, 1866-03-02

Congress, which promised for time 10
rlndicate its own authority, as the law max.
Ing power, and the rights Of the loyal people
OF this country, as the conquerors In the lot e
war. gtres evident Indications that II Is about
TO surrender the real functions Of LEGISLATION
10 Andrew johnson. Much Us they may criti-
else his coarseness and dcprccate the kicks
and cuts which be administered them with
unEtintipg vigor and impartla1ity, that same
rough energy Inns cowcd and scattercd them
Ike the mcureion Of hungry wolf into
shecp-fo]d, or a swoop Of hawk Into dove
cote. We fully appreciate the stanch patri-
otisna Of majority Of the members Of both
the Senate and the House OF Represents
tives- But that majority, while It does
not aEvee with tho President upon psin-
ciple, yet does not appear TO possess the force
and unity Of spirit to resist him. The spirit
Is willing, but the flesh is weak. What they
would, they do not md what they would
not, that they do. This Is shown by the d1t,1-
cnlty experienced in coming to vote on the
resolution that Congress must first decide
whelheT State or tho organization purport~
ing to represent State, Is or is not entitled
10 representation, before being called upon to
decide whether the Senators and Representa-
tives elect from the proposed Slate, arc duly
qualified. This point Is fundamental. The
moment it Is yielded, Congress has abandoned
10 the President absolute monarchfcal power
over the whole matter of reconstruction, and
reserved to itself only the poor lrxury OF rat
Tying his imperial DEGREES.
II is also stated that Congress is about to
admit the Senators and Representatives from
Tennessee rs sop to the President. And
what, ii may b. timely to Inquire, viii the
President do as sop to Congress. VIII he
allow them 10 fcoreanize South Carolina 60
that the blnck two.thirds OF her people can
vote, to keep themselves from being rc-en-
shaved. Not hit Of It. Congress Is asked
to abandon principle which should be rs
dear 10 them ms their birthright, aud in re-
turn they get not even mess of pottare.
They ART required TO forego the power 10 guar
arlce 10 tho Southern States republican
form OF Government, and in return thcv &C.
cure nothing. They nrc asked to admit Teu-
nessee, thereby sanctioning the Prr-id .nt's
ini4uitous policy OF reconstruction as a pry.
ccdcnt for all future cases. OF conrsc the
Tennessee members will vote to ndmlt those
of North Carolfna. Ono or two States admit
ted will let down the bars to all the others,
and the johnson Copperhcads will soon have
minority In Congress.
II our present Republican majority lack The
ability or the courage 10 use the power thcv
Eow have in Congress for the achievement Of
statcsmanlfkc and benctccnt ends, very little
good Is 10 be hoped from its continuance. If
they can be uu1lIcd by Copperhead press
and = shouller-titting speech to surrender
their rights Of legislation, the country will
pr1y that the session may expire before We
arc lrrctrievnbly dl.Eraeed By their weakness.
But We wan them that no plea of desire to
maintain tho unity Of the Republican party
Will justify them in going over to the Copper
heads. kinc-tenths of the Republican party
arc opposed to the policy OF rcorganlzsng the
Southern States on the bns3s Of privileged
voting class. They know that policy means
slavery To adhere to that policy, therefore,
Is to divide the party, irreEoeably, i17ctrievn-
bly, md perhaps disastrously- To oppose
that policy Is to unite the party. We
are party based On principles. Who.
ever abandons those principles, be his
name johnson, Seward, or Beccher, abandous
his party, and the people will repudiate them
III the polls. The foundation Of all the obJec-
tons 10 the Presidents policy Of reconstruc-
ton arc that in II voting Is limited to a psivi-
Legged class. Let MI vote, or let whites and
blacks votc on the same terms, and We should
need no Freedmen's Bureaus, no military In
terpoeIion, no delay in admitting members to
Congress, no test oath, no amendments repr-
diating the rebel debt. The negro vote, With
the loyal white, would settle all these qucs-
than ~ sonn - 1 ans, ~, -. - t ~
-ecn,,.trrr.;on % ~ W. ~ ~ pts.iaas'. e' aa l.a
Tennes.et. ,d,n,t,sa =, n,s ,,s~ =. sas.s
1.-.N.. J.. ..e.~..,xss n.',,1AN ~ 49,