East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1866-11-29
The Second Session of the xxXIXth
Congress-.

session. Certainly great and varied
interests will come before it, and its
action upon them will vitality effect
the country for veal or woe for a long
time to come. Probably no Congress
has ever, in the history of the nation,
had a more brilliant and splendid OPP
portunity to win honors and benefit
the people that the present will have
at its coming session. If it could act
in the spirit Of broad and practical
statesmanship-a craftsmanship that
comprehends the necessities of whole
nation, and knows just how and when
to meet them, and does it, if it could
lay aside mere considerations of party,
and, in manly and generous devo-
ton to the public welfare, forget the
passions of the hour, and the predju-
dices Of sections, it would deserve,
and receive unbounded praise from ev-
cry citizen in the Republic. We wish
most heartily that it could do this
Such conduct on the part of our Ma
tional Legislators is imperatively de-
manded by tho interests of the coun-
try. We have just passed through a
long, bitter and exhaustive civil war
war which impoverished and almost
ruined one entire section of the land
and in all, more. or less, deranged
and paralyzea the industrial pursuits.
1t fastened upon the nation an enor-
nous public debt. 1t was the immo-
date cause of tho establishment of a
system of finance, Of doubtful expedi-
ency as war measure, and certainly
Of positive detriment and evil, if con-
tinued in time of peace as a a perma-
nent system of national credit. 1t
gave rise to complications with for
eign powers of the gravest character,
complications which are still unrav-
eled, and which yet may lead to the
most serious consequences. And more
than all, it left among the people of
the two great sections Of the country,
prejudices the most inveterate and
bitter, and passions the most malig-
nant.
Now Congress has to deal with this
condition Of affairs-a condition than
which, there never was one that de-
manded broader craftsmanship, or
that offered better occasion for a
brilliant display of those high and
solid qualities which distinguigh the
sapient legislator from the dwelling
politician. But we can have no conf
dence that it has tho ability. much less
the disposition to take advantage of
this occasion to win for Its members
the honors due statesmen. It's past
history does not warrant such conf
dence. At its last session it accom-
plished absolutely nothing that can be
spoken of to its praise.
On the contrary, nearly all its acts
were both disgraceful to itself and in
furious to the country. Instead of
seeking to heal the wounds inlict-
ed by the war, it constantly irritated
and infamed them. 1t INSTRUCTED res
toration and kept the public mind in
state of ceaseless agitation. 1t did
nothing to relieve our financial embar-
easements, but without the shadow Of
reason or excuse, it imposed still
further burdens upon an already over
taxed people. With such record in
the past there is little hope for the fu-
ture. If, however, this body shall
comprehend the situation, and meet
it with practical wisdom, none will
hail its action with more unfeigned
delight than the Democracy.