The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-02-03
wa.hington News and Rumon.

The unconditional Union men
from the South, who are soiourninc
in Washington, and who delight in
the designation of S'Hard-pan Recon
structionists," have prepared the fol-
lowing specifications as an epitome of
their construction of the Constitu-
ton, and had the same printed for
circulation 0mong Congressman:
L. The eA~lusive power of Congress
over the subject of citizenship and
naturalization.
2. The power of Congress to give
effect, by the enactment and enforce
ment of laws, to all the protective
provisions of the Constitution, and
to make the principle of protection
practically co-extensive with citizen
ship.
3. The positive constitutional in
terdict upon the power of Congress,
and upon the Legislatures OF the
different States, to snbvert or impair
the natural or personal rights enume-
rated OF implied in the Constitution.
1. The power of Congress to COM
pei the enforcement and maintenance
of republican government in every
State, making the enumeration of
personal and natural rights and the
protective features of the Constit,l-
ton the definition and test of what is
republican government; and further,
in order to establish and maintain
such local republican government in
every State, to prescribe, in case of
necessity. the rule of suffrage or quail
fication of voters.
The applications filed for clerk
ships at the Treasury Department
have now reached $4,000, and every
day auoments the number. tits a
singular CONNIE entary upon this strife
tor office, that no class of persons in
thls country are so notoriously put to
1T to live on their incomes as the
clerks in Washington. Congress is
1ncessantly importuned for their re-
lief; many resign from sheer inability
to live here, and yet the pressure for
clerkships is unprecedented.
Some of the most indefatigable
workers against reconstruction are to
be found among the subordinate Of
ficers Of the Freelmen's Bureau in
the South. They as yet only supply
members of Congress with data for
speeches, and do not confine them
selves to the channels prescribed by
the regulations in their transmission.
This procedure fanks Gen. Howard.
whose innate honesty would prompt
him to suppress many of the exagge-
ratedi yarns if they came through the
Office of the bureau. In several dis
tricts, they control newspaper or
two, and they manufacture public
sentiment, which comes to congress
slonal dead-head subscribers through
the mails rs the expression of free
and independent press, is dove-tailed
into speeches, and of course has its
weight with the nninitiated. The
New Orleans Tribune, q paper Of this
class, bound hand and foot to the
Conway clique, is regularly furnished
to radical members of Congress for
the above named purpose. Since
Gen. Fullerton's visit to the Lorisi-
ana district, and his correction of
corruptions there, there has been
considerable discussion and some ill
feeling among the officers OF the
Bureau in that district especially,
and many of their little secrets have
come out. It is evident that not
wlthstanding Gen. Howard's efforts
to prevent it, the Bureau has come to
be quite political machine. Unof-
ficlal news from officers of the Bu-
reau and Southern newspaper ex-
tracts quoted in congressionalspeeches
should be taken with grain ofsalt.
The PEABODY GIFT TO THE LONDON
PooE.-The first report of the trls-
tees of the Peabody fund has been