Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-03-07

Congress.
On the 1st Monday In December, Con-
gress convened, In compliance with the re-
quifcments ofthe Constitution of the United
States, In annual session. By express pro-
vision, that Constitution makes IL the duty Of
ahe, President "fron time to time, to give to
the Congress Information of the state Of the
Union, and recommend 10 their consideration
such measures as he shall Judge necessary and
erpedieH.n This obligation the President
discharged with fidelity on the assembling
OF Congress In his annual message. Before
the assembling Of that body, he had gone
to Al the necessary trouble--had put into
requlsltion the proper agencies-to secure
trustworthy Information touching .the
State Of the Union" That information he
communicated to Congress, and, in cOnnec-
ton with that information, recommended
ito their consideration such measures as
he,n acting for the good of the whole coun-
try, and seeking conscientiously to dis
charge the obligations imposed upon him
by his oath Of Office, thought necessary
and expedlent." m e,
How have these recommendations been
treated by Congress? Three months has 1t
been in session, and that length of time has
been consumed by the Members and Sena-
tors Of the dominant party to convince each
other, and to convince the ecountry, that the
President did not give true information to
Congress of the state of the Union," and
Al. a ha raonnnDnan6a1 Ht0
their consideration" are not only not "nec-
essary and expedient;" but that their enact
ment would blight and curse the country
as though the essence Of treason had been
poured upon it. Day after day, and week
affer week, and month after month, their
action and their speeches, have been di-
rected to this end.
Eight months had the Rebellion been dis
armed when Congress convened. Never
before did the South exhibit more quies-
cent feeling toward the Federal authority.
So soon as the President felt satisfied that
the people there could be trusted-so soon |
as he had evidence that justified him in be-
lieving that they would not again attempt
to withdraw from the Union-he RENTED
to them the control of their local Govern
ments. Said the leaders in his party, when
he authorized the establishment of Provis- |
ional Governments: "The Presidents pro-
ceeding entirely too fast. He is entirely |
too rash In confdingin those people. They |
are false; they are at heart as intensely |
Rebel as they were when Success seemed |
to decide In their favor" In the belief that |
he was simply experimenting, and would
abandon his policy so soon as he should as
certain it to be failure, they professed to
find spot for resignation.
The President, however, as events have
proven, did not act with precipitancy-did
not misplace confidence. He found his
policy a success. He found the Southern
people, as a people, cured permanently of
secession, and he so told Congress and the
country, and he recommended that they be
treated accordingly. Congress has persist
emily closed its eyes to the facts. Having
started out with the declaration that these
people were at heart inveterately rebel
ious, the majority persist in treating them
On that theory. 1t is of no consequence
how much the prosperity OF the country
suffers; it matters not how burthensome
the taxes of the people may be made; it
matters not whether the payment of the
interest and the liquidation of the public
debt may be endangered; they are deter
mined to carry out that theory, if they can
celdde majority of the people into sustain
ing chem. As the majority have done moth
iug the past week, and indeed the past three
months, but illustrate the determination to
make the President unworthy the conf
1ence of the people, we shall be happily
il hereafter their labors shall
take more praiseworthy direction. The
attitude of affairs at present do not justify
the hope that the people can derive any
hing salutary from this Congress.