, 1865-12-18
FROM WASHINGTON,
Ffrat Stage Of The IleconstructIou Oues.
tt0Y1 I'm the %en0xA

Ftrst Stage Of the Reconstruction Ques-
uon In the Senate.
From our own Cousspondentl
WAaurso7o1,: DEC. L. 1Ss5.
The last two days hare been fruitful Of
portentous Developments. Until yesterday
| It was Impossible to define the exact position
the Union majority in the Senate would assume
n regard to the reconstruction question. A
haze of uncertainty as to the views Of lpdi-
vidnal members obscured the prospect and
| prevented any clear vista Of the; future.
There was busy inquiry and agitation, actfrc
pEiTctc counseling, indefinite conjecture, hap
hazard prognostication but facts. votes, for
unal aggrcggations Of parties and faetions were
wanting At this writing all Is changed. The
previous fermentation has brought well-de-
fined certaintles to The surface. BY the light
Of yesterdays and to-day's doings one can
sec the way ahead. The first stage or tie
solution Of the reconstruction problem has
been reached and passed. The greatest dan.
gcr-prccipitate ~nction-has been avoided
and, though the era cannot rs yet he seen !:
there il ground for increased hope and conf
dence that all will 20 we'll
The grcat point Of Interest vas the eIpect-
cd action Of the Senate upon the House rcso-
lndon for Committee OF. Fifteen upon the
rebellinus States. R1mora as to probable de-
1cctaons Of tlis and that Republican Senator,
had been thick for ssrera1 days, and the: de-
clslon nf the Senatnrial Union caucus upon
this subject, on yesterday, was looked for
win much anxiety. The caucus had two
sittingsi one In the morning and acothes il
the afternoon. Owing 10 the psut OF time,
no conclusion was reached At the former;
the latter continued for several hours, aad
was Of an animated and interesting character.
The m.jority Of. the Senators present were
opposed TO the adoption Of tic resolution as
1t ca1ne from the Honsc, but though object.
tng to It's form, agrced-with Its spirit. Only
three Senator's, Messrs. Doolitt1e. Dixon and
cowan, ndyocated It's entire rejection, Of
these, Mr. Dool1ttle madu the strongest oppo-
eition. Ali tlree showed unmistakably that
they would not co-operate with the majority,
In tho enactment Of any measures bearing
upon reconstruction not In strict ,nec2sdaac.:
with the yiews of the President In aaai1,on
to the outright nntagonis.n Of the mentioned
three conservatives par excellence, there came
Peresptibly less marked. yet sufficiently dis.
,tinct v.riza12.c. .: opinsc1, between
hessrs- Wilson. Sumner, Howard, Wade,
and Others of radical complexion on
the enc side, and -ucssu. Trumbu)l. Frs.
sendcn. Harris' and Morgan g.. r. ct1ar,
The former indicated an uawslllnsness 10 I'd.
init representatives from The rebel Safes
without the stzictcs. and 1noshcomprchcu.
sfrc GUARANTEES Of loyalty, 1iedsuce cr every
yestise Of slavery and rebellion. and ,psfic,.
to the freed People, wh,lc, tho lattcr eee,ued
to be disposed to concedc more. and cnact Iess
rigorous conditions. However, this difference
Of shade Of opinion wns not decided eaous1l 10
warrant appsehcnsions Of m eventual sesro-
gntion Of the Union majority Into tw wings, :
that might give the opposition the balance
mutual tosecaTance and concession was 1nanl-