New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-09-18
PTEiL HOUSES.

RIVAL HOUSES.
Tie " Y Tiinos saw fit to warn It's readers Of
prospective collision between two rival bodies, each
claiming to be the House Of Representatives. This
collision was to be induced as follows:
full House Of Representatives consists Of 2il
members, making l2l a quorum. Of these the ten
States which plunged into Secession and Rebellion,
and lave not yet been rehabilitated are entitled say
to So leaving 1871 to the remaining States. Let these
States choose 100 to 40 Republican, nionsts, with
so to 90 Conservatives" and the latter Git was
threatened) would unite with the men chosen from
the lately insurgent States, making large quorum,
and organizing by themselves; and, being so organ
lied, President johnson would recognize this as the
true House. ignoring that constituted by quorum Of
the unqucstioned members as bogus, and thus iGau-
guratug anarchy if not immediate civil war; And
this prospect was held out by Tde Times a. a reason
for choosing Conservative TO Congress.
1t seemed to US to afford the most cogeni reasons
for m exactly opposite course. If those who claim
to be Conservative" propose TO inaugurate anarchy
and civil war; by deiying the laws Of the land, they
surely ought not to be intrusted with power For
peace the great majority insist on; aud they know
that peace is to be maintained only by obedience to
law. So we repeatedly demanded that the Editor OF
The TIMES should declare in case he shall be rC5cc
ed to the House phich Of he .rO contemplated Houses
thus organized he proposes 10 take scat m.
This question, after days of silence he is goaded
into noticing; first denying that he is candidate for
the House (which, though not yetfonmay nominated,
he ISL and proceeding TO say:
But we have no wish stand etiquette We presume
Sr Raymond In The case Which I !sf s'.t 10 sese.
i rispg ar has thus for acted IN conformity 20 law
advised body else to do the same and We see
nothing the condition or prospect OF public Affairs likely to
induce or incline him TO DO otherwise
Yes, Sir: but when you try TO fdghten people
into electing Conservatives by conjuring up
prospect Of anarchy and civil throU gh their organ
izing bogus Congress in defiance Of "existng law"
you compel rs to ask how you propose TO act in
regard to such fresh rebellion.
The Times proceeds:
we desire as we have already stated the danger
possibility Il such conflict Of authority the
supposed entirely averied.'
Very good: so do We Ard the sure way to do
this is TO elect iHdspHtaJie quorum Of Republican,
Unionis Only let us have 2l of these returned land
we have 100 in the present House, and the game
of Secession is blocked-you can't make bogus
House il you try. The 80 from unrestored States
cannot make q House unless 60 Conservatives" are
chosen from the loyal States to help them do it. So
the way clear to render the approhended conflict Of
authority impossible.
The Times concludes "a follows:
I'VE wish the present Congress wond at admif or
declare its purpose admit loyal members from loyal states
VINO can tskc he ooth PfeseIDed oy aW we oe 70 De
r,menis Of the Constitution 10 take th which we
regard moreover as better calculated than ony
store peace and harmony the Union and all The
peril, which the country. Why does TIE TRIBUNE
oppose it =
VIII. I'll, T..,,s borc o1ls l. siu,uIv this.
l. That Congress shall have voice in settling the
conditions Of reconstruction and the guarantees against
future rcbellions The President has imposed such
conditions he thinks proper, and Congress must
accept and ratfy these without question. In other
words the President alone must settle the terms
wherein the States lately in revolt shall resume their
repudiated position in the Union.
9 The loyal Blacks of the South shall have exactly
such rights as the Whites mainly Rebel shall choose
to give them. Congress shall have no say in the
premises and the Blacks must fare as their murderers
at Fort Pillow, Memphis and Now-Orleans, shall de-
cree. We cannot agree TO this.
As to admitting "loyal members from loyal States
who can take the oath prescribed by law, we could
assent to this if the loyal people of the South were al
lowed to vote since they not the talk of loyal
members" and loyal States" does MT signify. While
the butchers of New-Orleans and Memphis vote, and
their victims have no voice in the Government, we
have faith in the loyalty of the former The Rebel
lion was but a more logical, systematic assertion of
the doctrine, "This is a White mans Government"
as embodied in the bred Scott decision and Stephens
cornerstone" speech at Savannah While a Rebel
adhcres to the mistaken Observation-Disclosures that made
him Rebel, we would MT give button for his
"loyal" OATH Have Mt we already L. S. Senator
Patterson who has taken the "loyap' oath, when
all know that he was a Rebel functionaryl We lay
more stress on Rebels acts than on his oaths.
We want peace and harmony restored; we want
every State represented in Congress- but we want
first full security that loyal people, White or Black,
shall have full protection 9 their rights of person and
property. The very least we consent to take is
the ratification of the Constitutional Amendment
passed by Congress; let the South assent to this and
resume the privileges she forfeited by rebellioni
though we should much prefer the shorter simpler
basis of Universal Amnesty. Impartial suf-
frage Admitting "loya Members from loyal
States who can take the oath prescribed by law
(Which most Of those elected from the South cannoD
would settle nothing. but merely change the subject
of agitation II is - proper that those who we're