The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-23


THE PAST AND PREsENT-THE APPROACHING
TERMINATION OF THE THIRTY FoURTH CON-
0RESS.
just and wholesome reaction in public sentiment was
conspcususly and agreeaby displayed than in
the changed and altered condition of affairs in the
lower branch of Congress- The country have for
gotten the exung and almost nsolent tone Of the oppo
ston members Of the House Of Representatives the
Of taking their seats at the of the present
Congress Suddenly and unexpectedly raised to place up
the mad and maddening Of religious and political
anacsm they INDUCED in the most extravagant ideas in
regard to the extent DURATION and exercise of their power
and the number of democrats in the House small
aud the opposition majority overwhelmingly large that
extavagan these ideas were there much
to fear that they would be promptly and successfully
cuted They would repeal the KansasN act they
would remodel the naturalization laws; they would Prot
esanze the religious element Of the country they would
give Reeder his askedor seat spite of precedent and
the baobox and they would shape their abors and
beraons easy victory for their candidate in
the coming presidential election All these speculatons
peaed to not only within the range Of possibility
but of probability; and it with courageous but
hopeful spirit that the Spartan band of seventy
democratic members gathered together in order that they
might present firm and unbroken front to enemy
flushed with success and confident from superior numbers
Of annhilang all opposition. Then the fierce and
prorscted struggle for the speakeshp and the struggle
progressed and the democratic phalanx became rmer
bode and powerful with each successive day. it
manifest to the country that the opposition shorn of
all real power before the opportunity offered for its
ercise What done, rather what left undone,
after the election Of Mr. Speaker Banks during the bal
Of the session. is already part Of political
history They did not repeal the act
they made upon foregn-born citizens
they established religious test; Reeder left seat
less and they had failed impress upon the public mind
the belief that they had exercised their power repre-
sentaves with honor themselves advantage to the
people notwithstanding all these failures notwhstand-
ing many pledges and promises remained unredeemed
and unfulfled at the expiration of the last session Of
Congress they started for their respective homes under the
confident belief that they about engage in
which would result in giving to their party the
power place. and patronage Of dominant national
ganizaton
1t is unnecessary for us aude to the whitening
buke and hopeless disappointment that awaited them
They and the adventurer whom they had intrusted
their standard fell with them. Within few weeks
they assembled in the federal capital for the second
and most Of them the last time The opposition
members who met in the House of Representatives the
4h of December 1856 the who occupy seats
in the House, but how changed in their tone tenn
per- and protesting principles To their words,
they had been misunderstood and misreprcsented for they
love the Unionthey the consitutionand not for
the attainment of boundess power would they interfere with
the domestic institutions Of their brethren of the SOUTH
In short il they be credited they not what they
seem.
The Thrtyourth Congress is rapidly drawing to close
In less than six weeks it will be numbered with the past
At the proper time may review at length some OF its
principal acts We dealing with the present and at
gives much pleasure state that both houses
of Congress devotng themselves to the business of the
country with great ZEAL perseverance, and efficiency The
appropriation bills in forward state and several pub
lie bills Of mertorious character have already been
passed very large Of private business has also
been disposed Of What will be done with the tariff bill
the land bills and several other important bills await
ing the action Of Congress, will venture predict
but we safely say that much larger Of pub
lie and private business will bo disposed of before the final
adjournment than anticipated by any one at the COM
mencement Of this session.