The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-03-12
The Danger of Our Present Position.

From the Herald
Congress Is uncertain of its position, its duties,
its powers. 1t is full Of tactious, restless,
revolutionary spirit. 1t seems to have thrown
away the old government-to have cut loose
from the Constitution. Great wars necessarily
suspend the operation OF law to a certain ex-
tent and Justify the use of extreme or doubtful
powers; but wise legislature would lose no
opportunity to relinqush doubtful position
that it had assumed for the public good, and
take once more its natural place In the circle of
government Congress, on the contrary, is de-
termined not to relmquish the position that the
war gave It, Its whole struggle is to hold that
position, and to prevent, by every means, o
return to the harmonious, quiet, natural opera
ton of the old system. Its revolutionary dispo-
sitiOn and purpose is most clearly seen in its
propositions to change the Constitution OF the
country.
Some thirty or forty amendments are before
ii which, if adopted, would completely do away
with the system under which the United States
have been SO prosperous, and would change our
Government in nearly every feature. Congress
assumes that the Constitution is a nulity. 1t
ignores the constitutional distribution of powers.
1t has taken the position OF the Supreme Court,
to interpret the Contribution by party vote. 1t
has made its Central Directory-its infamous
Committee of Filteen-an executive to super
sede the President. IL has threatened TO impeach
him also. In all ways II assumes superiority to
the law, and Is not Congress under the Constl-
tuition, but a faction governing in defiance OF
that instrument.
Ii is from tins very point in their history that
free governments tumble into despotism. At
some weak hour when, for some cause or an
other, faction prevails and law is superseded,
and faction daily grows worse till political
chaos seems imminent, then some strong hand
selZes al, and an unscrapulous leader gains the
confidence OF the people by putting the factions
under his foot, and little later, in virtue OF
that very confidence, puts liberty in the same
place. This is the history OF a thousand repub.
lies taken from that very point in their career al
which we now stand in ours. The fall begins
when faction supersededes the government and
partisan passion takes the place of law
This was the history of liberty In Rome, In
France and in England. Faction made Rome
ready Tor Cesar; faction in the Long Parliament
prepared the way for Cromwell, and faction in
France made Napoleon inevitable. 1t is the same
series of facts in every case. 1t is law OF ma
tiopal life, and we will not be exempted from il
unless there is somethiLg in us different from al
other nations. The people are the only hope
They are certainly more intelligent and more
free, and their influence is more direct than il
other countries. Their. intelligence, their pa
trlotlsm, and their freedom is what we mus
count upon for the hope that the factions will b
put down by power not inimical to freedom
by the vote Of the whole people, and not by al
ambitious leader ready 10 become despot.