Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-30
THE wan ON THE CONSTITUTION.
CONGRESS TRAMPLEs UPON THE
RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE.
THE RADICAL SCHEME FURTHER
DEVELOPED.


The Radical programme to displace the
present Government of the United States,
and to institute a strange one in its place is
being developed in Congress as rapidly a.
circumstances viii permit They now pro-
pose TO themselves to eject from the Con-
gress enough of their opponents to secure to
themselves tBo-thirds vote upon all meas
ures which they deem important in the pros
ecution Of their schemes. A few DAYS ago
STEVENS decreed that ID. w. VOORHEES,
should no longer occupy the seat which his
constituents awarded to him. The Commit
tee on elections have more recently reported,
under the spur on the heel Of STEVENS, that
JAMES Brooks should not longer offend by
his presence, and obstruct by his labors the
efforts Of the Radicals to overthrow the Cons
stitution, or further impede their new and
untried political system. He will soon fol-
low his co-Representatiye from Indiana in
his exit from the National Councils. So far
as it lies in their power, the Radicals are
resolved to expel from Congress all obSta-
Giles to the successful prosecution of their
atrocious designs-and are proceeding with
high, and, al present, an unrestrained
hand.
More recently the Senate has directed its
laborsto the same end. The first case on
their records is that of Senator STOCKTON,
of New Jersey. His right to a seat in that
body was so palpable and clear, that the
Senate refused to entertain fayorably the
suggestion to turn him out; but that was
found to initiate against the possible success
of the deep-laid conspiracy to rob theSouth-
ern States and people of their rights and
liberties under the Constitution, and is now
undergoing reconsideration. As to some Of
the merits of this particular case, and as
giving some of the salient points in the radi-
cal programme, we append the following
extract from the latest letter to the Cinein-
natl Commercial, from its Washington cor
respondent:
"a few DAYS more will, l think, furnish proof
that was not mistaken in what l said in my last
letter as to the programme OF operations agreed
upon by the Radicals fot the sake Of securing
tWo-thirds vote in the Senate. II embraces the
unseating of Mr.. Stockton, of New jersey, and
the immediate election of a Radical in his stead,
and the Reconsideration OF the vote Tor the adns-
sion of Colorado, the Senators elect from this new
Estate" having bargained to wear the Radical
collar in consideration Of their pay and mileage.
The Senate, at present, consists OF nifty members.
Of these. thirty four are necessary to pass eons
tutioHal amendment, or override veto, IN full
Senate.
Taking the vote on the Freedmen's Bureau veto
as the criterion, and presume the lines were as
tightly drawn then as they are likely to be on any
other question, Thirty to eighteen, with one Rad
ical and one Democrat absent, making the vote
really thirty-one to nineteen,) the Radicals have
three conversions" TO make TO carry their point.
They have already made one in the person OF Mr..
Stewart, Of Nevada, which puts the vote now; IN
a full Senate, thirty-twO to eighteen. When they
Gust Mr.. Stockton, they will have thirty two to
seventeen, and when his successor Is elected thlr-
ty-three TO seventeen. Then, when they ADMIT
Colorado they viii have all they desire, and will
rejoice in thirty-ive TO fifteen. People who ex-
pect the Senate TO admit Tennessee or any other
Southern State during the present session, VIII
please bear in mind that it might possibly disturb
the harmony Of the Radical arrangements. 1t
would certainly interfere with the plans the Rad
icals have perfected at great sacrifice OF prnci-
pie and labor TO secure a twO-thlrds vote.
The case of Mr.. Stockton is now under dis
cussOn in the Senate-if you can call anything
discussion which is buif the carrying out Of
the merits of the case have nothing whatever TO
do. 1t was not until week or two ago that the
the Radicals began to question the validity of Mr.
Stockton's election. He had been here since the
commencement of the session, his case had been
referred to the Judiciary Committee six members
out of seven of which had reported in its favor,
the dissenting one being Mr.. Clark, of New
Hampshire But recently it was found that some
thing must be done to weaken the opposition side,
and Mr. StOcktons case was thought TO afford
good opening.
Mr.. Stockton was elected by plurality vote of
forty out of eighty-one, IN n JOINT convention,
which had previously declared by forty-one to
forty-owing to repeated failures TO elect major
ity candidate-that plurality vote should elect.
The Radicals, with the exception of Mr.. Irum-
bull, and tive or three others, who are members
of the Judiciary Committee, insist that the JOINT
convention had no right to adopt that rule. They
admit that the Legislature had right to pass
such a rule for the government of the convention,
but deny that the convention. which consisted OF
the two Houses Of the Legislature, had any such
right, notwithstanding the Constitution Of New
jersey declares the joint convention TO be the lie
gislature. In Stockton's case the Judiciary Com
mittee have reported very favorably for him, but
emergencies have arisen in the Radical party
since that report was made, and II will probably
be decided by the Senate, in day or two, that
the better to secure the great and philanthropic
ends for which the Radicals have organized the I
Special Committee of Fifteen, Mr.. Stockton must
return to New jersey"