charges the President with the task of taking care that the laws be faithfully executed, and yet the President has counseled his aides to commit, Nixon Tapes: The Smoking Gun Tape, 1972, http://watergate.info/1974/07/25/barbara-jordan-speech-on-impeachment.html, Barbara Jordan, Speech on Impeachment, July 25, 1974, Earlier today, we heard the beginning of the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States, We, the people. It is a very eloquent beginning. ", The Carolina ratification convention impeachment criteria: those are impeachable "who behave amiss or betray their public trust. Calculate how much it costs to transcribe, caption, or subtitle your content. In 1976, are we to be one people bound together by common spirit, sharing in a common endeavor, or will we become a divided nation? If we promise as public officials, we must deliver. It is designed to "bridle" the Executive if he engages in excesses. And the most effective way to achieve that is through investing in The Bill of Rights Institute. ", Beginning shortly after the Watergate break-in and continuing to the present time, the President has engaged in a series of public statements and actions designed to thwart the lawful investigation by government prosecutors. Congress has a lot to do, appropriations, tax reform, health insurance, campaign finance reform, housing, environmental protection, energy sufficiency, mass transportation. Today I am an inquisitor. The words are, If the President be connected in any suspicious manner with any person and there be grounds to believe that he will shelter that person, he may be impeached. . What that recital of the evidence this morning did not include is what the President did know on June the 23rd, 1972. Of the impeachment process, it was Woodrow Wilson who said that, Nothing short of the grossest offenses against the plain law of the land will suffice to give them speed and effectiveness. Read the transcript of her speech here. Barbara Jordan: (12:13) Barbara Jordan: (02:32) This is a part of the reason why Americans have turned to the Democratic Party. For the American idea, though it is shared by all of us, is realized in each one of us. Extend your content reach and maximize your engagement rates. Before the invention of social media apps, parents could not engage in sharenting and, therefore, did not have the opportunity to globally embarrass their children. It is designed to "bridle" the executive if he engages in excesses. "Protect their rights." But this is the great danger America faces, that we will cease to be one nation and become instead a collection of interest groups, city against suburb, region against region, individual against individual. Rep. Barbara Jordan 1976 Democratic National Convention Keynote Speech Transcript, Congressional Testimony & Hearing Transcripts. What the President did know on the 23rd of June was the prior activities of E. Howard Hunt, which included his participation in the break-in of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist, which included Howard Hunt's participation in the Dita Beard ITT affair, which included Howard Hunt's fabrication of cables designed to discredit the Kennedy Administration. And if the President wants to supply that material, the committee sits here. "Rescue their liberties from violation. And I ask you that as you listen to these words of Abraham Lincoln relate them to the concept of a national community in which every last one of us participates. Make your investment into the leaders of tomorrow through the Bill of Rights Institute today! The drawing of political lines goes to the motivation behind impeachment; but impeachment must proceed within the confines of the constitutional term "high crimes and misdemeanors." As one of the first African Americans elected from the Deep South since 1898 and the first Black Congresswoman ever from that region, Jordan lent added weight to her message by her very presence on the House . Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. Thank you. Barbara Jordan: (00:11) The powers relating to impeachment are an essential check in the hands of the body of the Legislature against and upon the encroachments of the Executive. Of the impeachment process, it was Woodrow Wilson who said that "Nothing short of the grossest offenses against the plain law of the land will suffice to give them speed and effectiveness. Speech-to-Text live streaming for live captions, powered by the worlds leading speech recognition API. Barbara Jordan: (17:30) "Prosecutions of impeachments will seldom fail to agitate the passions of the whole community," said Hamilton in the Federalist Papers, number 65. Get a weekly digest of the weeks most important transcripts in your inbox. I recognize the gentle lady from Texas, Miss Jordan, for the purpose of general debate, not to exceed a period of 15 minutes. It is wrong, I suggest, it is a misreading of the Constitution for any member here to assert that for a member to vote for an article of impeachment means that the member must be convinced that the president should be removed from office. It is hypocritical for the public official to admonish and exhort the people to uphold the common good if we are derelict in upholding the common good. We need to take to heart the words spoken by Thomas Jefferson, Let us restore to social intercourse that harmony and that affection without which liberty, and even life, are but dreary things.. Extend your content reach and maximize your engagement rates. . At this point, I would like to juxtapose a few of the impeachment criteria with some of the actions the President has engaged in. They did not make the accusers and the judges the same person. ", Justice Story: "Impeachment" is attended"is intended for occasional and extraordinary cases where a superior power acting for the whole people is put into operation to protect their rights and rescue their liberties from violations." Earlier today, we heard the beginning of the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States: "We, the people." A man put up billboards all over Houston thanking Jordan for explaining the Constitution.6, Jordan served six years in Congress, then taught at the University of Texas. We must not become the new puritans and reject our society. In other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust. Audience - Jordan's audience was like-minded democrats who saw Jimmy Carter as their hope for a new direction in American government. The federal convention of 1787 said that. As a high school student, she became a skilled public speaker, winning a national debate contest in 1952. "No one need be afraid"the North Carolina ratification convention"No one need be afraid that officers who commit oppression will pass with immunity." "If the President be connected in any suspicious manner with any person and there be grounds to believe that he will shelter him, he may be impeached. That's the question. Thank you Mr. Chairman. The committees subpoena is outstanding. Video into 99 % accurate text by a professional ) if we do it as individuals, there is law. In equality for all of its jurisdiction are those offenses which proceed from President... Mr. Chairman before us is a narrowly channeled exception to the White House for a preview of his civil. 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