The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-06
A Strong Minority Greatly Needed.


From the Times.
The minority in Congress becomes alarmingly
small. The opponents of the President are wei
come to make all out of the admission they
please. In times Of panic, in the crisis of revo
luton, in the hour when men are clutching-
not for party triumph or permanent party as
cendancy but for national existence, over
whelming maiorities supply the only hope for
national unity. 81. - . r
But after passion has subsidized, and national
become conlounded with party victories, there
arises the equally important crisis which men
devoted TO freedom of speech and freedom of
political action most dread.
We Americans may be founding freer system
on this continent than other nations have ever
known. But the thing has to be proven.
Neither thinking men among ourselves, nor
Weltdlsposed strangers OF the higher order
abroad, Will accept our mere assertion as a
phllosophic maxim. There is danger of the
party OF Grand moral ideas" becoming the
party OF absoluusm, and there is all the greater
danger that our people are more religious in
their habits, more obseryant OF the strict SER
wees OF public worship, and more intolerant of
n07l.pT0teSSoTS," than any people in the world
An unscrupuloUs sectional majority may
readily, and with temporary success use this
element to carry out their partisan purposes
without any conscience as to the present, or
consideration for the future. And as long as
we have O republican government it will pro-
badly be hard to make any headwaY against
what appears to the large religious community
among us to be the abstract path Of justIcc-no
matter what may be the obstacles lying in that
path.
The great political problem seems to be gra-
dualiy resolving into this:-Whether minortIes
in republic ought to have any rights. The Pre-
sidCnt has been quietly cherishing the idea that
they have certain rights. But the President evi-
IDENTIFY cannot be right, If the majority are also
right. Thus ii is that those who desire to see
this republic strong, not only IN It's central au-
oil -, rio1
which is welded by the National Government
but strong a'so-and doubly strong-ln the
affections OF the ,chote. people, are eager
to see an end to this sectional strife.
II cannot be maintained Longitude it
from ourselves as we may, without inviting
foreign notice-mayhap, foreign insolence.
| Where are we to-day, unless this last prdclama-
| tion Of Andrew johnson is truth, and solid
truth? Answer us: If the idotic sneers of the
| foolish Tribune are true; if Andrew johnson
has proclaimed Union where there is only mu-
| tual malice, envy, and all uncharitableness,
| what it this republic worth in this year of
grace? Tell us: II this solemn declaration of
| the Executive is affirmed TO be a lie-how much
| stronger, in view OF possible complications with
| foreign powers, is tins country to-day than it
| was two years ago? No one doubts the posi-
| bility OF making such a clean sweep of the Op-
| position benches in Congress, as would make
| legislation mere matter for partisan commit
| tees. But many-very many-do doubt the
| eXpedency or the wisdom OF creating direc-
| tory whose DEGREES shall permanently override
alike the constitutional veto of the Executive
and the solemn decisions of the Supreme
Court.
| In such a crisis as this there is nothing that
concerns thoughtful men so deeply, so intensely,
| as the erights OF the minority in and out OF Con-
gress. The national question found its solution
in an appeal to arms. Great political lines have
now to be drawn anew. We cannot maintain
issues which are no longer presentable. And
those who win, for the moment, by mere par.
tlsan effort, win most assuredly be losers in
| the end,