Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1866-07-26
REVoLUFIoNARY PROJECT.


Under pretence of very simple and UMPIRE
tending measure the Radicals pushed through
the House Of Representatives, the other day, a
revolutionary proiect-one which shows how
little confidence they have in their intrinsic
strength before the people. Mr.. Raymond, in
letter to the New York Times, thus refers to
it:
You may have noticed the passage in the
House. few days since, Of a resolution offered
by General Paine, of Wisconsin, calling ON the
States to organize, discipline, and equip their
militia. and directing that two-thirds OF the
arms. ordnance. and ammunition, now under
custody of the General Government, be dlstrlo-
uted among the States-the distribution among
the loval States to take place Immediately, and
that among the States lately in rebellion to be
postponed until further orders. The resolution
came up from the Committee on Military At
fairs, and was pushed TO a vote, without debate
or delay, under the previous question. 1t at
tracted as little attention in Congress as it has
in the country; and the public will doubtless
receive with incredulity the assurance that it
was intended by those who secured its passage
as the first step towards preparation for anoth-
er civil war. Although no debate was had up
on it, members were urged to vote for it by di-
rect conversational appeals on the floor on the
part Of the few who were privy to its introduce
ton. Some were told that it was necessary to
enable the Southern loyaliSts to protect them
selves others that twas simply matter of
detail in the War Department others that the
arms must be taken out of the hands of the
President, and others that it was proposed at
the instance of the Secretary of War. An ap-
peal was made by Mr.. KaSSan of Iowa, to allow
debate upon it, as it seemed to be a matter Of
impOrtance-but this was refused.
Most of the leading and rejecting Radicals in
Congress take this view of the political future
if the fall elections result in the choice of North
ern Democrats enough to constitute, when adj
ded to the members from the Southern States,
a majority of the House, they assume that this
majority, thus constituted, will claim to be the
Congress, and will act accordingly; and that
they will be recognized by the President as the
body to which he will send his message, and
whose sessions he will, if the necessity should
arise, protect by military force. They assert,
on the other hand, that the Union members
FROM the legal States-if they constitute ma
iority from those States-will claim to be the
only legal Congress, and will, if necessary, in
woke an Instruction OF tic people to maintain
them in that position. They do not il the least
conceal theirpurpose, in the event of such col
lsion to appeal to force, and to drive the rival
Congress, with the President and his Cabinet
and supporters, into the Potomac" to use the
language of one of the ableSt and most sincere
IF their number If you willrecall theremarks
ofMr Boutwell,, of Massachusetts, inlast weeks
first caucus you will see this movement clearly
oreshadowed-indeed avowed. He declared
his belief that an issue of force was rapidly APP
preaching, and that we must be prepared to
meet it, lie acts and all who cooperate with
him in these measures profess to act, under the
apprehension that the President intends to re-
sort to force that he means to dispense the pres
ent Congress on its reasSembling in December,
if it refuses to admit the Southern members );
and Mr. Farnsworth aScubed to Mr.. Seward the
declaration, that this Congress should never re-
assemble unless the Southern members were
admitted, in support Of this belief. | need
scarcely say that Mr.. Seward never made any
remark of the kind, nor that the project ascribed
to the President is purely an invention, or at
best the crazy dream of political nightmare.
But in either case it serves the same purpose
1t covers, and is held to justify, thcdetermina-
ton to arouse the North, and prepare for re-
sort to force upon the assembling of the 10th
Congress in extra or regular session and this
determination is avowed And the resolution
to which l have referred, for an organization
OF the militia and a distribution of arms in the
Northern States, is the initial step to its execu
ton"