New-York daily tribune., 1861-03-04
TuIETY-alxTH CONGREss.

when an ,ud con,s 10 auy legislative body 10
this country. tee feeling is often one Of relief
that the opportunity for public mischief bas
ceased tor q season. That feeling is strong at
the Gnul adjournment Of the THIRTY sixth Cou-
grr.,. No. that II has not done some good. for
which We are duly thankful. but that 1t has
noby reiralned from doag great evil for which
we at. still more grhtrlul. AT the same t.me
we cannot forget that 80 long as it was
in existence it was under the constant temp
taton, pressed upon 1t By the weightl-st
influences, 20 exercise tho power which be
longed TO it without reserve, to prove itself the
most mischeyOus legislative body that ever sat
il this county. On one side, we know, tho dis.
position has been uniform and persistent to adopt
sonis measures, the Inevitable result "f which
would be- first the degradation OF the government,
and then new and most serious element IN u
complicated condition Of affairs already serious
and complicated enough; and on the other eide,
where alone We could turn for hope, we know
there has been, in some degree that weakness
of fear which is 50 closely allied to treachery, aud
that spirit Of submission which is 30 apt
to lead 10 now 0Pgrcssons, t. be constantly ap-
pealed 10 by tho.e who would sell or those who
would steal the liberties Of the North and the
principles Of RepUblicanism. Alive for two
months past 70 the imminent danger wc have all
tho time been in that by the tmidity or the
treachery Of II very few men it was quite posi-
bic We might be cheated out Of great aud de-
ci-ive victory aud the country thrown into new
and worse confusion than il has ever known be-
forc, tho relief of being freed from the apprehen-
sion by the adjournment Of Congress is almost
intense That that body has carried us safely
through this great crisis, aud has adjourned with
out dsgracng itself and endaBgerlug the cOun-
try by 4 Compromise, entities il not only to the
thanks Of this day and generation, but will give
il name in history which belongs to no other
legislative assembly i'll this county since that Of
i77G. Their negative act 10 a new aud positive
declaration Of independence. Tbree-quarIere Of
century Of great men have paoaci away aud left
behind them no names which will be deemed,
when the heat and passion OF tho day are passed,
more deserving of the recollectlons OF o grateful
people than those Of Wade Fessenden, Clark,
Wilson, King Simmons, Wilkinson. TumbSll,
iiatt III thc Ccnhtti VI hbulc.I IchtOni Nhu
Wyck, Sedgwick, Hickman, Dawes Grow, How.
ard, Lovejoy, Mexican, Potter, Potte, Gurley,
Stevens, in the House, and others of equal worth
in both bodies whose names happen only less
readily TO rise to our lips
But while we remember how much Is due to
these men for preventing the most mischeyous legs.
lation, the Thirty sixth Congress is also entitled
to the gratitude of the country for services posi-.
lively beneficial First Of these is the tariff
There may be, as there always is in legislation
relating to large material interests, some errors
of detail in regard to this bl as for Instance in
retaining the present system of warehousing, all
which may be corrected hereafter, but the essen.
tial principles OF the law ore good, its general
purpose is sound, and the result must be to give
On impulse to the energy and enterprise of the
country, to develop and reward American indus
try to bring the producer and the consumer into
nearer relations, to open new resources to capi-
tai, to add TO tho population. to enhance the
value Of real estate, and TO increase everywhere
the business activity, the wealth. aud tho com.