The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-09-15

Fears and Purposes orthe Radical
Lchders-The Union Party and
the Philadelphia Convention
Letter from the Hon. HI. J. Ray
mOpd.
WAsn1NaroN. Monday. July 16.

olitlCdt IuulcS are utto 10 HiisShlO'-
Gus in their way as panics in an army
Parties are demoralized, and sometimes
routed by the apprehension of dangers
that prove to have been wholly imaginary
Sometimes, too, these fears create the
dangers they dread, and thus fulfill their
own predictions. The Union party in
Congress is just now experiencing panic
of moee than usual severity, and its ac-
ton under the circumstances does more
credit TO its zeal than to its discI etion.-@s
You may have noticed the passage in the
House, few days since, OF resolution
offered by General Paine, of Wisconsin,
calling on the States to organize, discl-
pline and equip their militia, aud direct
ing that two-thirds of the arms, ordnance
and ammunition, now under custody of
the General Government, be distributed
among the States--the distribution among
the loyal States to take place immediate
| ", and that among the States lately IN
rebellion to be postponed until further or
ders. The resolution came up from the
| Committee on Military Affairs, aud was
pushed to vote, without debate or de-
lay, under the previous question. 1t at
tracted as little attention in Congress as
it has in the country, and the pubho Will
doubtless receive with incredulity the as
surance that it was intended by those who
secured its passage as the first step toward
preparation for another civil war. Al
though no debate was had upon 1t, men,
bers were urged to vote for it by direct
conversational appeals on the floor on the
part of the few who were priTy to ITS IN
PRODUCTION. Some were told that 1t was
necessary to enable the Southern loyalists
to protect themselves; others that 1t was
simply matter of deal in the War De
partment; others that the arms must be
taken out Of the hands of the President
and others that it was proposed at the in
stance of the Secretary Of War. An ap-
peal was made by Mr.. Kasson, Of Iowa,
to allow debate upon 1t, as it seemed to
be matter Of importance-but this was
refused.
Most of the leading and rejecting
Radicals in Congress take this view OF
the political future If the fall elections
result in the choice of Northern Demo
Gratis enough to constitute, when added
to the members from the Southern States,
i majority of the House, they assume
that this majority, thus constituted, will
claim to be the Congress, and will act ac-
cordingly, and that they will be recognized
by the President as the body to which he
viii send his message, and whose sessious
he will, if the necessity should arise, pro
tect by military force. They assert, on
the other hand, that the Union members
from the loyal States-if they constitute
majority from those States-will claim
to be the only legal Congress, and will, II
necessary, invoke an insurrection OF the
people 10 maintain them IN that position
They do not In the least conceal their pur
pose, in the event Of such collision, tc
Iappeal to force. and to "drive the rivaI
Congress, with the President and his Cab
met and supporters, into the Potomac,
to use the language Of one of the abies
and most sincere of their number. II
you will recall the remarks Of Mr.. Bout
: we'll, of Massachusetts,, in last week !
. first CAUCUS, you will see this movement
clearly eshadowed-indeed avowed.-
He declared his belief that an issue o.
force Was rapidly approaching, and tha
we must be prepared to meet it. he acts
, and all who Cooperate with him in these
measures profess TO act under tie appre
hensiOn that the President intends to re
, sort to force that he means tc disPers'
, the present Congress on its re-assemblin:
| in December, if it refuses to admit tn
Southern members; and Mr. Farnswortl
ascribed to Mr. Seward the declaration
!. that this Congress should never re-assem
ible unless the Southern members Wer
admitted, in support Of this belief.
need scarcely say that Mr.. Seward neve
made any remak Of the kind, nor that tn
project ascribed to the President is purel
an invention, or at best the crazy dream
of political nightmare. But in eithe
case it serves the same purpose. 1t covers
and is held to justify, the determinatio
to arouse the North, and prepare for re
sort to force upon the assembling Of th
40th Congress in extra or regular session
Z and this determination is ayowed. An
the resolution to which l have referred
for an organization of the militia and
distribution of arms in the Norther
States is the initial step to its execution
l do not propose to comment upon th
result Of such movement. 1t is obViou
a that if any such contingency should arise
the war would not be sectional, as was tn
last it would be a war of political pal
" ties and of neighborhoods. Not onl
have the great body of the Union part
in Congress no sympathy with these view
{. and purposes, but they are in the mai
" ignorant and incredulous of their exis
to ence.
That the extreme Radicals entertai
20 them, however, there is not the slighes
% doubt, and we know, from the experienc
of secession in 1861, how few men
sometimes requires to plunge great part
T. or great natien into war.
T. The Philadelphia Convention is anotl
n er source of panic to the Union part,
By the Radicals of whom have spokel
it is regarded as intended to pave the wa
no for bringing Northern Democrats an
= Southern rebels into close concert of a
IS ton under the protection of the Presiden
at the opening of the next Congress, fl
the purposes referred to above. And
re nearly the whole Union party, as repr
sented here, it is believed that the obje
is to break up the Union organization an
pit form new party, which shall embra'
Northern Democrats. Southern rebel
- and such portions of the Union party
: may be detached from the old organic