The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-25

Shis they have made no Organized effort TO re-
lease themselves nom their slavery. Upon
every important vote the Two factions ot the
conservatives, Republican and Democratic have
managed to neutraize each Of her, AMI have
peen 80 manoeuvred by their leaders as 70 give
the radicals an easy victory. Hal tney united
against the common enemy they could have
controlled Congress; bat they adopted the old
contemplate, partisan, unpatriohc tactics,
gripping the President and annihllaing them
selves, and 1t ls now too late for them TO atone
tor their errors or heal the wounds which they
have inflicted upon the country. Our only
hone therefore, is in the wisdom and ability of
the Congress to be elected next tall. y
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 of primary elections and the lntrigues
OF small political wirepullers 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 Southern
Rebellion In 1861, must be equally prompt In
heading the Union movement against the North
ern radicals. Our merchants can we'll afford to
contribute million Of dollars for this purpose,
and we have reliable assurances that the. money
will be ready. ...I. ......
First of all, however, we must make sure of
our own representatives. New York has not
been properly represented in Congress for many
years, and IL is important that we should send
our ablest men during crisis like mis-. The
candidates now intriguing for nominations and
renomi atlons are not the men for the crisis.
We referred to two OF the most prominent OF
these candidates-Messrs. Brooks and Raymond
"a few days ago, and exposed their lncompe
tency and want OF tact. MIR. 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 recommend
either n Constitutional COnVpnIin1 that
would take years to finish its work, or politi =
cal 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
hey Ond any hope of mercy.
When Congress assembled the House con-
sisted OF torty-one Democrats, led by Mr..
Brooks, ffty-three conservative Republicans,
led by Mr.. RAYMOND, and eleven Republicans
who always voted with the Democrats-one
hundred and five in ail-besides seventy nine
radicals led by Mr.. Stevens. II is evident from
these figures that the Democrats and CoEserva-
tive Republicans united had a clear majority
over tie RADICALS. But at the assembling 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 radicals and
| against the Democrats for the Committee of
Fifteen, and thus placed themselves in the
| power of directory.
The hrst and greatest mistake made, others
| soon lollowed 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 President johnson de-
sired, and Mr. Hale, OF New York, made a mo-
ton to that effect. This the radicals opposed,
and Mr.. Books, who pretended to support the
President, voted with Thad. Stevens against Mr..
Hale's motion TO recommlt the bill. Here there
were eighty-two radical votes, ifty-three con-
servative Republican votes, and thirty five Demo.
cratic votes. II the conservatives and Democrats
had voted together they would have beaten The
radicals by SIN votes; but Mr.. Brooks led
! the Democrats over to Thad. Stevens AMI
| so defeated Mr.. Hale's motion, Then the bill
! was put upon its passage. The vote now stood
| ll6 to 81. Nineteen conservative Republicans
| voted with the Democrats against the bill; but
| Mr. Raymond was not among them. Had he
| led his followers TO a union with Mr. Brooks,
the bill would have been killed. This one
instance shows that Mr.. Brooks, Democrat,
! practically assisted to impose negro suffrage
! upon the District of Columbia, and that Mr..
! Raymond first voted for conditional negro suf
lrage, and against Stevens, and then turned a
| short corner and voted with Stevens in favor
of unconditional negro suffrage. Mr.. Brooks
was removed from his seat before he could do
| much further mischief; but we charge that IN
! thus playing into the hands of the radicals, and
refusing to unite his forces with the conserva.
tives, he wiltully sacrificed the public good for
private or partisan interests.
| Mr.. Raymond, who is open to the same accu-
satlon, remained in Congress and continued his
|
! Bureau bill, the Civil Rights BILL and the third
section OF the Reconstruction amendment, talk
ing one way and voting another, sustaining
bill and then sustaining the Presidents veto
of it, being in favor of Mr.. Johnson and Mr.
Stevens alternately, and riding two horses IL
tie approved style OF circus performers. These
| two gentlemen whose records we have thus
analyzed we hold up as examples o.
the kind of members who ought no
to be in the next Congress. Ii tna
Congress should be like this one, we shall drift
from republicanism to imperialism and to civi
war, and shall meet the fate OF Mexico. No ia
natical radicals, no halEhearted conservatives
no Incompetent il and partisan Democrats Gil
save the country. We need new men and gIea
men, irrespective OF party and in order +
secure such nominations the Juggling, OF pol
ticians at primary elections should be disre
garded, immense Union meetings should
held all over the land, commencing at Ne
York, and the people should be allowed t
name their own representatives.
What Might Have Been.