The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-26
The Decentralization OF the Present Com
RIess-A Change Demanded.

From the Herald.
The present Congress, like the "Praise-God
BarehOnes Par rBament' of the old English
Koundheads, is destined, we fear TO leave be-
hind 1t any thing but good reputation. 1t has
given us all tLe professions and pretenses of
plety and patriotism OF the old remorseess
Puritan fanatic; but il has also betrayed his
hypocrisy, deceptloDs, and utterly selfish de-
signs. The crop-haired Massachusetts, conven.
ticIe, with that peculiar and godly nasal twang
of the Pilgrim Fathers, which resolved "First.
that the earth is the Lords, and the fulness
thereof; secondly, that the saints shall inherit
the earth; and, thirdly and lastly, that we are
the saints" appear to have laid down the
platform VIII Gu the dominant party of this
Congress adopted with their first preliminary
caucus In December last, and seem determined
to DIE by.
Thus, IN the caucus organization of the two
houses, pretty broad issue was raised against
President johnson and his Southern restoration
policy before anything was known OF the par
ucular views, measures, and recommendations
embodied LII his annual message. When tle
message appeared 1t commanded universal
respect al hone and abroad. Not even the
most lmplacabIe radicals could find anything IN
1t upon which to hang an accusation of treach-
cry or bad faith against its author. While
organized against him at first, aud IN perfect
contempt OF his laboTs in the way of Southern
reconstruction, the radical majority still flat
tered themselves that, with skilful handling
this apparently sell-wIlied Tennessee tailor
could be more easily managed than the mild
but Iesolute Illinois Iail-spliter. But some
lnklings from the White House on the district
negro suffrage movement first set rough
edge on the teeth OF the radicals; and then the
veto OF that FreeGmen's Bureau bill of abomina-
ons swept away their shallow pretenses of
ConCil alton and harmony.
From that day to this the wrath of the radicals
against Mr.. johnson has been manifested on
every available occasion and with still increas-
ing bitterness, until at length, as in the late
Maine Republican State Convention, as if the
vocabulary ct denunciations were exhausted
we find President johnson and his policy as
completely ignored as the administration of
John Tyler The pretense of supporting John
son and Congress at the same time has simply
been dropped as game which has been played
out.
The violent denunciaticns of the radicals of
this Congress, however, have done a world of
mischief IN the generalization OF the Republi-
can party in both Houses. What else could be
expected, when men become sufficiently demo-
ralzed themselves as representatives of the
American people, to vIlliiy and denounce the
as a usurper who, il he had fourished in the
place of Charles the First, of England, would
have met the same fate; or who can deliberately
abuse him by the hour, after the style of IngeT-
soll OF Illinois, as "a traitor" "a miserable pre-
tender" "a renegade" "a deserter to the
enemy" etc? Nor is it surprising that from
their abuse o. the President (and all of it under
the Speakers indulgence) they should turn to
abusing each other, or the opposition members
around them, or any one else happening to come
in their way. Nor is 1t to he wondered at that
these billngseate amusemeDts In the HOuse
should lead to such dsgraceful scenes OF per-
sonal violence outside as the affair between
Rousseau and Grnnell.
The ''barbarism of slavery" before the Rebel
lion was the scapegoat upon which were packed
all the vicious habits, scenes, and characters
turning up in Congress. But now that slavery
is gone and the ''slave power" is unrepresented
how are we to account Tor the scandalous dolngs
which now so frequently occur in both houses?
We can furnish only this eXplanation:-T
the dominant party in Congress, like the old
| Democratic party in the epoch of its extreme
corruption and decline and lall, has become so
far demoraliZed by the spoils and public plum.
! der and lust Tor power, as 10 be Indifferent TO
| the rules OF official decorum, and reckless of
1 the consequences of the means employed to
| obtain its ends. Is such Congress as this to
I be respected? Are such dlsgraceful scenes as
! those VIII ch have marked this session. espec laly
| in the House OF Representatives, to pass unre-
| buked by the people? 1t IS for the people now
to consider and il will be for them to determine
in the coming Northern State elections.
new House OF Representatives OF new men
fresh from the people, is greatly needed to cheek
the eXcesses and revolutionary tendencies of
the radicals If we can have no change in the
prevailing radical ideas of CONGRESS- in the inter-
val to the next Presidential election, and it is
very probable that after it the people will not
be N uch troubled with elections requiring their
judgment in reference to the policy Of the Gov
ernment or the heir to the next succession.
We must have a revolution at the polls, or we
Govenn ent, moving 1t beyond the reach OF the
people save at the point OF the bayonet.