Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-01-10
THE PRESENT CONGRESS.

than at this very moment. Matters Of
the most solemn and most pressing im-
portance are waiting to be acted upon
in Congress. The entire country is most
snxious.y looking on, and with deepest
chaerin observes the trfllng imbociiity
which pervaies the halls of LEGISLATION
\, Washington. Time that should be
spent in regulating matters Of import
ance, is from day to day aud week 10
week filtered away in useless and IN
profitable ladinaee, or worse than los,
in venting personal spite and spleen
against each other. The proceedings
which are laid before Us rom day 10 day
are reproach TO the nation-an Insult
gratuitou.ly offered to this troubled peo-
pie. Work is lost sight Of, and words
are substituted. We fear that tho q
who look for better things "bye-and
bye" viii be mistaken. Moic than
five week. have elapsed since It's com
ing together, and yet tie people are
consolel with tie idea that something
wW be done. Bat that happy time con-
tnucs TO exist in the tuture-continucs
10 be matter Of ANXIOUS speculation.
OF the true condition Of affairs at Wash-
ington, the Philadelphia Mluirer re-
marks, that they (the members OF Com
gress) may be eminent As slang whang-
evs at county count meetings, but they
have thus far shown themselves TO be
without the intellect to realize the true
condition of the country, and utterly
without the legislative ability to provide
for il II they did, 1t would be bless
ing if, for this special occasion, the
power existed somewhere TO dis; olive
the two Houses, that the President
might 90 TO the country upon new
election io4 statesmen equal 10 the eX
igency.
AT the time when they assembled, il
was not only important but vital that
they should promptly adopt System OF
external aud internal taxation to main
tain the dropping credit ef the nation.
Every hour Of delay was dong irrcpar-
able damage. But was that a reason to
prevent tic high and mighty rcpresen
tatives Of the people, and ofthe States,
spending five weeks in elegant leisure!
I'm n,nc days from to-day, tic finln-
cial accommodat .ons extended 10y the
Banks to the Secretary OF the Treasury
will come t. an end, ana the Govern
ment will be without means; but l.
that q reason why Members and Sena-
tors should deny themselves holiday
Of three weeks to enjoy their cakes ana
ale with their friends at hemc
"Thc country is surrounded BY perils,
-watchiul, active and treacherous foes
abroad and at home, that rc.
qnire to be met and avertel by prompt,
efficient iicn,-dancers that demand a
universal military organization and a
system Of defcnces for the coast and
frontiers. But will any one have the
hardhood to say that these pressing
emergencies Of the nation should deter
honorable Congressman from spending
the first three, four or five months OF
the session in idlencss, after the most
approved form of their recent predcces-
SOS. Perish such ulgar thoughts.
"Sncb, indeed, seem to be the morals
and the practice of the men who, I'M
fortunately for the country and the age,
have control of the National Halls of
Legislation. They are fifty described as
apostles Of crude theories more fatal
than useful; as sham statesmen, who
substitute declarations and phrases for
the art of governing; as denagognes,
who disturb the State to sustain Utopian
ideas, and to tlatter popular passions
They are of the class who ruled the
Lower Empire, which, wien pressed
upon all sides by the barbarians, ren.
dered herself the laughing. stock of pos
terity by attending to abstract discus.
slons at the very moment when the enc
mys battering,rsm burst open the gates
of the Capitol.