Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-03-22
THE "SITUATION."

THE "SITUATION."
The bill declaring all persons born in this
country to be citizens of the United States
except Indians not taxed, and to secure al
persons in the enjoyment of their civ
rights, has finally passed both Houses o.
Congress, aBd will soon be presented to the
President
Congress has passed, also, the Army Ap
preparation Bill, and few others of minol
Importance in the last week; but outside
of these it has done but little. The char
and compass of the country-its present
and future-are in the hands of the Com
mittee of Fifteen, on the Reconstruction
question. To ills confded for the present
the destiny of the Republic. Il has ma
tuted thus far, only Constitutional amend
ments, for the adoption of which the re.
quisite two.thirds majority in the Senate
has not as yet been obtained upon any one
of them. The final Report from this Com
mittee Oh the condition of the Southern
States may be looked for soon. The testi
mony taken before it is voluminous and is
ordered to be printed. Several of the Dem
ocratie members of the House have put in
exceptions tothis testimony, and assert thai
it is selected from prejudiced sources, and
with unfairness to the South. They contend
that Southern members should be. allowed
to introduce evidence before the Committee
from reliable men in their several sections
and that it ought not to rely upon the has
tily formed views of transient visitors
Several members of the Committee dis
clsimed any partiality in the selection o.
testimony, and assert that Southern mer
have been examined in all cases where sug
gested. The undue prominence given to
the statements of army officers was not ex.
planned or denied
The Conservative wing of Congress is
evidently perple1ed by the recent speech Of
THAD STEVENS. Abandoning his bitter
irony aud satire; he alludes to the President
in singularly mixed phrases of cajoling
praise and sarcasm. The Democrats are
nou. u.plussed and STEVENS enjoys with sa,
tanic grimaces of Satisfaction, the confusion
be has so artfully established.
The CoDstitutionality of the test oath as
applied to attorneys practising 10 the U. s
Courts, is under argument before the Su.
preme Court in Washington. The decision
of the Court upon this point it is said may
already be pronounced as against the oath.
Its prime importance however, will consist,
if so made, in the general discussion of q
measure which has never yet come before
this high tribunal, and the collateral views
the decision is likely to embrace. Upon
the decision of this point, an opening may
be made that will finally bring the subject
before the Court in its general application,
with hopes of its being set aside entirely.
Congress-or rather certain members of
it-are endeavoring to get up guarantee
by the United States upon the bonds of the
Mexican Republic (JUAREz Governmen),
to the amount of s5O,OOQ,OOO Tempting
bribes, of every conceivable form of fascin-
alton, are said to hang in the lobbies, ready
to be plucked by any and all members who
may support the bill to guarantee. We
doubt the potency OF brlDes even, 10 carry
out measure that bears so close a resem-
blance to insanity. If any Government
exists at all in Mexico or is likely to attain
to permanency there, it will hardly be the
Liberal Government of which JUAREz as.
sumes to be the representative. Congress
can hardly be induced to believe that this
country ought to spend so much money on
this little Mexican frolic
In the meantime, the Radicals have moi
forgotten their hostility to the South and
the President, nor has the latter given any
evidence of faltering from bis avowals of
duty. The campaign is one of deadly Vigor,
with the odds in numbers against the
President. A Senator recently avoWed
that the Legislatures of every Northern and
Western State had adopted resolutions of
support to Congress, and of implied censure