New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-02-17
tc6treIpenasace ofthe otsscsnel Il
r,ETrER rReM wAsHINGTON.

LETTER FROM WpAsHANstysN WASH "
w.su,saror, February III 1865
+ The speaeh which had been parueu'ssts ~
pounced by the Great Rrahmin MT. Summer was
delivered Yesterday, and attracted the iargess aa
dience That has honored the Senate hall fh's SIS,
sion. Although The auditors could scarcely ander,
stana the address, they were doubtless prompted
hu tha sar,e inclination that; induced US to attend
III renrssentasons III Rachsls the desire to wit
ness 4 ssae niece ofsaeting. But these hopes were
soon sispciled by q tame and spiritless delivery,
unrelieyed by any oratorical graces The princi7
bal attractions which hr. Sumner efforts present TO
The general public, is a disregard Of the snbject
matter for The aaornment Of his STYLE and the sat
isfaction Of his pedantry. By this means the Sen
ator has obtained the reputation Of scholarship
and d certain popularity with the galleries. to
which his commanding form and ponderous voice
have greatly contributed. On two successive
days and during four and . half hours, Nj, Summer
wasted the time Of the Senate in an exposition OF
aiaeious platitudes, and in copious extracts from
the principal pubicsts since the days Of Aristotle
to prove an absnrdity the adaptation Of the negro
to republican system. sSls fea. 2@
| TIE CONSERVATIVES sRKPUBL1cANs.
Il The leaders Of this informal party, by whose
course the destinies Of the conntry VII ns
influenced, embrace more talent IN both houses
that they would beentitled 70 BY their num1eIs'
/ III the SENATE this superiority is more eSldens.
DooHttIe and Cowan are each, IN his chaTac.es y
mind and style Ct ana DtsIect
among his compsers There is ao q nan on 1ns
radical side Of the hall who can unite the deptn q
thought beauty Of comppsition ana grace g u ae
livery which belong TO te nara
bles Mr. Doolittle III solidity Of mind and coorte7
n,,sI,ess of aeportn1ent often tried n the more
stormy ordeal Of the House, but the stronger char
acterof Nh Ideas aaa sPeesnss as8 a
perhaps contest the leadership OF the moderate,
Renublicans When listening TO the speeches Of
wade. wilson, Stevens, Julian or Farnsworth, one
cannot resist the that reason nov aen
oyerbeafing majority il the only argument ad-
dressing itself to their minds. Upon the virtue,
of conservative Republicans and the reason OF
their colleagues depends the course of d congress
ssiptlal action. IVA 49, Il sss u
The President fuly apprec eciates this fact, and as
the radical leaders are making themselves more
obnoxious to the Exc cutve, the consery re-
ceiye various .nafksof his favor. Senators Doc
little snd gowan ars constant vlsters q 5ne ai.e
strate and the emiats dens. the
of partisan views ID beginning to arrange itself in
more decided colors. Novel hues are daily devel-E
oped 81 the light Of public opinion, and are ar
I2tHkuE tIS1aS6lfSS
8s9 " NATIONAL goNyENTIoS. VI
The radical changes in the Constitution and even
in the Fundamental principles of government,
which are discussed in this ramp Gong gress, bear
evidence to its total untness for the present state
of affairs, as construed by the dominant party
The spuerile manner in which the compact OF
Union id altered and the wild theories that are
broached by partisans have suggested to thinking
men the expediency of holding q convention Of
delegates from the people Of the United States.
Congress was never intended to arrange the dis
turBed elements in this great crisis, and It has per-
sonally proved its total ncapacity to deal with the
situation. 8s a ls@ifie 4
pie wonldbe represented, and those political the
cries that are now crushing the prosperity Of the
sense Of the people and notify men TO whom any
thing is acceptable that contains saving clause
for themselves It could not be expected that
the present Congress would pursue the patri-
otic course Of its predecessor in 1887, be-
cause the radicals have adopted an opinion
that they are higher than the law, and can
destroy ii under suitable pleas. But the forma-
ton OF the governmental system, under which we
now ought to live, is an example of the remedy
which lies in the hands Of the American people.
