The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-03-15
An Extra Session or Congress-The neces-
sfey or the Adminfstration,

An EEyrh session OF COngress-The Weces
sfty or the Adminfstrstien.
We cannot perceive how the new administers
ton at Washington can avoid an early call o.
an extraordinary meeting Of Congress. The
general policy marked out in Mr.. Lincoln's in
augural, in the absence Of Congress, is, to any
practical extent, out of the question, with the
limited means and powers granted the Execu-
tive at The late session. The bill authorizing
him, should any exgency require it, to call for
volunteers and upon the militia of the several
States to aid in the enforcement Of the laws,
was lost. Upon this and some other PROPOSE
lions of similar character the republicans, in
the House and in the Senate, appeared to act
as if DESTROYS Of reducing the incoming admin
istraton TO the alternative Of an extra session
| Our opinion is that Mr.. Lincoln has no other
alternative; and we should not be surprised to
hear al any moment from Washington that he
has issued his proclamation for the assembling
] of The two houses before the end of the month
of May. The Senate of course is ready, and
| quorum of the new House of Representatives
has been elected. Excepting Missouri and Ar
kansas, none OF the Southern States, we think
have yet chosen their members; but margin
of some sixty days will probably be allowed,
for the purpose of making their elections, to all
such Southern States as may desire to be re-
presented in this extra session of this new Con-
gress, should one be called.
The financial revulsion of 1887, resulting
from General Jacksons destruction of the
United States Bank and his substitution of the
pet bank system, compelled Martin Van Buren,
to call an extra session of Congress for the re-
lief of the federal treasury. But the Sub
Treasury and other expedients of that extra
session did not relieve the administration from
the revolutionary pressure Of public opinion,
and Van Buren, and the democratic party were
swept out of power by perfect tornado in
1910. The succeeding administration-Har-
risop, one month, and then Tyler-was driven
to an extra session in 1841, when Mr.. Clays
National Bank measures and Tyler's vetoes,
and the Texas annexation agitation, worked
out the defeat of the wing party in 1874 So
there has been prevailing idea from that day
to this that an extra session Of Congress is
pretty sure to result in mischief to the party
invoking it; and so, we presume, Mr.. Lincoln
would not call an extra session IL he could pos
sibly avoid it.
But how is he to avoid it? How is he to
manage the sectional conflict which is already
upon him, in the matter of the new high tariff
law of the United States and the new low tariff
law of the Confederate States? Nay more:
how is he or his Secretary of the Treasury to
set our new high tariff law into operation with
out the assistance of Congress for no man is
able to reconcile the crudities and incongruities
of this law with each other. 1t is thing
of shreds and patches, which, to be useful,
must be patched over again by Congress.
Above all, in this matter Of the enforcement of
the laws In the seeded States, Mr.. Lincoln
needs the advice, authority and assistance of
Congress, and he will not be able to put off his
necessities till next December.
Unquestionably the assembling of the two
houses of Congress at Washington would in
crease tenfold the swarms Of Office beggars
which now infest the White House and the
Executive departments; and we are quite sure
that Honest Old Abe is taxed now by these
office harpies W the last degree or mis- strength
and forbearance; but "what cannot be cured
must be endured" The higher necessities Of
the administration demand an extra session of
Congress, and Mr.. Lincoln will act wisely to
issue at once his proclamation for it, naming as
early day as will be compatible with a rea-
sonable margin Of time to every Southern
State, for election purposes, that may conclude
to send up its contingent to the House of
Representatives. The pressing exigencies Of
the day and q sound discretion suggest alike
the saving expedient to Mr.. Lincoln of an
extra session of Congress. When the ship is
among the breakers all hands should be called
to the rescue.
d.