The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-12-12
Con gress.

L.
1866, will be a marked day in. our his
tory; not only as that upon which our
X&XIXth Congress met, but also as
one upon. which, without any prepare
tory confusion or preliminary nom
sense, both branches Of the Legisla-
ture went promptly and intelligently
to work to establish the sociel peace
and commercial prosperity Of the
co1ntry upenla basis attonee spohtic
and permanent Every student of
history, upon reading the detail of the
first days proceeding, viii be remind
edaof the energetic alacrity withwhich
the Parliament Of Charles T., in 1929,
began It's session by appointing COM
mitteeSato inquire iintosdthei royal
usprpations, and by protests against
the Illegal raising Of revenue by the
King. But the English Parliament
met only to be dissolved and to leave
the country for eleven long and
weary years in the power of an abso-
luteiand irresponsible and, unserupu-
lous despot. No such bitter mlstor-
tune can hefall the American people.
Ina time like this we understand the
strength and the policy of our repre-
sentative system, and especially OF the
opportunities which it secures for the
fresher and fuller expression of q the
public will. Frequent elections, the
safety-valves of popular emo
tom arei also constant checks up
on the conduct of individual mem
bers. The day Of judgment is always
at hand. Almosteyery hour copstitu-
ercies may audit the accounts Of their
stewards. The morning and the even
ing mail carry to every mans door a
transcript of the journal of either
House, a SUMMARY Of the debates, and
an exact statement of the position of
all legislative business. The doings
of Congress arc read by every Preside,
in every country house, in every work
shop uponR every railway and steam
boat, and with equal though different
interest by all classes of men-read
intelligently, Judge honestly and de-
cisively applauded or condemned.
Each little District takes care of its
own member, and the result is an ag-
gregate of security and vigilance from
which no Representative can hope to
beSexempt. q 1t is, therefore, no mere
rhetorical hightswhen some legislative
orator reminds his fellows of a cease
less public, surveillance, and exclaims;
Yheleyes Of the peopleIare upon us. !"
This rs only the statement of plain
matter, of fact. The press takes care
that the country shall not err
for lack of Y information. Speeches,
motions, resolutions, reports, the yeas
and nays, deliberations in full session
and doings'in committee, what Is said
in the caucus, and what is done in the
lobby-the public knows 1t all. No
member of Congress can make an ass
or knave of himself In corner. As
a public man, he will find it nearly
impossible to have any secret. What
ever correspondents think worth get.
ting, they commonly contrive to pos
sess themselves of; and the pet
project OF the closest-mouthed mana
ger may any 6ne morning, to his utter
astonishfnent. be trumpeted' to all the
four corners of the Union. All sins
of omission and commission are duly
recordedi corrupt bargains are dis
covered and proclaimed; foolish freaks
of oratory are literally reproduced and
remorselessly ridiculed; and if Rep
resentative be incompetent or Aun-
tru5tw0rthy,a swaggerer, a swindler,
orr sot, those whose agent he is have
at least an opportunity of revising
their judgment, and of sending bet
ter man to do his work. If he, stays
in Congress, it is because his constitu-
encyJ sno better than. Himself. CJAl
What we have said of the immedi-
ate responsibility of Congress is true
at all times, but how specially true it
Is at this moment we need hardly
point out, For months to come the
transactions of the National Legisla-
ture will occupy the whole mind and
heart of the nation; the debates, if
they be Il worthy of the emergency,
will be read with breathless interest,
and the decisions which are arrived
at will be considered and canvassed
with the sharp scrutiny of self-preser-
walton. Whatever else the doings of
Congress may be, they can hardly be
dutLal We may, without rashness,
vouch for the vigilance of a tax-pay-
ing people; we may reasonably pre-
sumo that opinions formed under the
pressure of national disaster, the po-
iitical gospel of q bitter experience,
cannot be disregarded in legislation
with impunity. We need wisdom,
frmness, liberality and rational
bravery in our law making, and Of
these qualities the people are excel
lent judges. The results tof the late
election should teach every public
man the folly of attempting to serve
his own mere personal interests at
the expense of the common veal.
The country expects from Congress
a resolute assertion of its authority,
form Congress alone, at this crisis, it
puts its trust. 1t will watch without
sleeping, it will weigh every measure
with patriotic anxiety, and it, will
Judge every man by that standard
which the great fesponsl bihties of the
l. a