The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-02-04


up.
RADICAL TRIUMPH IN THE SENATE.-The radi-
Gals In the Senate at Washington, under tho
lead Of Sumner and Wade, have been laboring
for month past to secure the reference of the
credentials of the Southern representatives 10
the Committee on Reconstruction. Every effort
failed until last Monday. On that day they
renewed their attack, and were successful.
The certificates of the Senators elected from the
Southern States, therefore, now 60 to the Joint
Committee. This means that no represents
lives from the Southern States are to be adj
mitted during this session. Thus the con-
trolling minds of the extreme faction are
gradually carrying their points, and each day
weaving their net around the President and
tying his hands, all by gauging their action in
manner that the Executive is not permitted
to say yea or nay in regard to it How long
does President johnson intend to sit quietly
by and permit this kind Of work to 30 ont At
The present rate the radicals will soon have
him completely in their power.
The mode Of treating the application OF We
Southern representatives on the part Of Con-
gress is plain and simple. Congress, under
the constitution, is the Judge Of the qualilica-
ton of its own members. Bot, houses should,
under this authority, examine closely the
record and standing of every person applS,ng
for seats from the late rebellious States. The
not the Joint Reconstruction Committee. II
in this examination only six representa-
lives from all the Southern States have o
clean, loyal record, admit them, and reject all
the Others. If there is but one man among the
whole lot who remained true to the Union dur
ing the war, then admit that one man and reject
all the balance. If man remained firm against
all the pressure that was brought to bear upon
him during the existence of tho rebellion he
certainly can be trusted in Congress now. He
should be at once admitted, and the others sent
home for the people to send men who have not
been disloyal in their place. It may be said
that the Southern people will return set Of
men in their places equally obnoxious. If they
do, all that Congress has to do in the premises
is to refuse to receive them. If the South are
in earnest in their desire to return to the bene-
fits Of the Union they will not long persist In
sending disloyal men to represent them if Con-
gress pursues this course. There is no better
way of testing the honesty of their professions
than this Nor can there be any better guaran-
tees for the future than by Congress establishing
the policy of admitting Union men only, and
rejecting those who took part in the rebellion
against the government. The policy now pur-
sued strengthens the old secession party in the
South and places the Union men at the mercy
of that class. Suppose for instance, that Con-
gress rejected the men claiming seats from Vir-
ginia, who were disloyal during the war, and
continued to do so, yet at the same time 81
mitfed the Union men who applied from other
States, how long would it be before the people
Of Virginia would send such men a. John
Minor Bolts to represent them?
CRoroN WATER AND THE UNDERGRoUND Rail-
RoAD.-The reply Of Mr.. Craven, the Chief En-
gineer Of the Croton Aqueduct Department Of
this city, TO resolution Of the State Senate In
quiring as 10 the practicability OF conductings
railroad under Broadway we think has settled
that question, and we trust VIII put the final
quietus on that visionary scheme. He has
shown it impossible to construct Q road in that
form without disconnecting the main water
pipe through the city, and thus cutting of the
supply of water from a large portion of the
It WILDE impossible to construct
that road while the pressure of water Is on the
pipes, for the simple reason that the moment
the earth Is removed below the water main the
foundation is disturbed, and the least settling
will cause a break in the pipe, which will in
fct inestimable damage before IT can be
stopped. The numerous breaks which have
heretofore taken place at the upper end Of
Fifth avenue, from the sinking of the Croton
pipe, show conclusively this fact To be SUBJ
jected TO this risk for one, two or three years
our people will be willing to endure. The
only possible way that the work can be car
ried out is by disconnecting the water pipes;
and this will cut of all supply of Croton from
o large portion Of the ethyl All manufactures
will have 10 stop operations, and, in fact, many
classes of business will be brought to stand
still, 10 say nothing of the loss by fire which
will surely follow, laying the entire lower por-
ton Of the city in ashes. The benefits of an
railroad, when completed, will
hardly compensate for this damage to the city.
Even If 1t is finally carried into practical
operation, what will an underground railroad
be worth with all the lower portion Of the city
in It's construction Chief Engineer
Craven has shown the scheme to be an imprac-
ticable one, and we hope that the Albany solons
will now give It the go-by, and 60 to work upon
some practical measure for the relief of Broad
way.
AEorHER MILITARY MAN ON THE CONDITION
pY THE SOUTHERN PEoPrE.-General Sherman