The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-10-10
Smoke which shews Fire.

mas declared InaJ ne would take his seat IN
a Rebel House, if one should be organized on
the plan foreshadowed by Andrew johnson
The following is the Registers statement
Major l.. A. Lyon of Norwalk, in presence
of several well known gentlemen of Erie Co.
asked Mr.. f. the following question
Suppose at the opening of the XLth Con-
gress, the members from the late Rebel States
should be refused seats because of their fail
ure to comply with the terms of the Constitu-
tional Amendment, and those Southern mem
bers elect should assemble in a separate place
with enough Northern Democratic members
to form quorum, to which body would you
present your credentials, and which would
you join p
Mr.. Finnefrock, after Intellectual effort, to
dodge the question. made the following reply:
"If believed | could depend on those South
ern members to support the Constitution,
would present nay credentials and join the ma
jority."
The Tribune gave the above the most prom
lnent place on Its Editorial page, a fewdsys
since and it clearly deserved its conspicuous
display. The settled purpose of the Radicals
is to inpcaoh Mr.. johnson, and the question
of the constitutional organization Of the tri-
bunal, which is to try becomes matter Of
grave, practical Importance. What we think
of the organization Of the Senate as it stands,
is Of little consequence, but opinions have
been expressed upon this subject which are
worth reproducing. On the 18th of Septem
Der, before Mr.. Raymond discovered that his
Congressional grapes had too" coppery"
taste for his fastidious palate, he published
an elaborate article in the Times, two col
umns long, in which he held the following
significant language, in reply to certain
questions propounded by the Pittsburg Chron-
icle
By law of Congress the House con-
sists of "a members, and by law, also, a ma
jority of the whole number, or 12l members,
constitute quorum Suppose that members
elected from the Southern States should meet
in December, 1867, and be enough, added to
Northern members who believe in their right
to representation, and who would meet with
them, to constitute a quorum and suppose
the Northern members who do not believe
the South entitled to representation
and who would not meet with them,
should meet by themselves, constituting less
q
Pittsburg Chronicle begins to see the posi-
bility of such an occurrence and it also sees
that the President will be under the necessity
of recognizing one or The other Of these bodies
as the valid, constitutional House of Repre-
ssntatives. He must send his message to the
one or the other. He must sign bills passed
by the one or the other. He must treat one
or the other as a branch Of Congress. clothed
with the power of making laws, and the other
as having no such authority. And under
the circumstances assumed, there can be very
little doubt, in view of his known opinions
on the subject, that President johnson will
recognize the numerical quorunl-ths body
which contains majority of all the members
AS the only body authorized by the Consti-
tuition to make laws for the United States
He will probably send his message to that
body he will sign the bills they pass if con-
Cured in by the Senate, and he will not re-
cognize the acts of the other as valid in any
respect. The Senate, on the contrary, will
recognize ma jority of members from all the
States, but ten, even if they are a minority of
the whole, as the real Congress, and as
clothed with all the powers of legislation
Here, certainly, is danger Of. collision of
authority. We have foreseen it, and have
warned the country of it. The Radicals have
foreseen it, and have been preparing for it.
They have not concealed their purpose, in
such an event, to appeal to force, and rouse
the country to another conflict of arms.
In reply to this the Tribune produced an
article from which we extract the following,
AS the Republicans, it is fairly presumed
that the flames of civil war will thus be re-
lighted, and that the North will be visited
with calamities like to those she recently in
flicted on the South
This scheme cannot work unless a quorum
of Copperhead representatives, including those
from the ex-Rebel States, can be secured at
the pending elections. The so Johnson ties
Tor thereabout) in the present House Gnclu
ding the Tennesseans), must be sweled to 20,
or they will not suffice, with the 81 from the
ten States not yet restored to power in Con-
gress, to make quorum. Unless these 20
shall be gained in the ensuing elections in the
loyal States, the plot must fail.
Win the People give the Johnsonites the 20
gains they must have to enable them to disor
ganize Congress and inaugurate fresh Civil
War? Where are those 20 gains to be made
Concede that the Rebel vote cast in defiance
of law in Maryland and Missouri is good for
5 of them, where will they gain the Is still
wanting? Shall New York or Pennsylvania,
Indiana or Ohio, contribute most to make up
the requisite number?
We call upon the people everywhere to
question the rival candidates for Congress
sharply and closely on this head.
1t will be seen that Mr.. Finnefrock answer
ed the question put to him in accordance W. tn
the Tribunes suggestion; and it now only re-
mains for us who are spectators of the stu
pendous drama to watch the elections and
count up the gains, or loses of the conserva-
tive party.
This at least seems clear-the Radicals are
bent upon IMpeachment.