The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-31
Close of the Session OF COnsress-The
General Result
From the Times.

has worked hard and ACCOMPLISHED little, III
has spent eight months nhu operose dgendo
IL had at the outset an overwhelming Union
majority, which was still further increased from
time TO time by ousting Democrats whose seats
were contested by Republicans admitted IN their
stead. This majority at no time thoroughly
united in sentiment, was nevertheless har.
monious in its affirmative action but proved
unequal to the enactment either OF such laws as
the public good required, or of such as the
zealots of faction demanded. While this Con.
.gress Therefore, has done less than was ex.
pected OF good, il has also done less of evil than
was feared. No Congress ever met under
welehtier responsibilities or with a broader
heid Tor permanent and transcendent useful.
ness; II 1t has not proved fully equal to the
emergency, 1t has still left the path compare
hyely unencumbcred for Its successor.
The Thirty ninth Congress was elected during
the final struggles of the nation against the
Rebellion. Naturally enough, it bore the marks
of that closing contest. The nation reused
itself TOR the supreme effort; it summoned to the
rescue all the patriotic passion, the iervld zeal,
the enthusiastic and uncomfortable determine.
tion OF the great body oil the American people.
The country decided anew, and once for all in
November, 1864, that the Rebellion should be
put down by force; and it elected President
Vice-Presldent, and a Congress pledged bv
their principles their history, aud their charac.
accomplishment OF that great end. But the end
was attained before the new Administration
assumed the power to which it thus succeeded
The war closed by the overthrow OF the Rebels,
and their unconditional surrender in April, 1865
and IL thus happened that upon Government
chosen, in both its Executive and legislative
departments, to prosecute a gigantic war, de.
Volyed the responsibility of restoring peace.
The fiery temper and hot resentmentS so well
adapted to the first OF these great duties were
in themselves scarcely conducive to the other:
and 1t is not surprising that difficulties OF yery
formidable character should have revealed
themselves during the progress of the work
Long before the war had closed President IIn
coin had torCseen the necessity OF preparing for
peace, and OF restoring the Rebel States TO their
practical relations to the Federal Government
He had decided upon the appointment of Pro.
Vlslonal Governors, by whom the machinery OF
state Governments should again be set in notion
and had used the power of amnesty and pardon
vested in hlm by the Constitution, as the
means OF creating basis Of voters for
that purpose. Upon his death, President
Johnson, continuing his Cabinet had also
continued his policy, and during the en-
suing summer had restored local Governments
IN all the Rebel States, secured free and com
plete acquiescence in the issue OF the war
reopened courts or luslice, restored to the mass
OF lhe people, upon compliance with the terms
he mad right to prescribe, the fundamental
right OF suffrage, and laid the basis Tor a speedy
restoration OF the Union and the complete re-
establishment of the authority of the Consritu.
1lon over all the Sfates aud Territories of the
United States. Nothing remained but the read.
mission OF the representatives from those States
70 their seats in Congress, uuder such repula.
tons and restrictions as the safety of the nation
might require; and this duty and responsibility
devolved solely and exclusively upon the + va
Houses of Congress
When Congress met in December it was found
that q very sharp and determined hostility to
the restoration policy OF President Lincoln as
developed by his successor, had sprung up in
the midst OF the Union party, and had been so
organized and disciplined in advance as to be
ready for instant action. 1t rested upon the
idea that the Southern States were conquered
provinces-the Southern people conquered sub.
lects--tAe property OF The South lawful spol of
War-that the right OF representation, and all
other constitutional rights, privileges, and i'm
munlties, had been forfeited by the States which
engaged IN the Rebellion, and that the power
OF Congress over all these rights and posses
slons was absolute and supreme-to be exer.
cised solely IN its own discretion, and upon
terms and conditions which 1t alone had the
rignt to prescribe. The right was claimed for
Congress, in which only the loyal States should
be represented, to reconstruct the Government
and Constitution OF the United States; and The
determination TO do this, in opposition to the
Executive policy of restoration OF the Union and
Constitution, already lnaugurated and in the
full tide OF success, was avoWeu at the very out
set OF the session.
The first step taken was the appointment of
the JOINT Committee on Reconstruction, into
whose hands each House of Congress sllrren.
dered its right of admitting members to seats
by jointly resolving that no member should he
admitted into either, until the Committee had
reported and both Houses should have taken
final action upon its report. The rest of the
session was spent by the Committee in taking
testimony touching the condition OF the Southern
States, the temper OF their people, the details of
CRIME, the action OF magistrates, and the general
character and tendency of their affairs No
member from any Southern State was admitted
or even allowed to bring his credentials to the
notice and Judgment OF either House, as they
were at once sent to the Committee on Recon-
struction. The local State Governments already
IN operation at the South were ignored-com-
munications from the Governors elected by
their people, under authority OF the Provisional
Governors appointed by the President being
refused nearing or even reception. Mean
time bills were introduced and referred to COM
mlttees, Tor erecting territorial governments
IN the Southern States for confscatlng
the real estate and other property OF the
southern people; Tor annulling the action of the
President in granting pardons; for excluding
IRON the exercise OF political rights the great
mass OF the Southern peoples for dividing among
the enfranchlsed slaves the lands of the Southern
planters; Tor conierring the elective franchise
upon the colored people of the Southern States,
and generally for accomplishing all such
changes IN the structure of our Government
and the condition OF the people in the whole
South, as the authors of these measures respec.
lively found most consistent with their ideas of
perfect model republic. Numerous amend.
ments OF the Constitution, some OF them OF the
most sweeping character, we're presented and
pressed upon the action of Congress and the
attention OF the country Resolutions were
adopted holding the Southern States under alb
solute military rule during the pleasure OF Con-
Sress, ana the general scope OF all the ATTEMPTED
acuon oil that body was to concentrate supreme
power over The States IN the Federal Govern
HANDS of Congress-
1t was soon fond that the President did not