The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-09
THE TWO RIVAL CONGRESSES.

FROM We independent
The late elections have determined the roll
list of the Fortieth Congress. The interval be
tween the elections and the lst of December is
to determine the temper OF the Thirty-ninth.
The Fortieth Congress will have little to tax its
craftsmanship if the Thrty-nnth shall do its
duty. It is in the power of the unexpired
Congress, at its remaining session, to rob its
successor, in advance, of the immortal honor of
reconstructing the Union on the basis of equal
rights. Whether or not it shall evince the wis
dom and fidelity adequate to the great occasion,
must depend, in some degree, on the character
of its members, but to a greater degree on the
popular will during the next thirty or sixty days
If senators and Representatives now at home
and mingling with their constituents, are made
to understand that their next winters work
must not, and shall not be degraded into
compromise of the great principle of political
equality, they will cheerfully go to Washington
to do what their own hearts have long prompted
them to do, and what they would long ago have
done except 'tor fear of the peoplen But we
solemnly believe that Congress has, for a wear
past, underyalued the popular conscience. The
people has been in advance of Congress, in de-
manding justice, for many months past Nor
can the people be charged with opposing them
selves as an obstacle between Congress and im-
partial suffrage. The failure to make impartial
suffrage the policy of reconstruction rests upop
Congress alone, not upon the people; torlf Con-
gress had adopted this policy the people would
nave ratified it-just as they ratified Abraham
LlnColn's proclamation of emancipation
But IL the popular will was misunderstood bv
CONGRESS during its first session, let it not be
misunderstood during the second. Let public
meetings, let the conversation of the streets LET
the multudinous sheets of the press, let the
solemn appeals of the pulpit, everywhere swell
the voice by which the free and victorious
North shall command the national legislature
to conform its plan OF reconstruction to liberty
and justice, to the Christian religion ald the
golden rule, to peace on earth and goodwill
towards men.
which nation coins its Will into law. Congress-
is like ball on a iountain-it will rise lust as
high as the popular impulse lifts it. The popu-
Lar impulse az this moment is sufficient to lit it
to the height of impartial suffrage. If to.mor-
rows newspapers should announce the recon
struction of the Union on the basis of impartial
suffrage, as fact accomplished, bontres would
be ed IN the streets, bells rung in the stee-
Piles, and cheers given from million throats.
Alter the bitter cost of the w3r, the people
demand compensating equivalent in the re-
construction But is any settlement short of
equal and exact justice a compensating euutva.
lent? II the black lOyasts OF the South are TO
be lett disirancnlsed, while the white disloy-
alists are to outrank them in citizenship, will
not the enemies of the country be exalted over
its friends? Will such a reconstruction stand?
Can it receive the verdict of just men? May it
hope for the favor of Almighty God? Nay,
shall such q reconstruction be made? 1t shall
Timid statesmen and halt.hearted Republicans
may agree to pretend that the Constitutional
amendment is q just and final settlement But
they deceive themselves. The Constitutional
amendment is not just and, therefore, shall
not be final settlement.
The Southern loyalists openly call the amend
ment mockery, If considered as the ultmatum
to the Rebels. So far as any local conventions
or general committees Of the Republican party
have undertaken to pledge that party to the |
Constitutional amendment as the touch stone of
readmlssion, they have promised what they will |
prove impotent TO fulfil. The Republican party |
is cedar of Lebanon on whose boughs not one |
of these wthered and dead promises will hang |
next December. An unfettered Congress will |
then meet, fresh from long vacation, and ex-
pected to do its duty.
Its leading members cherish the secret wish |
to make impartial suffrage the golden gate of |
readmssion. 1t remains to be seen whether |
they will have the courage to stand or fall by |
their conscientious convictions. From now iii |
the first day of winter, 1t will be the duty of |
the people to breathe the breath of life into the
nostrils of their Representatives before they 90 |
to Washington. Meanwhile, let 1t be under. |
stood that the Thirty-ninth Congress is to be |
allowed no excuse for not completing the work |
of reconstruction so far as to leave to the |
FoItieth no other share than simply to Join in
the general thanksgiving over the proclama- |
tion of Equal Rights to All.