Under the articles of confederation Congress fodnd
its power deficient and called for new authority
Under the Constitution, without its sanction, the
present Congress has Illegally assumed powers
/ and attempted to regulate for its own advantage
| the change in our political system The change IN
the relations of States to the general government
iii the civil status of large number Of the popua-
hon, and even in the respective positions o.
| the Washington authorities marks plainly an era
lcontemplated in the precedent of the Convention
of 1884, Our political system being based on the
opinion of the people, clearly provides ~ its very
nature for the settlement OF serious dltncuaes by
an appeal to the people atlarge The present pc
riod would be very 0pportune for the calling OF
such a convention, as most sof the State legisa-
lures are now III session. The Northern legisla..
tues would not voluntarily take the initiative lof
this measure, but firm petitions would SOON force
them to appoint times and places for the election
of commissioners to q general convention. twill
be remembered that the convention Of delegates
from six States was held at Annapolis on Sept. II,
I7aG, and the sree0mmendatio Of Congress was
passed on the Mst of February, LIST 30 that no
legal objections can be urged. Exactly the same
amending power existed under the articles Of CON
federation, yet our ancestors did not hold that 1t
was sufficient for the circumstances of the case.
They invoked the primary power of the land--the
people Of the United States in convention assem-
bied7more potent than Presidents and Congresses
and Bureaus. Mr.. Sumner has cried out for q
sendtas e0nsttlttns TO eradicate the rights of the
States, hut the people are the only absolute power
In this land that can make such Q decree. Com
ing from the peeple.and ratified by the people, it,
would e-establish the basis Of law and order.
| THE FREEDMEN OF LOUISIANA. g5s3 ~
About ten days ago, ME. Wilson, in one Of his
violent and vehement hagangues, stated that law
| had been passed by the Louisiana legislature. acl
| cording To- the provisions of which the freedmen
would at the termination of their annual contracts
be deprived of the payments due to- them. Papers
/ were not produced but were promised ii GATED
/ for. The matter was passed over by Mr.. Cowan,
| and, not having the papers ready to refnte these
STATE ements, leave them in yonr hands. The
Washington Chronicle, of the 5th inst, contains q
resun.e of the Conway projsct to introduce foreign
capital into louisiana and attributes It's faure to
/ the dsahsction OF our people In the same issue
iof. this paper is 4 paragraph gurporsing 70 be
founded on letters from officers Of the Freedmen's
i Bureau. giving accounts of /. horrible outrages y
Inflicted on the negroes. The sources of this in
Il formation are, at best doubtful but so much po
Iitica capital has been made of these and similar
items that 1t ID unfair to allow them and theii
L coroilary deductions to pass unrefuted. The feel
ins and intentions of the Southern people towards
the freedmen are grossly misrepresented by the
radical press, and increase the delay of recon
tstructi0n. Eas4sssS3 81 4Sf5z s
II THE MEXICAN QUESTION. te 4.
4 Il notwithstanding the prudent course which tht
gpyernmentis pursuing In its military relations Of
"A the, Rio Grande Mr.. t'eward has expressed his
II lc, ana in tho strength OF the Juarez party Dur
Ing his trip to the Indian seas, Mr.. Seward paid
II Gen. Santa Anna visit, to ascertain his relations
u with the Mexican President The veteran warrioi
and politician complains of the treatment which
he has suffered at the hands of the Liberal party
Il and the injustice which they displayed IN return
ii ing to the public domain some enormous tracts oil
81 land, whose cesson he had obtained from former
governments. Aged, unsaeritcing and rich, SAINT,
Il Anna il not disposed to quit his retirement, ant
II actively embrace the cause Of any existing party
During tho sudden and frequent change OF anthor
Ties ~ Jacto. at the port q Acapulco, America