Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-04
The Thirty.Niuth CONGRESS

Unlted cAves Wnue inc HOUSE u bePre
sentatives will be organized within an
hour by the election, on the first roll-cal1,
of the officers nominated with such unan-
unity BY heRepublican caucus of Satur-
day night. These are as follows:. p
spEAKER-Schuyier Colfax Of Indiana.
CLERK-Edward Mcpherson Of Pennsylvania.
SERGEANT AT ARNs-N- G. Ordway Of New
DooRKEEPER-Ira Goodenow of New York.
POsTMAsTER-Josiah Given of Ohio.
The nomination for Speaker was unan-
imous, as it deserved and was expected to
be. The mastery way in which Mr.. Col
fax presided over the deliberations of the
last house, his energy, quickness and i'm
Partially, his eminent ability as a parlia-
mentian-so eminent, indeed, that no APP
peal from any of his decisions was
ever sustained by the House-all
pointed him out for reelection; and
if anything was wanting to com
plete and ensure his popularity, with new
as well as old members, the want was sup
piled by his admirable speech of q fort
night ago, in which he eloquently and &C
curately dehneated the policy toward the
South which will be pursued with har-
mony and success by Congress aud the
Executive. Mr.. Colfax has already a ma
tional reputation, and though a self-made
man, and still young, stands to-day
among the most popular and successful
public men Of the country. He was born
in New York city, March 22rd, 1928, and
is, therefore, only forty-two years Of
age. Educated at the printers case,
and rising by native energy and talent to
the position of publisher and editor, he be-
came a prominent and influential poll
tician in his adopted State. He first be-
came a candidate for office IN 1854, when
he was elected to Congress on the CAN'T
Nebraska" ticket, and his first legislative
experience was in that stormy contest
which resulted in the election of n. P.
Banks as speaker, and the definite forma-
ton of the Republican party. He has
scr Gu III hALAAOAb
since that time. He was elected Speaker
of the last House on the 18th of December,
1868, receiving 1Ol votes to ~ for S. S.
Cox, of Ohio, and SO for other members.
Mr.. Mcpherson, the candidate for Clerk,
represented the 18th Pennsylvania district
in the Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh
Congresses, and was Clerk of the Thirty
eighth Congress. Mr.. Ordway and Mr..
Goodenow, the candidates for Sergeant at
Arms and Deorkeeper are the present in
cumbents of those offices, the former
having held his position for one and the
latter for two terms. The only new
nomination made is that of Colonel Josiah
Given, of this State, for Postmaster, in
place of the present incumbent, William
S. King, of Minnesota. Colonel Given
was, previous to the rebellion, a member
of the State Legislature. He served with
credit during the war as a member of the
74th o. V. L, of which he became the
Colonel. During the recent political can
vass he did yeoman service in the Union
ranks.
The Presidents message will probably
be sent in to both Houses of Congress this
and will in that case be laid be-
fore our readers tomorrow morning. 1t
will be one of the most important State
ever laid before the nation, and will
be perused with unusual care and attention.
1t is useless to speculate upon its probable
contents, when the document itself will SO.
soon be made public, and we shall attempt
no ppophesies. But of this we rest assured:
that the position of the President on the
of reconstruction will be in perfect
harmony with that of'the earnest and 10y
al Union men of the North.
The circumstances which attend the
gathering of the Thirty-ninth Congress
a striking contrast to those which
surrounded the closing days of the Thirty
The last session Of Congress termi-
IN the fourth of March, 1865. On that day
Abraham Lincoln and Andrew johnson
we're inaugurated President and Vice Pres
lent of the Republic. Grant lay before
Richmond, silently and sternly awaiting his
ime to strike; Sheridan was in the midst
# his triumphant gallop through Virginia,
rom one corner of the Old Dominion to
he other; and Sherman, having Just
merged from the swamps of South Caro-
was recruiting his wearied army at
Fayetteville. With what weighty and
hangeful events have the flying months
lie between then and now been
downl They have seen the armies
# the rebellion a%nnihilated, its civil power
dissolved into thin air, and its leader first
fugitive and then a prisoner. They have
cen our President murdered by t~raitorous
lands, and a new President quietly and
peacefully inaugurated- They have witness
d the magnificent spectacle offs returning
of citizen-soldiers and heroes, vel
omed to their homes with ovations gran
Ter than ever greeted Roman c~onquerors,
nd resuming, with a quiet and modera-
ion unparalleled in history, the avoea-
ions of peace. They have witnessed the
apid reconstruction of the rebellious
,tates-a reconstruction carried on by the
southern States with such illjudged and
Unfortunate haste that men who, when
congress adjourned, wereleading the rebel
rmies against Grant and Sherman, are
.ow that it meets again, clamoring for
Omission to membership in it.
Changed circumstances bring changed
different but not less difficult.
The work of the last Congress was to pro
ide men and money for the prosecution
f the war; that of the present will be to
that the expenditures of blood and
reasure which have been made in the
ause of the Union shall not be thrown
way. The aim of the former was to
the war triumphant and decisive;
hat of the latter will be to make Peace
ecure and perpetual. We are glad to
'elieve that the work is in the hands of
nen who will perform it fully and faith
uly.
What the Rebellion Cost Mississippi.
The Mississippi Legislature has received
report of the number of soldiers fur
ished by that State in the war against the |