The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-06-23

The Next Congregational Elseti0ns-1,h.
Republic I'm Danger.
The terrible crisis In which the republic 4
now placed gives an unprecedented interest Il
the elections for the next Congress. Those
elections will be even more important thar
the elections held for the first Congress of the
United States. Then all parties were agreed
upon the necessity Of perfect national union
but at this time we have powerful party in.
sisting upon the necessity Of national disunion
in order to serve certain partisan purposes
From the present Congress, ruled by this revo-
lutionary faction, nothing is to be hoped. Ita
work of evil is very nearly completed. 1t can
not possibly accomplish anything good, and
we should be happy to hear that it had done its
worst and adjourned What benefcent mca-
sures it might have passed, what a complete
reconciliation it might have secured, what an
enviable Immortality its members might have
achieved, we need not now consider. Never be-
fore were such splendid opportunities rashly
neglected and such preposterous and fanatical
absurdities substituted for legitimate legisla-
ton. When this Congress assembled it had a
majority of conservative members; but these
conservatives at once placed themselves in the
power Of the radical minority by the adoption
of the joint resolution appointing the Recon-
struction Committee; and from that time to
this they have made no organized effort to re-
lease themselves from their slavery. Upon
every important vote the two factions Of the
conservatives republican and democratic, have
managed to neutralize each other and have
been SO maneuvred by their leaders as to give
the radicals an easy victory. Had they united
against the common enemy they could have
controlled Congress; but they adopted the old,
contemplate, partisan, unpatriotic tactics,
Gripping the President and annihilating them
selves, and 1t is now too late for them to atone
for their errors or heal the wounds which they
have inflicted unon the country. Our only
hope, therefore, is in the wisdom and ability OF
the Congress to BE- elected next fall.
To the next Congress the best, the purest
and the most patriotic statesmen of the republic
must be sent. Party lines must be disregarded
the tricks Ofprimary elections and the ntrgues
of small political wire-pullers must be aban-
doned. Unfortunately the Senate cannot be
changed by the popular voice; but the House
must be composed of members of such ability
and reputation as to completely overshadow
the Senatorial fanatics. This metropolis,
which led the grand uprising against the South
ern rebellion in 1861, must be equally prompt
in heading the Union movement against the
Northern radicals. Our merchants can we'll
afford To contribute million Of dollars for this
purpose, and VIC have reliable assurances that
the money will be ready. First of all, how
ever, we must make sure of our own repre-
sentaiivcs. New York has not been properly
represented in Congress for many years, and it
is important that we should send our ablest
men during crisis like this. The candidates
now intriguing for nominations and renomina-
tons are not the men for The crisis. We re-
ferred to two Of the most prominent Of these
candidates-Messrs Brooks and Raymond
few days ago, and exposed their incompeency
and want Of tact. Mr.. Brooks has replied to
this exhibit by correcting mistakes which
we never made; and Mr.. Raymond has
answered US by publishing long speech
upon both sides of the reconstruction
question and by recommending either con-
stitutional convention that would take years to
finish its work or political convention that
would have no power to enforce its DEGREES;
we really cannot understand which. These
gentlemen might better be silent The facts
of their record condemn them beyond any hope
Of mercy. When Congress assembled the
House consisted Of forty-one democrats. led by
Mr.. Brooks, ffty-three conservative republic
cans, led by Mr.. Raymond, and eleven rcpub-
Leans who always voted with the democrats
one hundred and Eve in all-besidcs seventy
nine radicals led by Mr.. Stevens II is evil
dent from these figures that the democrats and
conservative republicans united had clear
majority over the radicals But at the assem-
bling OF Congress the radicals were ready for
action, and the conservatives, under Raymond
and Seward, were not. The consequence was
that Raymond and the rest voted with the radi-
Gals and against the democrats for the Com
mittee Of Fifteen. and thus placed themselves
| in the power of directory.
This first and greatest mistake made, others
soon followed. On the 18th OF January The
| bill imposing unconditional negro suffrage
upon the District Of Columbia came up. The
conservative republicans tried to amend 1t so
as to make the suffrage conditional, as Presi-
dent Johnson desired, and Mr.. Hale, of New
York. made motion 10 that effect. This the
radicals opposed, and Mr.. Brooks, who pre-
tended to support the President, voted with
Thad Stevens against Mr.. Halcs motion 10 re-
commit the bill. Here there were eighty-two
radical votes, 6fty-three conservative repub-
lican votes and thirty-fve democratic votes.
II the conservatives and democrats had voted
together they would have beaten the radicals
by six votes; but Mr.. Brooks led the
democrats over 10 Thad Stevens and
so defeated Mr.. Hale's motion. Then the
bill was put upon its passage. The vote now