Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-08-08
Congress.


Congress.
The New York Tribune, in speaking of the
Congress says:
For its fidelity to the great principles Of the
Union party, its bodness and success in assert
ing them, i. deserves the thanks of the coun-
try Never had the National Legislature such
| mighty work to do-never had it been
rounded with such peris and temptations. 1t
is true that the XXXlXth Congress failed to
iCsist on impartial suffrage, but It's legislation
must end in the destruction OF all prescription.
| ON account of race color. With all lis faults
this Congress has bravely and successfully de-
Tended the principles for which the war was
fought, and without it for bulwark the gains
OF the war would unquestionably be swept
away.
| We have no disposition to withhold from
Congress It's just need of praise majority
OF that body have been interchangeable in their
efforts to preserve what the had gained for
the Re public. What good has been secured,
has been wholly through the frmness of the
more advanced Radicals Yet, as a whole, the
Republicans in Congress have failed of doing
their whole duty. The eight months just closed
at Washington have not produced the results
| which should have been reached. The great
work of the session, the reconstruction of the
Southern states, was not grappled by Congress
with any apparent steadiness or unity of pur-
pose. While this was to have been expected when
Congress first assembled, before there had been
a comparison of views and an attempt to har-
monize upon some well digested legislation,
Congress ought, much earlier than it did, to
have embodied in legislation some clear and
precise plan of reconstruction, which would
nave met the exgencies of the case, and re-
lieved the law making branch of the govern
ment of the charge that it would not accept the
Presidents work, nor set it aside and inaugurate
the work of reconstruction for itself. This de-
lay and indecsion were clearly the fault of the
more conservative of the Radicals, who for sew
eral months refused to believe that the Presi-
dent had joined the rebels, or that his method
of reconstruction wholly vicious and mis-
chievous. The Radicals were thus for long
time unable to command the necessary two
thirds vote to carry any measure obnoxious to
the executive veto. Through this delay, and on
account of the timidity of many Republican
members, it became impossible at last to adopt
plan of reconstruction which is anything more
than a make-shift,- plan which three-fourihs
of those who voted for it acknowledged came
fax short of what ought to be done, ard which
they supported principally because it was better
than nothing. Ii the amendment to the Con-
siitution which finally adopted had been
agreed upon last December, it might already
have been part OF the organic law, by the rat
itication of the requisite number of the states.
But Congress delayed even the little it did
do, until the President and the executive de-
partment had SO far encouraged the rebels at
the South, and their allies at the North, and
corrupted so many Republicans who hold their
principles for the filling of their pockets, that it
is now more than probable that the assent of
twenty seven states cannot be had to the pro-
posed amendment.
We do no, charge this as the fault of any one.
or any particular number of the members of
the Senate or the House, but rather as the fault
Of the entire body. They lacked unity. They
didn't seem to know what they wanted to do,
or what they had right to do, what they
could do; and they waited great while to
certain. They seemed also to be continually
afraid, either of their constituents, the Pres
ident, or their bread and butter" and in their
legislative progress proceeded as gingerly as
though they were treadng on eggs. 1t is not
therefore surprising tina, their work should be
incomplete, inadequate, and unsatisfactory. 1t
couldn't, except by miracle. have been other
wise.
| A nd the same doubtful and hestating policy
| is conspicuous N other acts of the session.
The House passed, early in the session, bill
making suffrage impartial in the District of
Columbia. Every Republican in both Houses
professed to believe that the bill, or some mod
| ifcation Of it, ought to pass. There no
doubt of the right of Congress to enact such
law There was no dispute about the need Of
| such a statute to protect the freedmen of the
District. There question but what the |
| principles Of the Republican party demanded
such legislation wherever Congress had the |
jurisdiction. Yet the bill was never acted upon
BY toe Senate, and, SO far as appears, wholly |
without any good reason. r., 1.... I'D
\ Congress certainly deserves commentator |
TOR passing the Civil Rights DILL, and the Freed
meas Bureau bill. notvithstanding the Presi-
dents objsctions and perhass it should be
praised for Agreeing TO plan, imperfect - it |
10, OF reconssruction-but il ought to have &C.