The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-29

to push their policy; and it Is not unlikely that,
amidst all the confusion and difficulties OF the
present session, the assembling OF a new Congress
may be forced on the President elect. There will
not, In all probability, be anything done In re-
ference to the slavery question at the present
sion; neither will government be given to Cali
fornia, OF any kind. This delay In acting these
important matters will, of course, increase and
strengthen the reasons that will be urged on him
for calling an extra session.
Things at Washington look gloomy enough. The
difficulties which Gen. Taylor will encounter are
accumulat,ng, increasing. and spreading every
day. The purposes declared by the Southern lead
ers-the dissolution of the Union and the forma-
ton of separate confederacy of slave States-is
matter that requires extreme caution to meet. An
attempt to open the ports Of the Southern States,
under the action of any State Legislature or
State Convention, IN defiance Of the revenue laws
of the Union, would at once bring the new ad-
min istratlon into very important and alarming
crisis, which, if not managed with great skill and
consummate prudence, might eventually lead to
the result so often anticipated by the leaders
of all ultra sections, and so much to be de-
plored by the moderate and rejecting men of
the whole country. A successful movement Of
that kind would lead almost to a dlsmemberment
of the Union. If it ever should take place, the
Southern States might form a republic by them
selves-the Northern free States another; and we
are persuaded that California and Oregon would
consider themselves thrown on their own respon-
sibihy and would, in such case, very likely, go to
work and form a republic on the Pacific. The
dismemberment of this great republic into three
separate and smaller ones, according to those
lines of division, would be subject of much gnef
to phios ophers and statesmen, who anticipated so
much from the progress and continued integrity Of
the Union; but 1t would also lead to different Sec
tional results to the isolated leading men of the
new confederacies that would thus be formed
Practical REFORMS IN CoNGRKss-THE MILE
AGE SYsrEM.--Our learned and honorable contem.
porary, Massa Greeley, M. c., A S. s., has not
disappointed his friends and admirers, amongst
whom we certainly deserve to be ranked He Is
retormer--a Fourlerite reformer-a regular, pro-
gresslve, resoute, nineteenth century reformer,
and " nothing shorter He has hardly stumbled
over the threshold of Congress, when he ferrets
out thousand abuses. He scents corruption in
every breeze he beholds rascal'ty underneath
every desk he rambles all over the House, like
a IesuesS nc is Tie evil genius vi uc'
taulting Congressmen-peering In upon all their
misdeeds-not to be shaken off or bamboozled.
Kick him, cuff him, do what they will with him,
he still maintains his adhesiveness. He seems to
be ever excaiming, with Ludovico, In "Measure
for Measure "By my troth, I'll go with thee to
the lanes end /; nay, I'm kind of burr-I shall
sck!' In all this Massa Greeley but faithfully
discharges hIs mission. He is Fourierite he is
known all over creation as Fourierte He WIS
sent to Congress as Fourierite and it is as a
Fourierite--a great, practical regeneration and re-
former-that he has entered on his responsible
du,ies.
Already Massa Greeley has astounded us by the
awful disclosures with respect to the mileage OF
members. The mileage! Yes, the Fourierlte has
LAID his profane hand even on that time, sancti-
fed mystery, the mileage of members He has
published series OF tables, illustrating the con-
struction which Congressman have been IN the
habit of giving to the law, authorizing the pay
ment of mileage; and he has revealed to mankind
The whole process by which the constructonists
realize from three and sixpence to three thousand
dollars per annum more than the benevolent foun-
ders of this happy republic intended. After all,
members of Congress are human. Have they not
hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections pas
sions! Are they not fed with the same food, hurt
with the same weapons subject to the same dis
eases, he aled by the same means, warmed and
cooled by the same winter and summer, as other
men are If yeu prick them, do they not bleed 7
If you tickle them do they not laugh! If you poi
son them with bad brandy, do they not sicken and
sometimes actually die?
Courageously, then, like the renowned knight
fov tbo Of
has our philosophlc friend entered the lists
at Washington not, however, without encoun-
terlng serious opposition and deadly foe. The
crown of martyrdom is not gained without a
struggle. Reformers cannot reap victory as
easily as the sans csdottes burdens himself
with the glttering wealth OF the California sands.
The Honorable Sausage Sawyer, has placed him.
self IN the deadly breach, and stands up for " his
order" How the conflict may end, mortals can
not now foretell. In the meantime, gods and men
look on with great anxiety, not unmingled with
uproarious laughter
Meanwhile, we trust Massa Greeley will take
courage and pursue the work of exposure and re-
form A vast field lies before him-the bills of
Congressman for washing are, In many cases, posi-
lively alarming; unknown sums are expended in
this department Of prohigate expenditures the cost
of congressional bootblacking actually frightful.
True, some members, in spirit Of conscientious
economy, never once indulge in this luxury from
the one end of the session to the other but gene
rally speaking, the sxtravagant employment of
boot-blacks calls for the most serious considera-
ton. In cigars the waste Is enormous, and the
worst of 1t is that the article is so vilanousy IN.
ferior, that the offence may, with literal truth, be
said to be " rank and smells to heaven" Who
that has ever passed through the Rotunda, or the
lobbies and corridors near either House. needs to
be told of the poisonous atmosphere created by
this fearful abuse of the per diem of members
What shall we say of the bills of the members for
gin.sllngs, and cobblers, and brandfed com.
pounds, poured ont by the hogshead, by Foy and
Casparis? Here: oh Greeley behold objects