Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-04-17
GOOD TIME TO ADJUST MATTERS AT
WASHINGTON

GOOD TIME TO ADJUST MATTERS All
WASHINGTON.
There seems, for the present, to be sort Of
truce existing at Washington between those
who for the past two or three months have
been actively opposing one another; the Presi-
dent and his immediate adherents on one
side, the majority in Congress upon the other
Satisfied apparently with the signal triumph
gained in passing the Civil Rights bill over
the veto of the President, those who achieved
it seem disposed to rest upon their laurels;
whilst so far as the President is in the case,
he appears very little, if at all disturbed by
the result, satisfied, apparently that in his
hands, as the executor of the law, the Govern
ment will not be revolutionized, or the pros
perity Of the nation suffer.
This is as it should be; for every good citi-
zen must, after the terrible turmoil that has
been witnessed, be glad to see acquiescence;
quiet; Difference to the wishes of the ma
jority prevail. And if-further-we could
only be returned to that permanent peace and
quiet and harmony of which the nation has so
long been deprived, there would be a thousand
fold cause for rejoicing, delight unspeakable
to all sick Of strife and public disturbances.
For one, we only wish that as between Con
gress and the President there might never be
another cause of disagreement Whelmed as
the nation is in the gravest endorsements in
relation to both its foreign and domestic
policy, 1t needs that all who have the direc-
ton of public affairs should pull earnestly to-
gether, if we are ever to be extricated from
the troubles that beset us. Our troubles are
serious enough even, with Europe at peace
But with the prospect which now seems immi-
nent of the most serious European complica-
tons, to fail of having harmony here at home,
is to expose ourselves to numberless en-
barrassments, which might readily be escaped
did we stand as one people before the other
nations of the earth.
We do not believe the President desires to
be captious, needlessly obstinate or that he
intends to forego the lessons of the late ter
rible conflict. No matter what may be sur
missed by those who have never heartily con-
fded in him, we do not believe that it is his
purpose to compose our difficulties, to concede
to the late rebel States any faster than the best
interests of the Republic would seem to Justify
We cannot believe, that with his antecedents,
the record he has made, that he can purpose
to form any coalition for a continued lease of
power with men who up to the time of his
advent to his high office, hated him with an
earnestness for which there is hardly parallel
That he has disappointed all parties is very
plain-the disloyal by his unexpected elem
ency, the whole country by failure to act in
entire harmony with the majority in Congress.
And yet if we look to the origin of the dis
trust manifested towards him, after his decla-
ration of a desire to make ''treason odious.'
we shall find that one of the first things for
which he was blamed was for not bringing GER
tain of the leading conspirators against the
Government to trial and condign punishment,
something's is plain-which should be
shared with other leading members of the
Union party. Judged severely for this, in ad-
vance of other action, he only needed to fol-
low with anything like fidelity the forgiving
policy of his lamented predecessor and what
could have been most readily overlooked in
Mr.. Lincoln, was with his supposed stern at
tributes at once attributed to other and in
terested political motives, forming with thou
sands in this regard the absolutely unforgive-
able sin.
Besides, it must be conceded, that never in
the history of this or any nation was a ruler
placed in a more difficult position. 1t was the
policy of Mr.. Lincoln and Mr. Seward through
out, to concliate European governments, to
do nothing so extreme as to be denied the
sanction of the nations abroad and who does
not know, that Of this same forbearance on
numberless occasions, that to this was the
country largely indebted for the emancipation
proclamation, and other measures to which
we finally owed much of our success Com
PEELED measurably to follow the same line
of policy, we repeat-who does not know that
had he followed out the stern programme
enunciated in the heat Of his anger at the out
break of the rebellion, had he gone in for
executions and confscations in the merciless
manner some would have advised, who does
not feel, we say, that he would have been de-
nounced by the whole world of humanity as a
monster OF. cruelty, and unfit to be the Chief
Magistrate of free Republic popular gov
eminent like this?
In regard to all these difficulties, he has had
but little consideration shown him, because of
all men, politicians are the least forgiving or
the least temperate in the expression of their
wrongs. And the question occurs
whether with all these things in view, he has
not done quite as well as the difficulties sur
rounding him have permitted? Not believing
he has the slightest purpose to form coalition
with his old antipodes-the copperheads-
not doubling his high purpose to adhere to
the great party as whole which elected him,
we would urge all to wait with patience and
see whether now that there is a lull at Wash
1ngton in the sharp controversies of the past
few weeks, both sides will not be inclined to
ADJUST matters. We do not believe in feuds
and fierce controversies amongst friends, and
we believe that the Union party needs for its
success every element of strength it can mus
ter. Let one more effort be made then to adj
just difficulties, let US have that unity which
existed in its ranks when the Union armies
were yet in the field.