, 1866-07-13
NUMBER 30.
'RscOnstruOtIon a. the Latest Dates,

| OF lne builders of the Touar rof
baoei, no one OF whom understood word of
the Language spoken by any other. of tbs wsh
OF Penelope, who, to elude her lovers ravplIed
out IN the night all that she woye by dSv. 81 NJ
Witenes 10 Macbeth, every one of whom threw a
ulnerenl ingredient into the caldrou in which
sney cooked their bubbling "hell-brotb:" of Tho
frog at the bottom of the we'll who inmnod 50
lnree ieet every dSl and fell back two everr
nlghti OF the stone Of S|syphus; of the tnssIa r
.ne aogs IN the Had, Nall tugging with tb.ir
leelh 10 different ways around the circpmfst
eS0g oi rotten hide, to see which would carry
on the prizes Of Barnum's "happy familSn ~
cogs, cats, monkeys, snakes, rats euineayni..
oarn-door fowl, bears, foxes and whatnot 81,
"pigging together in the same truckIe. he'd =, ~
punctuation marks shaken on a couposition
rom pePper-box; of the definition of wit which
makeslt consist Of ideas which are astopisbo5
at hnding themselves in each others connanS.
Ou' All images Of things incongruous, iaTrin9
dlssentient, all examples of abortiye efForts opd
work ever beginning, undoing, renewipg,.van-
lSnlng ere one eau say it lightens," sbrink
Gua aoAsneG before the higgledy-piggledy contriv-
! 'hgs ana ccunter-contrivings; the iumbling nro
posals, amendments, Withdrawals; 5; the endless
uITssing, undressing, and redressing, of what ia
calIed IN Congress Reconstruction. ~
IL would require more diligence possibly more
aritnmeuc, than we are masters of to bring 10,
s1suet ana compute all the niultitudinous
sehemes broached by Republicans during tho
session. What was once ieeripolv said oS tbo
London Times, that it had three hundred and
! slxty-hve different opinions on every nos.ihIo
SUBJECT, one on each for every day in the year
10 POor ana barren compared to the predictions
.gItIity -sur passing that of 'the sow of impe-
RAJ apgrry' of this teeming Congress. The
swarming secrs Of new lights satirized in Hnd;.
oras as proceeding, in their fanaticaI innoys-
tions,
''As if religion were intended
For nothing but to be mendedn ,
were less given to unsettle, resettle. and then
again upset, the gospel which it was their chief
duty to obey, than the thinkers at Wasbinaton
are to "transmogriy" the Constitution which
they have all solemnly sworn to support They
act as if the Constitution 'swere intended TO-
nothing bit 10 be mended;" as if it were a hall
OF political putty on which it is 'the chief duty
OF man, - at least of a Congressman IN train
his prentice hand in moulding it, frst into this
shape, then into that, fastidious and freaky
'god-smlths used to change the form of their
idols 1t may be said that their Intentions ara
good. But a certain place, of which it may not
oe pest 10 take too near view, is paved with
good intentions-not abortive Intentions merely,
but executed intentions in which dampable acts
proceeded from worthy motives Such is lieinp
LOT the glory OF God, or propagating the gospel
OF mercy by persecution, or torturing- mems
bodies for the good of their souls; crimes which,
brs' OJsfj ssD6NIoR s iv,lb uUpe uaAIug \
ter. Our wel-intentioned Congressman resem-
BILE the well-intentiOned daughters of Jason,
who cut their venerable father in pieces and
boiled him in pot, in the hope that he would
come out renewed in youth-an expectation
which was not realized.
All this infinite diversity of conflicting views,
which has prevailed in Congress as to what
ought to be done, proves that there is no neces-
sity for doing anything. On things really me-
cessary, it is more easy to agree than to differ.
II was necessary that the rebel State govern
ments in the South should be supplanted by
loyal ones; and the necessity not being fanciful
but zeal, there was no difference of opinion, and
the substitution was made by common consent.
1t was also necessary, seeing that slavery had
been overhrown by the war, confessedly in
fact, but not unquestionably in law, that the
subject should be put beyond.future controver-
sy by giving to the admitted fact stable legal
foundation. This necessity was, under the cir+
cumstances, real, and no voice raised in
opposition to it, Things fundamental in politics,
like things fundamental in religion, are more
easily agreed upon than non-essentials. Tho
Radicals find it hard TO agree on further condi-
tons of admission, because no further conditions
are necessary. ,-..
Since the Senate caucus, there begins, at
last, to be some prospect that Congress may set
tie on the reconstruction scheme, as the caucus
has amended it. Like people who try to make
a meal of crabs, the Radicals have great heap
of shell for mouthful of meat Their single
mouthful of meat is the party advantage of CIV
ing to the negroes a weight in federal politics,
eltner positive OF negullFei Corresponding 70
their numbers. All else in their constitutional
amendment of six sections, is 'sleather and pru-
nello." To make sure that the national debt
shall be raid and the rebel debt not paid, re-
quires no constitutional amendment Such stuff
is mere dress to hide the nakedness of the negro
provision F7en the proposal to render ex-rebel
officeholders ineligible to Congress and to be
chosen Presidential Electors amounts to moth
ing; or at most, only to impotent revenge. If
such men do not go to Congress themselves,
they will dictate who shall. Make them all eli
gibie, and they will neutralize and nulify each
others influence by their mutual jealousy and
envy. Exclude them, and you knit them all to-
gether in a common cause; and by their control
over public sentiment the men sent to Congress
will be their tools, and vote as they bid them.
Excluding them from being Presidential Elec-
tors is simply ridiculous From the beginning
of the government, Presidential Electors have
been mere passive tools of their political party:
They have never had the shadow Of free agency
or independent choice. ..,.,ia an.
The whole purpose of the proposed amend
ments is simply to make the Southern negroes
count in national politics. If they do not vote,
the South will lose a proportional number Of
Representatives, which will be relative gain
to the Radicals. If the negroes do vote, the
Radicals expect them to vote with their patty,
and thus furnish positive instead Of negative
aid. To propose naked negro suffrage as an
amendment to the Constitution, would be great
deal more direct and simple, and it would have
Just as good chance of ratification.
~-~@~-~---<0%--~----~->-~>
THE Rev. E. B. Fairchilds says that while
in Palestine, he met, on the bank Of the
river Jordon, two English clergymen filling
an assortment of cans and bottles with water
from the river The water was intended for,
the baptism Of children, cn their return home,r.
and one remarked that it would pay the ex,
penses of his tour to the Holy Land-as ha o
would not baptise child with it for less
than "a note.
THE latest fashionable collar for gents has
turned down corners, on which appear dogs
and hogs heads. These figures are repeated
Al. -..-:.hLan1a Tho shirf iksalf ia anok.