Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-12-22
lsp.e.l corrssponasncs Of,hs Chicago Tine..I

WASHINGTON, December 10.
The proceedings Of Congress thus far have
beer not only Interesting snd important. but also
highly significant In the hrst place, in regard
to the choice Of Spesker. The composition Of
the House il very singular The radicals can
number 80 votes. but not one more. The Dem
ocrais and conservatives number 90 There are
besides 20 members who cannot be classed on
either side. They are all in favor Of the vigor
Gus prosecution Of the war, ard therefore every
of them who present ed against Fer
nando Woods peace proposition on the 18th
But there j. not one Of them. SO FAR as | can
certain, who j. in favor of making the
people Of the Southern States, or who IS in favor
Of the coufiscation lilI or who is IN favor of the
dismemberment OF Virginia, or who Is in favor of
the emancipation proclamation: while more than
half Of them opposed To having negro sol !
dlers and six Of them are earnestly GesirOus of
seeing Gen Mcclellan called again TO the su-
preme command Of the army The balance Of
power lies among these 90 members, and think |
their presencein the House will prevent the pass
age Of any very radical measure
For instance. the radicals found, some days be.
tore the session began. that they could not elect
the Speaker. Washburne OF Illinois was their /
man, and he was supported by the power OF the /
Administration. Even the President openly
electioneered for him IL he could have been |
elected land only four more votes than they /
bad. would have done it, the entire aspect of 1
the legislation of this session would have been
different from what il will now be- Ii would |
have beer radical in the most intense degree. /
All the committees would have been radical. !
and the radicals and fanatics would have ridden /
rough shod over the helpless minority. But
they could not elect their Speaker By hook nor
by crook-and the crooks we're gildel and The !
hooks were well baited-coud they get four
more votes. On the other hand, il was known.
day two before the session began, that 95 /
members we're pledged to vote for Mr. Colfax on
the first ballot The radicals finding that they /
could not elect radical Republican, had wisely
concluded to vote for even a moderate Republi- |
can. and hence the large vote which was cast for
Mr.. Colfax, lUl on the first ballot The votes
OF the SO members tn whom have alluded were
all cast for Mr. Collax Without them he
would not have been elected
The composition Of the starting committees.
of both houses. deserves attention. La the Sen
ate the radical element still largely prevails The
two able>t aud most eminent men in the Senate
Col Richardson, of Illinois. and Reverdy
Johnston, OF Maryland-tre almost entirely IL
noresl. or shelved in unimpOrtabt committees
Mr.. Johnson. indeed. finds Il place the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations where he is ably
seconded by Mr. McDougall, of California: but
his influence is completely oyershadowed by the
radical complexion OF the majority OF the CON-
mittee, headed by the pedantic Sumner The
important Committees on Military and Naval
Affairs. the Judiciary, and on Territories are all
in the hands of the radicals. The conservative
members on these committees 1.-THE most imDOr.
tant in the Senate) the least influential men,
bers of that body The proper place for Mr.
Johnson would be the head of the Judiciary
Committee, but he has no place on that com
mtee at all. The proper place for Col. Rich
ardson would be at the head of the Committee
-. IL. Il.
il wonder that he is allowed place on that
committee Mt all.
In the House of Representatives, where the
appointment of the committees rested upon Mr..
Colfax, "a much better state of things exist. Mr.
Colfax knows how to recognize ability, and the
committees in the House are as well selected as
the rules of party will allow. IL is annoying to
see such men "a Fernando Wood and VOORHEES,
overlooked But il could not be expected to be
otherwise Mr. Voorhees, indeed has place on
the Committee on Elections, and Mr. Pendleton
of Ohio place the Committee of Ways and
Means The Judiciary Committee, the Commit
tee on Military and Naval Affairs and Terrific
ries are all composed of men of ability converS-
ant with their respective SUBJECTS. Mr.. Farms
worth of Illinois. it is universally conceded.
would make far more suitable chairman of the
military committee than Schenck.
In the Senate yesterday, Mr.. Hale took the
intended to proong the a means of secu-
ring their own re election for another term. If
there were any Senators here who entertained
such purpose, or who were nstilling such a
purpose into the ear of the President (snd here
Mr.. Hale turned towards the seate of Senators
Sumner, Wilson, and Jim Lane.) he would rath
er take the hand OF corpse than the hands OF
those Senators. You may believe there was
something of sensation at that emphatic dee
laration. And the sensation became still more
intense when Senator Lane. of Indiana, asserted
that there Maj General now in the army,
who had declared that, it Mr.. Lincoln not
re elected President he (Lncoln) would hold on
TO the power of the government, by the aid OF
the army, notwithstanding; and that he the Ma
ior General would stand bv him with all his pow
er. Senator Davis confirmed this statement, but /
the name of the General was not given
These straws show plainly enough which way
the wind is blowing The design of the Presi- |
dent and his party to retain their power for an
other term can no longer be doubted, even If
Mr. Hale is ignorant of it. Ii is evident that
MANY officers, high in rank in the army. have
been approached and sounded upon the subject
How many Generals of Mr.. Wilson's creation
have agreed TO be on hand when the coup d etat
is struck And what places under he new
regime have those Generals been promised. on
the day that Abraham the First prOclamS him
why Gen Mcclellan was removed from his
command. and why he is kept out OF the army.
X.