Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-03-29
THE GAZETTE.
CEDAR FALLS. IOWA.
FRIDAY. MARCH goth, 1861.
Extra Session of Congress.

Extra Session of Congress.
Shall there be an extra session of Congress
We think that it is Congress
must be called in order to clothe the Presi
dent with power to maintain the supremacy
Of the government over rebels and traitors
Congress adjourned without even providin,
the President with means for collecting tn,
Revenues The President has not even sui
ficient forces at his command to reinforce
and provision the Southern Forts. In fact
there arc no laws adequate to existing ext
gencics; the President is almost entirely
without power to maintain and carry on the
Government. True, there can be serious OBJ.
jections raised to an extra session, but these
objections cannot be maintained to such an
extent as to make it appear advisable to leave
the executive Of this Government in his pres
ent helpless condition till the meeting of the
regular session in December next. Accord.
ing to the ". y. Times if Congress were
called to-day, the House of Representatives
would show only IA of its 237 MEMBERS
States having 81 members have seeded and
over 60 members are yet to be chosen from
the loyal States, which will not elect till the
latter part Of the year-chicfy Border States.
This, of course, is serious objection to the
calling Of an extra session at this time. But
what is to be done? If no extra session,
why, what then? Are goods to be imported,
duty free, by way Of New Orleans, and the
Revenues of the Government, upon which
depends its life, its existence, thus destroyed !?
AS far as money is concerned, to carry on
the Government-that can doubtless be Dor.
rovcd for the present; but money is not all
we are Of the opinion that there is principle
in this matter, Of tariff or no tariff, and we
believe the Government should be supreme
over its citizens, though they be traitors and
rebels. Borrowing money cannot pass the
Volunteer Bill, cannot provide for the COL
lection Of the Revenues-cannot pass Laws I:
therefore we advocate an extra session of
Congress. The N. Y. Commercial Adrertipr
speaks right to the point when it says
We can see no remedy for this state of
things but the immediate converting of Con-
gress. fit be allowed to continue, it is in
vain to expect that revival of public conf.
dencc without which there can be no resump.
ton of healthy and active business. That is
one of the negative evils of waiting for the
regular session Of Congress in December
next. What may be the catalogue of posi-
tive evils who is prophet enough to fortell !?
There may be still! further revolution, which
the President will be equally powcrless to
grapple with. The insurgents have once de-
liberately fired upon the American flag. Who
shall say that to crafty their restless spirit
they will not again and again repeat the in
suit, or some outrage or insult equally rs
great, to provoke us to hostiities for which
they know us to be unprepared? What
easier way Of humiliating us and asgrand-
ising themselves in the eyes of the world p
They have carried out many threats that So
Der minded men never would have made and
executed. What security is there that be-
fore the meeting of the next Congress, they
will not put into effect their threats of issuing
letters Of marque. and if the President can
not command ships and men enough to re-
tain strong fortress actually in our poses
sion, how is he to find men and ships to pro-
tect our commerce on the high seasg These
and many other questions connected with
revenue, commerce, and national honor, all
point to the necessity of an early session of
Congress; and equally necessary, too, is
such measure if peace is to be preserved
and the Union maintained Indeed, we ven
ture to say that self-respect, and respect for
the Office and government of which he is the
representative, imperatively demand that the
President promptly issue proclamation
calling for an extra session of Congress at an
early day."