The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-08-18
The Party-"I1icked by Everybody
and Rlpssed Nv Monet"


The Party--"ISicked by Everybody
aud Blessed by Monet"
Il isconTc@cd by leading Republican
journal Of New England that "the Repnb-
llcan party n now substantially softhout
principles orpoiioyr
This confession n made after the party
has committed itself TO tho position Of op-
posing restoration Of the Union.
Is such party, confessedly without
principles or policy, and da admitted yda-
ure In its attempt at Governments worthy
to be entrusted again with the power 1t has
abused, and the opportunity 1t has wasted
Even its own friends condemn II as untrue,
incapable, unworthy
We call the careful attention OF our Jour
hai neighbor TO these complaints Of his
loyal Yankee cotemporary. They are cal
culatcd to soothe his evidently distressed
condition:
tFrom the Hartford courantl
'Sins of Omission and of Commits
sion.
"The Thirty-ninth Congress made few
friends and lost many during its recent ses-
sion. The copperheads were determined
10 abuse It from the start aud 1t was to be
lexpected that they would take offence at
whatever it might DO But il also disap-
pointed many OF its friends and brought
down upon itself the maledictiOns of such
men as Wendell Phillips and such journals
as the Independent It has suited nobody,
not even its own members.
''Thc cause of this widespread dissatis-
faction, often merging into contempt is
very evident, IL lies chiefly in what Con-
/ fs,.ec ,pnftta1 IN do and ACCOUNTABILITY. in
what Il did accomplish. In the first place
Congress failed TO give the Republican par
ty platform upon which 10 stand and be
| firm, although at the same time 1t warred
upon that instituted by the President. IL
CROPPED about in the dark, refusing to see
the light, until the close of the session, and
then voluntarily gave up the only point
upon which Il had made n decided stand.
In regard to the admission of members OF
Congress from the lately rebellious States,
upon which the quarrel between Congress
and the Executive was founded, the former
did not maintain its ground. The President
asked that members be admitted who could
prove their loyalty and legal election Con
gress demanded further guarantees" al
| though neglecting to say what those guar
antics were. But in the case Of Tennessee
no guaranty was asked further than was
given nine months before. The ratification
| Of the constitutional amendment guaran-
teed nothing in the world, and Tennessee
was no more fit for representation after
that act than before it, The admission of
the members was virtual surrender, or at
least an evasion of the point.
''The advocates ofimpartial suffrage had
great hopes early in the session that Con-
gress would, at least enact justice to all
men i'm that District where is has complete
| jurisdiction, even If itwere not thought
to propose a constitutional amendment for
the extension of the suffrage. But we
were disappointed. After bill very OBJ
tectionable in form had passed one House, 1t
was never heard from again. Here Con-
gress threw away another chance ofmake-
ing a bold stand, and again toedkened its
0ton position and that Of its party. The war
upon the President continued, but when
ever 1t came to action, with but one or two
exceptions, Congress gave up the "policy"
it so denounced. The President opposed
negro suffrage, and Congress did not dare
to enact it eUen in the District Of Columbia;
the President opposed the requirement Of
further guarantees before admission to
Congress, and Tennessee was thus brought
in
"These sins Of omission, however, did
hardly more harm to the cause than the one
fragrant act Of extravaganza with which
the session closed. The Tess said, the better,
about the cote Increasing the pay of each
already done. 10 has giUen our enemies a
fearful ddUantdge. The only way in which
| we can avoid the consequences is to let 1t be
plainly seen that the Republican party dis
approves the action of It's representatives
who allowed this thing to be done.
Thus Congress has left its party in an
untdvord6le position, WEAKENED wlen it
should have been strengthened, and d.
vIDED when it should have been
more firmly united. The general dis
appointment which the results Of the
session have cause is plainly traceable to
the bad leadership to which the House sub
mitted The elements were good enough,
but they were combined to work
can, perhaps, remedy the evils of
the one Just closed, aud we hope
, it may. As it is, the Thirty-ninth Con-
gress is kicked by everybody and blessed By
none.