Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-05-23
THE SITUATION.

Respecting "Reconstrucsion," matters
are We, undecided; and have not even
entirely passed from the hands Of Com
mi,tees to the Congress public. Besides
the series Of Constitutional amendments
which are, or were at last dates concern
ing them, in the hands OF Senate branch
Of the Reconstruction Committee-there
are numerous distinct propositions for
laws and Constitution. alterations that are
to be pressed from certain influential quar-
tiers, as essential to q perfect programme
for the re-admission or the new recognition
Of the lately rebellious States. And Stew
ar, has gwen full notice, or timely warn
ing, that he intends to revamp the
Amendments which recently passed the
House; and transpose from them to a
law, and from a before contemplated law
to them +; and beside all this to urge the
passage Of a bill which shall not be a law
until it has independent State sanctions.
When it is remembered that Congress-
neither house thereof, is likely to adopt
any measure of great policy" Importance,
unless there can be q two-thirds vote for
the same. and as they cannot adopt a Con-
s,itutional provision for submission to the
States without a t~wo-thirds vote, the
significance Of the present opposition OF
any Senator who has contributed to the
passage Of the Civil Rights bill, is mani
testify considerable. II seems rational to
believe that If Thad. Stevens would have
agreed to the omission of the third section
of the Reconstruction Committees report
ed Amendments, the balance Of their pro-.
positions would now be before the coun-
try. But right here is another illustration
Of the ,mprobability of a speedy adjust
ment Of the new National questions.
And now it is strictly in place for jour
mails who have taken and preserved the
position tina, has the News during the
pas, few months, to inquire exactly what
isto-day meant by Supporting Congress-
They who were so ready in denouncing
the President, if they have any candor at
all, mus, confess that just now they have
nothing to hurrah about. The leaders OF
the Radicals" are themselves at logger
heads, and as between them there is no
telling what mutually bestowed yitupcra.
ton may be brought forth. 1t appeareth
that there be Presidents" in Congress, as
well as in the White House. There is as
much dictation about the former as can
be charged against the latter. And
what have we beheld: A series Of Con-
stitu,ional Amendments passed the Lower
House VIGOROUSLY by the help Of Copper
heads and that aid extended for the OBJ
vious and undeniable purpose of ultimate
ly killing the propositions! Few will
deny that if the third section in the Com
mi,tee's Amendments" had been stricken
out, as many Republicans desired it should
be, it would have passed the Senate i'm
mediately, and have been forthwith placed
before the Legislatures Of the respective
States. But No; Thaddeus must have
his way, though the heavens fall. And
the par excellence supporters Of Congress
are in the condition of being obliged to
supper, the Copperheads IN Congress, as
well as the extremists o: u W party.
No one is TO blame for their predicament
but themselves. They have insisted
throughout, that a msjority-much more
two-thirds-of a House Of Congress could
do no wrong. And for the past three
months, every act of President Johnson has
been attributed to the meanest Of motives
that could be dragged to the counte in
explanation" of his conduct.
There is another manner in which this
whole proceeding, denominated so loftily,
Supporting Congress" may be and should
be viewed. Men are elected to the Sem
ate and 10 the House Of Representatives
on platforms, that are supposed to be
equally ineligible TO them and to their
supporters. In vindication Of their char
acter as correct Representatives Of the
people, they have only to live up to the
letter and spirit Of the Instructions and
bond of their platform" We say the
spirit as we'll as ~"letter'' Of their cleo
tive creed; for in time Of war especially
new emergencies may rise, unforeseen, I'M
expected at the date Of their nominations,
in and upon which they are in honest duty
called to vote as the principle-basis OF
their ticket-in the new light OF
present issues-indicates they should do.
The march of human events may have
gone far beyond the anticipations of the
electors Of a year ago; and yet there may
be explicit command gathered from the
general tenor of last years platform,
pointing the road Of right, in obedience to
popular will. Or, on the contrary, this
Exigencies may have arisen demonstrating
that the letter of party planks is to be
disregarded, in order that the spirit Of the
promise to the elec,ing majority be carried
GU, in due and formal legislation. Or
the popular mind may have so absolutely
and palpably changed on main doctrines
of yesterday, as to contradict their once
esteemed worth and propriety. And
then rises the question as to the authority
of the representative to judge for himself
entirely, or to vary his course to suit the
latest gale from his constituents. At the
seat Of Government, he has opportuni-
ties for understanding Federal affairs that
folks at home have not, cannot claim to
have. and. in reason, do not assume to
possess. Surely something was left to
his judgment, on such a condition Of af-
fairs as is here stated. If not, then a
vote by the people on every Bill and
Constitutional Amendment should be sub
mitted to the people Of the represented
District. or the specially canvened Legis-
lature of every Senator's States This
n