The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-09-13
Win the next be Radical Congress ?

This is an interesting question. Judging
bv the results Of the elections just held in
Vermont and Maine, no one could answer
otherwise than affirmatively. But this is
not the worst view Of the case for even
with largo gains in New York and Penn
sylvania-of which there is really very 1T
tie prospect-Copgress would remain IN
the hands Of the Radical party. FoRSEfs
Philadelphia paper has figured out the re-
suit to suit itself precisely. According 70
that journal, which we suppose puts down
the figures correctly, the House OF Repre-
sentatiyes at the adjournment Of its last
session contained l47 Radicals ana 10
Democrats. Add all the southern men,
beers TO the list of Democrats, and the total
stands: Radicals, l47; Conservatives, IS.
Blu, leaving out the southern members, the
Radicals may lose in the fall elections
more members than the Democrats hope
10 gain, and yet have a majority, which is
all they want to enable them to keep the
southern representatives out of Congress-
But the Radicals fear that the President
will recognize the southern members and
the northern Democratic members as the
constitutional Congress in case these two
parties combined constitute larger body
than the Radical members alone. In or
der to bring about this state Of things, the
Democrats must gain members enough in
the northern States to overbalance all the
Radical members from the South. Ever
supposing that the President would ever
consent to take the course suggested
which he could only be induced to take by
an attempt to impeach him--we see al
present no reason to hope that the Conser.
natives will gain enough members in the
fall elections to put such weapon of de-
fence in his hands. We shall, perhaps,
gain some members in Maryland, Missouri,
Tennessee, and Kcntucky-of course VIC
shall in Kentucky-but the gains in the
northern States will be few and far be-
tween if present indications may be taken
as reliable.
As to the Senate, there is no reason
whatever to hope for any change for the
better. On the.contrary, it promises to be
more intensely Radical in the next Con-
gress than in the present.
These considerations prove the wisdom
OF JoHX C. CALHOUN, who was always so
anxious to protect the rights Of mi
noritics. Bnt they show state of things
which even his great mind never could
nayc imagined as one that could ever
possibly exist. The majority of the people
of the United States are, under the work
ings Of our system Of government, re-
duced to condition in which they are
powerlesS to protect themselves from
wrongs constantly committed upon them
bv the minority. There is no doubt in
the world that 4 majority of the voters in
the Union would if they had chance de-
eide that the Presidents policy should be
pursued. Add the votes in the South to
the Conservative strength in the North,
and there would be large majority in fa,
vor of this policy. But to make this
strength tell, is impossible. The Con.
servatives are outvoted in the North, and
the Presidents friends at the South are
not allowed to speak at all. When Mr.
JOHNSON was in Congress, he proposed t.
change the Constitution so as to allow the
people to vote for President without the
intervention of electors, and to let the
candidate be President who should re.
ceve the largest number of votes in the
entire Union. While this plan would be
utterly destructive to State rights, it
would just now operate beautifully; for
the unanimous vote Of the southern people
if added to the Conservative vote in the
North would carry the election for Presi-
dent easily. There is something wrong in
the system of government which thus al.
lows majority Of the people to be tram
pied down and kept under foot.
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