The weekly clarion., 1866-12-13
The Course OF Consrcss.

Ihe temper OF congress Is eve
worse than before, Its legislation /
frantic and violent The member
have run wild with fanatical frenz
and seem to be enjoying "a umultu
Gus time !" justice and right is forgot
ten and passion end prejudice fas
together ilow The first legislatur
act of the House Of Representative
after its assemblage on Monday last
was to suspend the rules in order t,
allow Thomas ID. Elliott Of Massachu
sets TO introduce bill repeating thu
18th Sec of the act of July 18th, 1862
authorizing the President TO gram
pardons and amnesty. The bill finally
passed by a vote of III yeas to q
nays, and would no doubt have passed
the Senate the same day, but for the
rule of that body prohibiting the pas
sage of a bill on the day of its intro
duction This special war power is
in these words "Thc President is
hereby authorized, at any time here
after, by proclamation, to extend to
persons who may have participated in
the existing rebellion in any State or
part thereof, pardon and amnesty,
with such exceptions, and at such
time, and on such conditions, as he
may deem expedient for the public
Welfare"
On the same day the House adopted
the resolution of H. p. ii. Bromwell,
of Illinois, instructing the Committee
on Territories to inquire into the eX-
pediency of reporting bill providing
Territorial Governments for the sew
eral districts of country within the
jurisdiction of the United States,
formerly occupied by the "once exist
ing States Of Virginia, North Carroll
ma, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,
Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Ar
kansas, and Texas, and giving to all
adult male inhabitants born within
the limits of the United States, or duly
and not participants in
the late rebellion, full and equal polit-
ical rights in such Territorial Govern
ments.
A bill was also introduced to take
from the President the power to APP
point revenue officers and give it to
the negro loving S. p. Chase. Still
another bill was presented doing away
with the practice of the new Congress
meeting in December and providing |
or its assembling on the 4th of March |
lext, to make it penal offensc to
,ay the salaries of officials who have
,een rejected by the Senate; and to
,rohibit removals FROM Office without
consent of the Senate.
Taking the proceedings of the rad
cal caucus, where words containing
sufficient acrimony with which to
Ibuse Mr. Johnson, could not be
ound, in connection with the mon
trous propositions of Congress,
We can form a pretty fair idea where
Iacobin vilIainy is drifting. To quote
rom Prentice, we have INDUCED a
lope, though not very san9uine one,
hat the deliberations and action Of
congress during the present session
would show a decided mitigation of
he asperlties and acerbities that dis
,raced that body throughout its last
ession. AT present, however, we see
Iothing to encourage the hope, much
o discourage it. The whole spirit
manifested by the radicals is so bad
hat it could hardly be worse. We
trongly apprehend that all the mis-
hievous. vindictive, and outrageous
measures and policies, which the least
Iopeful have apprehended from Con
.ress, will, with the single exception
# the Presidents impeachment, be at
empted. Yet we are confident that
he country will outlive the pestilent
.oings of infuriated radicaliin ands ul-
imately be all the better and stronger
or the formidable ideal.