The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-01-06

| faui preaching tne IHHefdi aetHioH.
| General William Hickey, Chief Clerk OF the United
States Senate who had been in the employment OF that
body forty two years. died yesterday in Washington
| aged about seventy.
New Orleans despatch furnishes the very improbable
runor that John Srra OF the consraiors Of the
plot which resulted in the assassination of President Lin
coin recently made his escape from this country through
Texas.
The stock market unsettled and rather heavy
yesterday. Gold a shade hrmer and closed at l43H
There was no particular change in the complexion Of
commercial affairs yesterday Domestic produce was
dull and lower as a general thing but imported goods
were steady though quiet. The decline in gold is coun
terbalanced by the expected tariff revision and rates
rule firm. Cotton steady. Groceries were un
changed Petroleum was dull. On Change flour
duh and lower Wheat nominally lower Corn was
seadier Pork again lower Lard was easier
whskey continued dull and nominal.
The Rcassembiing or Congrcss-The Re-
publican Party and the Administra-
tion.
After their holiday recess Of q fortnight the
two houses of Congress. fresh from the people,
have returned to business. From their con-
ferences with their constituents we doubt not
that the members OF the dominant party are
better qualified than at the organization of the
House to shape their legislative measures
according to the prevailing public sentiment
of the country on all the great questions of the
day. The Southern reconstruction and resto-
ration policy of the Presidents Message, it
must now be apparent even to such visionary
radicals as Messrs. Sumner and Stevens, is in
great favor among the people, and that the
masses of both parties in the North desire the
restoration to Congress of the excluded States
in spirit Of liberality and confidence. and
without unnecessary delay upon matters Of
secondary importance.
With the abolition of slavery, however,
whereby one million six hundred thousand
Southern blacks, heretofore excluded, now
come within the representative population of
the South, some new regulation Of this matter
seems to be regarded by the republicans as a
question of primary importance. They hold
that the four millions of blacks in the South
should either have the right of suffrage or
should be excluded from an enumeration of
the people as basis for representation in Con-
s.oss. U-a-- IL. consultation ~ss is is all tho
Southern blacks must now be counted; while,
on the other hand, the power Of regulating the
elective franchise belongs not to Congress, but
to the several States. Hence the only way in
which Congress can reach these questions OF
negro suffrage and negro representation is
through an amendment Of the constitution.
Such an amendment has been already extern
sively discussed among the republican mem.
bers, and we are promised that il will shortly
be brought before the House in the form of q
proposition making the number OF voters in
each State the basis Of It's representation in the
popular branch OF Congress-
Upon this subject and the general subject OF
reconstruction, General Schenck, of Ohio. a
leading member OF the House, in bis late
speech n. Columbus, Ohio--published in yes
turday's iiRgALD--made known some very i'm
! portant facts ANA contemplated proceedings.
lie said, among other things that "you will
find that Congress will stand by the Prcsdent
and The President by Congress-" and that "ai
difficulties Will be overcomc;" that ..the Pres-
dent and Congress. standing together are de-
termincd that certain termsr of reconstruction
shall be complied with: that these terms en-
brace, first. thc constitutional amendment
abolishing slavery, already legally effected:
second, provision against The payment of rebel
debts; aud bird. constitutional amendment
basing representation in Congress on he vot-
ing population. This amendment, he insisted
SHOULD he adopted by threc-lourihs OF the loyal
States before admitting the other States. and
| requiring them to agree 10 IL: otherwise they
might defeat it. and ultimately gain such power
! as TO undo all that has been done 10 prevent
| repetition of the late disastcrs.'
But General Schcnck, who is more al home
in The Geld of politics than in the field OF battle
says be knows that The President * in favor OF
/ ibis amendment and believes thai majority
| OF Congress Is. He says, furthermore, chat the
committee 20 whom this subject was referred
will soon report: and that. IL the mcss sure is
adopted. the South, before the end OF the year.
will be prepared TO come into the arrange
menL Such declarations, from such a source.
are entitled to respect, and though we may
no. share in the apprchcnsious expressed by
! General sohenck concerning the south unless
bound 10 this condition. that condition and the
! other. in advance. we may safely conclude that
the constitutional amendment suggested is TO
become leading measure OF The present ses-
sion. TO show how far its agitation has already
extended in the republican camp IL is only
necessary 10 refer TO the recent message OF
Governor Cony TO the Maine Legislature, in
Y which he says that Gas a measure OF security 10
the nation The constitution Of the Union should
be 50 amended as to limit the right Of national
, representation 70 the legal number Of votes In
i each state DC.
his. hen. may be considered the leading
icswe oi The Congressional programme Of
S9u.Aern resioration--a constitutional amend
mont sc'uiug ine Negro suffrage question by