ng, and on fit occasions
expressing, opinions of and concerning the legislation of Congress,
proposed or completed, in respect of its wisdom, expediency, justice,
worthiness, objects, purposes, and public and political motives and
tendencies, and within and as a part of such right and duty to form,
and on fit occasions to express, opinions of and concerning the public
character and conduct, views, purposes, objects, motives, and tendencies
of all men engaged in the public service, as well in Congress as
otherwise, and under no other rules or limits upon this right of
freedom of opinion and of freedom of speech, or of responsibility and
amenability for the actual exercise of such freedom of opinion and
freedom of speech, than attend upon such rights and their exercise on
the part of all other citizens of the United States and on the part of
all their public servants.
And this respondent, further answering said tenth article, says
that the several occasions on which, as is alleged in the several
specifications of said article, this respondent addressed his
fellow-citizens on subjects of public and political considerations were
not, nor was any one of them, sought or planned by this respondent, but,
on the contrary, each of said occasions arose upon the exercise of a
lawful and accustomed right of the people of the United States to call
upon their public servants and express to them their opinions, wishes,
and feelings upon matters of public and political consideration, and to
invite from such their public servants an expression of their opinions,
views, and feelings on matters of public and political consideration;
and this respondent claims and insists before this honorable court, and
before all the people of the United States, that of or concerning this
his right of freedom of opinion and of freedom of speech, and this
his exercise of such rights on all matters of public and political
consideration, and in respect of all public servants or persons
whatsoever engaged in or connected therewith, this respondent, as
a citizen or as President of the United States, is not subject to
question, inquisition, impeachment, or inculpation in any form or
manner whatsoever.
And this respondent says that neither the said tenth article nor any
specification thereof nor any allegation therein contained touches or
relates to any official act or doing of this respondent in the office
of President of the United States or in the dischar
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