Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-01-22
Something Terrible Ahead.


The Washington EaiOH a day two ago contain
cd long article in which it discusses at length tn,
question whether the House of Representatives is a
living body, dead body, body in state of su>-
pended animation. 1t concludes with the follow
iuy language, which would seem to Indicate the Ia
king OF some Jacksonian Cromwellian responsible
itv on the part of President Pierce:
"tn conclusion. have only to express the opinion
that The non'Nistynce Of Congress i sheer papablc all
surity Like the King at England Congress dies II
T. susvs existence and though always active ma,
D. called iH' s-tion whenever the President deems il
cc>sl-y The moment the term Of Congress expires
C~s bf' 1ni being another and through in
int, ~r-> Tn--e : no intertegnum contemplated d,
th- -'tu'n; AMI % House a! Representatives cannot
aHl -.sr~ >peAkcr suryly there is sufficient
~hr cv-v other branch II the government should
q. s,- ,- tsi iis President should postpone iuiedu
itfir graf constitutional duty.
1--WE iH1t >sy-thoueh perhaps II &c did W. might not
D. 81 @ 1e t-uth-tlst such state OF things exist.
a. hs rs- che President ~cni in his message. But
W '' that ce>Y-rat- faction. or fusion OF factions,
hiVre reu.lou principle 81 action. but uvrtvra.
h>aty ie,aocraric pncple> snd the administration
or urcH tH', represented, should ~illlly and DE-
srif pr.vcut osJruci delay the choice OF pr,>i
s,- nf..- Nni the dog Ia the nanger Are 10,
o7-oas ,f;he other b,anchc, OF the government be-
pl-s'rr.i .ui the whole machinery arrested ia con>e
Cls7-e l. tSe country perhaps ia crisis Of prcula
ds1-s- tN te Ten inert incapable OF action, dceuceeS>
O. STATE o Allowance, u We're, Tor want OF some in
disp-'sthle action ut body which Is PLAYING possum
u
really tho c~e the President be dumb, because the
Hou-s cannot chob.r Speaker every branch OF govern
1ueut Doe starved because the House cannot choose
s. Speaker. aud 'ciaOs come again because the Houso
ciuuD, choose Speaker Surely, there must be- some
rcm,y such statc of things; and II it b,
found m tie constitution know OF other but
the great Law Of necessity Tia Speaker 80 indspensa
bic why them must have a Speaker, by hook by
crook and there Is a end OF the matter.
We submit that somethng specially serious and
terrible is certainly contemplated by the Brigader,
unle,, the House of Representatives shall speedily
discharge the duty incumbent upon them of organi-
zua and proceeding To business. There must" we
are plainly aud bluntly told "bc some remedy for
the present. disorsanizcd condition Of the House
and ifi cannot be found ia the constitution, there
is $40 altar resort Int the greH lac eJ nec,s,ity"
Aud again: "lf speaker is 50 Indispensable, why,
then, We must have a Speaker, 10y hook or by crook,
and tIcre is AN end of the mattcr'!"
Besides, IL is clearly ntnatcd that all the govern
mcut officials. from the President down, are in q
Starving condition. Aud is it to Ice thought Of foI
a moment that men who are hungry unto death,
should be restrained by constitutions and laws from
taking the wheTcwthal to supply themselves with
the absolute neccsSa'ies OF life: Not at all Not at
all Constitutions and laws, principalites and pow
ers, all bend and give away before "Ms great Inc 81
D,r.eitI" The cry of 6r,1d comes forth from tia,
President aud his thousands Of clamorous under
ling> and yet the House in the face of 80 melan-
cho'y and distressing fact and positive di<rc-
gard of its constitutional duty is still wantonly in
duldng IN mere child play-stI "enacting the dog
in the man.er still playing possum, still tryin-
To make the country and the world believe it !,
dead when the solemn truth is Congress has IA
MANNER of right { die nor even 20 seem To bc dead
Il +, against the theory of institutions again>
all preceIent-ior a body which has soul no con
science, no sensibility, to be setting up for some
thing obtaining the elements of lie and respectable
tyand.l~ consequence having right TO affect to b,
either living body, dead body,or a body in a stat
OF suspended animation. But least of all has Con-
gees right To ignore" deny or rcpudiate its own
existence. Like the King of England. Congress
never dies And though it may choose for faction.
purposes to play the possum," or even to cry out
in the mos, ,epuchral tones that it 4. dead vet TIA.
President and his organ admonishes the world that
tina, tal. won't bear tellng-that it is all joke,
trick, fraud And in obedience 10 that great
law of necessity which acknowledges no restriction.
and shows no iavors neither to the living nor the
dead, the Brsadier distinctly signifies TO Congress
that Joe mean, to consider it living body Just Tor
the purpose Of knocking its brains out. after the
.Iach-onian and Cromwclan fashion, unless it forth
with admits that it alive, and living in the factions
neglect Of duty which it should instantly proceed!
TO perform. And We really believe the Brigadicr
as iu d.aJ earnest, for the reason thar We con
slider all animals four-footed aud two footed.
savage and domestic, 90 be downright So.
rou- when they feel that they are starving" and
must have something 10 feed upon In other words.
the Pre- drut tells Congress that unless they orga.
nize and Immediately appropriate part Of that $50.
00p,ooo, which is lying useless in the Treasury. he
viii jus. abe thc whole of IT, Doi,os roisps "a, he ha,
perfect right 10 do under "the great law of nccc,.
fity' lu short, the souls and boic. Of himself and
Dol, unlorur companions ~ misery must be- kept
together "hy hook b., crook, and there i, nm end
of the matter Brave aud spunky Bdgadi.r wc
arc 10 your h,rk aud mean 90 see vou out whether
you moae tIit against vindmilI- b,rn-door. or pos.
sunni. '1uste. Aud what is more. the whole
country 1ui aI creation will sustain YOU in consiic.
ration 1i your starving condition. and the entire
proprefy of yonr appealing To the great Law of me-
cc,iiy' which should control all men and animal.
under im.u circumstance
We await with up Itte impotence, the next 100.
tchgcn.s from Washington. II BE- ncc,Ilc.- to ..y
that our .,mp1thie- are nll with the Bugadigr ",
suspect moreover, FROM thc iHrit hc di-pls,.. th.
Dee is boo daily .poudcucc with our own beliico,
irecatne Governor And, between them. ,ba
chance doe. Congress have. whether it bc r. Twin.
body dead body, or body in a state Of supeude,
animation