Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-03-20
RICHMOND WING.
Monday Morning, March 10. 1855

TINHE trite adage that those who live in glass
l. houses should not throw stones is eminently
illustrated in the late special message Of the Pres
ident arragning the Congress for delnquencies and
dslats and the response of the Senate through the
document which print this morning. 1t was
hazardous issue for the Executive to make, wbeth-
CT the public interest had suffered, was liable
10 suffer, most from defective legislation, from
faulty a3minstration-for, without discussion or
defence from Congress, the public could not by
special allegations and impeacbments against that
body, be made 70 forget that it had long since,
placed tue whole war-maEiny power Of the country
a. the disposal Of the Executive. THIS being done,
nearly all had been done that was in the power Of
Congress II the result did not pablic eXpec
taions il must have been either berause the meas
condied TO the Executive were inadequate, or he
cause they we're not developed to their fullest ca
pacity, or used with the Judgment aud skill de-
manded III has never been intimatsd by The Ex-
eeutive that the resources Ut the country, in meu
aud supplies, are unequal 10 the emergency. ~
fhe contrary, &c has been repeatedly asserted frou
that quarter that they ample. Accepting tle
assurance as correct, and knowing that the Execu-
tive has been armed with the power Of conscrip
tiog and the power Of mpreSsment the common
sense OF the people w0uh impel them irresistibIy
10 search for the cause OF disappomtments and
failures IN the onduct OF those whose duty it Was
T. marshal aud direct the resources supplied by the
country and authorized to b, used by the Congress
Il was, repeat, dangerous issue for the Execu-
tive TO raise since it invited scrutiny as much int
the way IN which legislation mad been executed aud
enforced, aSfnto the wisdom Of measures that hal
been adopted OF rejected 10y the Legislative Depart
ment ItprovOSed inquiry as to whether the re -
verses and disasters we have encountered. and the
dangers that environ us the fruits ofiniuLicio
aud insufficient legislation, or OF unused means
wasted energies aud instructed resourees-wh,tA
er, IN 4 word Congress has withheld the -nilitay,
power Of the country from the Executive. or IA,
Executive has nauased 1t badly aud handled itis
efficiently. The President should have been Nh.
last man 10 start such asluesou. Even il the facts
had beea thc reverse OF ,,hat they uotoriousI, are
he should have been slow 10 do or say aDvtbipr,,l
cuisted to impair public confidence in a body 1.
whom the people have entrusted and are olIig,5
by our system OF government 90 yutru,r So mucL
bd; there Is something more than the common
blindness to ones o~n faults in the tcmer,tv TIA,
invited this Investigation of responsibility in m.
lace OF events So recent aud conspicuous Pin
Senate coHdUe themselves, Ia their response. 10 tb
spccihe allegations OF the President. Even IN 70
spee' c" ines-, they show en- clusively, We think
'Ha' c@'S'er cuip7h'hty there may be doe, no, H.
a, tue door OF Che Legislative Department. Con.
s'def~ii'H' % prudence doubles, repressed IN,
disposition to Te'oit by setting forth the blund.,,
ana 1e''nQ1sHcics OF their accu>er, with their,de
p'or'''e ssequenccs. This iorbearance will n
"Pf'ec'''d by The c'uutry-ge trust it viii not N,
"tn''' ats lesson OF good TO the high official who
ha5 least reason 10 expect it.