Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-11-15
THE MEETING OF CONGRESS

THE MEETING OF CONGRESS
has approached SO mperceptiby ,hatwe have been
scarcely aware Of il until the arrival of Members
from distant points Of the country warns us of its
being near at hand. On Monday two weeks the
first Session Of new Congress (he Thirty
will be opened at the CAPITOL and all eyes and ears
will be directed, 6rst to the Annual Exposition Of
public affairs by the Chief Magistrate and the ac-
companying reports Of the Heads of Departments,
and afterwards to the action Of Congress upon the
various and great concerns which fall within the
scope of its authority.
Upon what is so soon to become matter of his
tory as the dispositions of the present Congress, il
is hardly worth while to indulge in speculation.
There are two great points, however, upon which
we have a right to congratulate our readers:
First That, since the termination of the last
Congress, the BATTLE OF THE UNION has been
fought and won, the principles Of the Union being
now in the ascendant in those States in which they
were, at the opening of the last Congress- supposed
to be most endangered, and now only seemingly
threatened in one or two other States, in which
parties vie with another in professions of deuo-
tion to the same Union:
And, secondly, that there il nothing in the rela-
ations Of the country with foreign Powers which
threatens any immediate disturbance of the Peace
now happily existing between US and them.
But were we ever SO much disposed to indulge
in speculations as to the course of conduct which
will, or which ought to, distinguish the present
Congress, we find our views so nearly express
ed by one Of our most esteemed Western con-
temporares, in the subjoined brief paragraphs, that
we would not change word of them; and, with
that endorsement place them before our readers:
FROM THE cIscIsSArI GAZETTE OF NOVEMBER 10.
In short time the Thrty-second Congress will
commence its session. Its members will have less
merely party adhesion than any one elected in many
years. A large majority will indeed belong to the
Democratic party; but, on the other hand, large
number of these have been elected upon other is
sues. In Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and
Mississippi all the members have been elected
upon the principle of Secession or Anti-Secession
In the Northern States many members hold the
Ant-Slavery principle predominant over any other.
In addition to this, there are such strong antpa-
thies in different sections of both parties, that
strictly party action Of majority Of Congress in
Legislation is not to be expected. In the election
OF Speaker and officers we may indeed see party
lines drawn; but, from the nature of things at pre-
sent, and the development of political action during
the session, which must inevitably come, it will be
impossible to legislate by party lines. CoNeREss
must look beyond such minor action to greater in
terests, or we shall really be where politicians
have endeavored to persuade us we were, in the
midst of disoyal factions and impaired obligations.
Il is in the power Of this Congress to reinstate
the Nationality Of Legislation, and restore gen.
eral confidence in the measures of Government,
without which the bonds Of loyalty sit lightly upon
People. To do this would confer glory on
CoNoREss and turn aside all the petty streams of
faction. It can only be done in one way by le-
gislating, IN the language Of the Constitution, for
the general sceyare.