The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1865-03-08
CONGRESS.


The presen5 Congress Is unable to agree
to positive legislation upon seveTa. im-
portant subjects, aud can oaly pass them
over to the Thirty ninth Congress. The
bill for the benefit Of the freedmen IS prob
ably killed because the friends Of the
colored man have fallen into aD excited
dispute in reference TO the guardianship
Of the freed slave. Shall !: be left to the
War departmeut,.he Treasury department
or an independent bureau os department
Upon this question the Republican seua-
tors have divided, aud the bil. is probably
lost The blacks can be in DO better hands
than those of Mr.. Stanton OF the War
Department so far as he IS personally
concerned. But as the matter new stanGs
the freedmen are governed by Banks 10
one department, Saxton in another, Ord
in another, aud SO on, There is no sys.
TEN under which their capacity for self
government is enlarged and strengthened.
Gen. Banks governed them from the pc
cuniarY point Of WV, aud i be made mou-
- out Of them aud they were we'll fed
and clothed, he was satisfied. Gen. Sax
ton and Cen Butler did far more. They
looked after the personal welfare of the
freedman, giving him good schools and
churches as well as cabins and gardens.
j seems to me that il would be better to
establish an independent bureau, but at
any rate let some good bills pass.
Another measure which the republicans
in Congress find it impossible 10 agree
upon is the Reconstruction bill. It has
been laid upon the table, and that is the
end of the subject till next year. 1t is
perhaps as well So When the next Con-
gross is here, we shall doubtless under
stand little better what is tne real con
dtion of Louisiana, Arkansas, aud Ienu.
essee. Tho armed rebellion We have
right to hope will by that tims be epied,
and it may then be prudent to Icy down
rules for the government Of these states,
or the recognition of their local govern
lDents. A majority OF the Republican
members Of the House wore in favor Of
establishing these rules now, and binding
The President to them, but respectable
minority of the Republican members
united with the opposition members, who
we're unit against the bill, and secured
its defeat.
The Thirty-eighth Congress has been
severely denounced in many quarters,
but it will take conspicuous aud not a
dishenorable place in history. /. has
stood frmiy, but not slagishly, BY the
Administration for the sake Of the cause.
The war could 10: have been successfully
prosecuted if Congress had beeu constant.
ly quarreing with the Executive. The
House has frequently asserted its author.
ty--it has differed from the Presijcat
and more than once has visited heads of
departments with its formal censure -
But it has given the Administration what
ever it needed for the prosecution Of the
war, and has refused to follow the leader
ship Of talented but eccentric men, when
such leadership threateuel to bring it
into a serious misuuders an6iog with the
President. 1t will for ever staUd to the
credit of this Congress that il passed the
Constitutional Amend ncut. This will
atone for many sins--eycl that Of "csu-
structive miage." No doubt the public
money has been squanderod, the items
which attracts the most attention IN the
newspapers are not those which most de-
serve it. A few thousands are perhaps
foalishly voted for some purpose, and the
daily press abounds with exclamation
points. The next day new sta sir
line is established, a canal bill is agreed
10, or millions arc thrown away upon an
obsolete system of land defenses. and the
papers utter never a word. 10 the Sen.
ate the other day there was a startling
outbreak of virtuous Indignation because
somebody proposed to give little addi
Sional pay to few meanly paid clerks
Two or three days after the honorable
Senate voted constructive mileage" 70!
she benefit Of nearly all its members :
~-s--tasD-ee-a-
DIsAGREEABLE SPEECH FOR REBELS
Mr. Benjamin, JEFF Davis Secretary o.
State, made a speech at a War meeting ir
Richmond the other evening. and put tht
wet blanket on his hearers 10y announcing
the following facts:
"You must make up your minds to trJ
that EARNING the negroes) or see your ar
any Withdrawn from before your town.
came TO say disagreeable things I tel
you you are 10 danger, unless some radi
cal measure be taken. know not where
white men can be had 1t is said there
are Quartermasters clerks, railroad Ell
ployes, and men 10 bonn proofs; but
tell you there are not enough able bodied
white men in TIE country. Do vou sup