Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-04-14


&" way to get them in to compose them of the
&" old chronic conspirators of secession nor
" will it be possible for such unrecognized
{" delegates TO acquire even an oblique admis
81 sion by depending upon the general sum-
&" mons 10 an extra session and a Presidential
" recognition. The two houses are already
" organised by law, and being respectively the
judges Of the eligibility and qualifications of
" those who assume to be elect, no members
" can be made without their action. The
" members now within the Congress will, there
" fore, IN case of such an extra session, be the
" true and only Congress of the United States
wherever they may sit. They viii legislate
" as usual send their bills to the President as
usual, and he failing to notice them, those
" bills will, by the very fact of such neglect,
" become laws as usual. The endorsement of
" those laws by the Supreme Court of the
" United States will give them final sanction,
4" and then the President will be called upon
" by the two coordinate branches of the Gov
" eminent to enforce and carry out these laws
" as the Executive. Should he refuse, he
90 would then be in rebellion against the Gov
" eminent INSTEAD of Congress, as the organ
60 Of the President suggests), and war having
" thus resulted, it is plain which side the peo-
''ple of the North would take"
Long before we saw it limited or heard it
whispered that the misunderstanding between
Congress and the President would find their
probable elimination in armed collision, we had,
in our minds, followed it out by ratiocination to
that logical sequence. We saw, or thought we
saw, by the continued divergence between the
President and Congress, by the contumacious
refusal of the latter to admit to their seats the
competent and legitimate representatives elect
from eleven States, and from an obstinate and
defiant persistence in unconstitutional meas
ureS, it might become the bounden duty of the
Executive to interpose. We saw, or thought
We saw, how mere party in Congress, unlaw-
fully constituting itself Congress, by excluding
the representatives of whole section of the |
Union in a body, who, if present and voting, |
would, by the union with them of Northern |
Conservatives constitute majority, and throw |
the present dominant party in Congress into
minOrity-we say we saw, or thought we saw,
how such party usurpation might well be re-
garded by the President in the light of a con-
spiracy against the Government, the Constitu- |
ton and public liberty and how, with his old |
fashioned fidelity to the Constitution, he might |
feel it to be his duty to deny that body, thus
selfcOnStituted, the Executive recognition as
the Congress of the United States. We saw,
or thought we saw, how that body, still persist
ing in its sessions, claiming the Capitol, and
for whole country, when only half
was represented in it, should, by its violence
the necessity of doing what the great Lord
Protector of England did. We almost fancied
that we heard deep hoarse voice exclaiming,
% For shame-get you gone. Give place to
60 hOnester men-to those who will more faith
50 fully discharge their trust. You are no
Sc longer a Congress. Take away that bauble."
All this occurring we could very naturally
look for the President to call together Con-
yresS composed of members elect from all the
States of the Union, as well those of the South
Is those Of the North and that if the Radical
members should refuse 80 attend that he would
recognize the Northern Conservative members
md the Southern members as the lawful Con-
yreSS, to sit in the Capitol and to legislate for
he country. Nor did we see how all this
would happen peacefully. We supposed that
he Radical and sectional Congress would
continue its sessions, appeal to the people
md proceed to muster an army, if the United
States army should not side with it. We also
that the President would be pre-
Jared to meet force with force.
We say we saw, or thought We saw, how all
his might happen before We ever saw it limited
It or heard WHISPERED. The subject, however,
Vas 50 delicate, and our position as Southern
men rendered us so liable to unfriendly con-
,truction and criticism, that we discreetly held
,ur peace. What we then foresaw others have
ince seen and ventilated. The Spirit of the I
Times did not hesitate to blurt it out the mo-
nent it got wind of it.
The President evidently sees, and has long
cen, the whole difficulty. We shall not pre-
ume to tender him advice, or to prOtfer sug-
,estionS. He has, no doubt, viewed the sub
ect in all its aspects, and has determined upon
he measures that may be necessary in any
urn of affairs. Ofone thing the country may
est assured-he will not fail for want of hon.
st intentions, or ofvigor and independence of
.ction.