The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-07-25
4 LETTER FROM HENRY j. RAY
MOND A REPUBLICAN CONGRESS-
MAN.
The Political Future Fears and Pur-
poses OF the Radical Leaders,
The Republicans and Phila-
deIphia Convention.
From the New York Times, July IL (rspuh-
liean psper.)

From the New York Times, July IL (reput.
lican5 paper.)
WASHINGTON, Sunday, July Is.
Political panics are quite rs mischleyous in
their way panios in an army. Parties are
dc moraized, and son etimes routsd, by the /
apprehension of dangers that prove to have
been wholly imaginary. Sometimes, too.
these fears create the dangers they dread, |
and thus fulfill their own predictions. The |
union party in congress is just now exper- |
fencing panic of more than usual severity, |
and it's action under the circume noes does |
more credit to is zeal than to it discretion. |
You may have noticed the passage in the |
house, a few days since. of re olution offer |
ed by Gen. Paine, of Wisconsin, calling on
the states to organize discipline and equip
their militia, and directing that two-thirds of
the srms ordnance and ammunition now I'M
der custody of the general government be
distributed among the ftes, the distribution
among the loyal states to tA&e place immsd-
lately, and that among the states lately in
rebellion to be postponed until further orders.
The resolution came up from the committee
on military affairs and was pushed to a
vote, without debate or delay, under the
previous question. 1t attracted little a.
tention in con gress as it has in the country
and the public will doubtless receive with
| ed, by those who secured its passage, as the
| first step toward preparation for another civil
war, Although no debate was had upon it,
members were urged t, vote for it by direct
conversational appeals on the floor on the
part of the few WHO were privy TO its intro
iuction. Some were told that it was neces-.
sary to enable TO southern loyalists 10 protect
| themselves others, that 1t was simply
| matter of detail in the war depa tment;
| others, that the arms must be taken out of
| the hands of the president; and others, that
| it was proposed a. the instance of the secre-
| tary of war. An appeal was made by Mr..
| Kasson, 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 northern democrats enough to con-
| stitute, when added to the members from the
| southern states, q majority of the house, they
assume that this maj ority. thus constituted,
| will claim to be the congress, aud will act
| accordingly, and that they will be recog-
| nized by the president as the body to which
! he will send his message. and whose sessions
| he will, if the necessity sheuld arise, protect
by military force. They assert. on the other
| hand, that the Union members from the 10y
| al states-if they constitute ma orlty from
| those statss-wIll claim to be the only legal
congress. and will, If necessary, invoke an
| insuFrection OF the psople to maintain them
| in that position. They do not in the least
| conceal their purpose, IA the event Of such
1 collision, to appeal to force, aad to drive
| the rival congress-, with the president and
| his cabinet supporters, into the Potomac,
| to use the language, OF one OF the ablest aud
| most sincere Of their number. 1T you will
} II 4. .o4A locN
| chusetts, Ia last weeks frat caucus, you will
see this movement clearly foreshadowed-
| indeed evowed. lie declared his belief that
| an issue of force was rapidly approaching,
| and that We must be prepared 10 meet II -
He acts, land ell WIN cooperate with him In
| these measures profess to act, under the sp
| pTehenson that the president intends to e.
| sort TO force that he means to dspose the
| present congress on its TeGssembling In De
cenber if it refuses 70 admit the southern
mem bers; and Mr.. Farnswoith asc-ibed 10
| Mr. Seward the declaration that this congress
should never reassemble unless the southern
members were admittej-in supper. of this
| belief 7 need scarcely say that Mr.. Seward
| never m ade any remark of the kind. nor that
| the project ascribed tn the president is pure
| ly an invention. NJ best the crazy dream
| of a political nightmare. But II either case
| it serves the ssme purpose. II covers. and
| is held 10 justify, the determination to arouse
the north, aud prepare for asort to force
| upon the assembling of the 10th congress in
| extra or Ia regular session and this deter
mipation is avowed. And the resolution to
| which have referred. for al organization Of
| the militia and distribution of arms IN the
| northern states, is the initial step to Its exc
| cution.
| | DO not propose to comment upon the rs
| suit of such movement. Is Is obvi-
Gus that if any such contingency should
arise, the war would not be sectional, as was
| the last; it would be a war of political par.
ties and of neig hborhoods. Not only have
| the great body ofthe Union purity in congress
/ no ympathy with these views and purposes,
but they are in the main ignorant and iucred-
ulous of their existence. That the extreme
radicals entertain them, however, there 10
not the slightest doubt, and we know, from
the experience of secession in 1861, how few
| men it sometimes requires to plunge grea.
| party or q great nation into war.
The Philadelphia convention is another
source of panic to the union party. By the
| radicals of whom / have spoken, it is regard
ed as intended to pave the way for bringing
northern democrats and southern rebels into
| close concert OF action under protection of
the president, at the opening of the next con!
| gress, for the purpose referred to above
| ADu ny ucdrIy tuc Wuuic uHiOu parry as rep
resented here, 1t ia believed that its object is
to break up the union organization, and form
| a new party which shall embrace norther
democrats, southern rebels and such portions
OF the union party as may be detached from
the old organization. Ii seems to be over.
| looked that the convention is called simply
| for consultation-that it is not proposed to
make nominations for any Office to organize
any new party, or to interfere in any way
with existing political parties. Any one of
all these things may be done by the conven-
| ton, but none of them are embraced or pro-
| posed in the call for il. Those who may do
| them in convention, or support them when
done, will, Of course, be responsible for their
action. If the convention should take steps
/ hostile to the union party, no one could long
err adhere to both. If it should make hostile
| nominations. or adopt hostile platform, no
one could support both. But, until sor ething
is actually done, 1t is not easy to see why
any man of any party may not 60 into con-
sultation with his fellow-citizens, from every
party and every section, without FORGETTING
his party relations. The idea that members
of congress have any right in caucus or else
| xphara N ;saua dacrees of ex nu ision exclu-