American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1867-11-23
MEETING OF CONGRESS.

oNCi oiN iHOitIIS Oltt, anu llllS W III W
, the third session. On the first Mon
day in December there will be {
, fourth, as fixed by law, and after
, wards fifth, which would, in regular
course, be the second. 1t is current
. ~ reported and believed that the
} political managers of the majority
party have decided, as part of theil
programme of the next canvass tt
: have a continuous session, without
adjournment, until after the Presi
dental election, next November, and
If party emergencies need it, unit
the 4th of March thereafter. The
legislative machine has been operat
ing for several years in the capacity
of a party convention. Its laws
have been dictated by party caucus,
and shaped without disguise in the
interest of party. 1t has the army
employed in propagating radicaliSm
by the bayonet, in the Southern
States, and has a number of Official
commi tees perambulating the coun-
try in search of material with which
to get mp SENSATIONS for party use.
The presence of Congress, therefore,
at Westinghouse superntend its own
work in President making may be
required, especially in the critical
condition into which the party has
been brought by the surprising re-
suits of the recent elections. If, as
is openly threatened by Wade, Ash,
ley, Logan. Sumner, Stevens and
others of the fierce leaders, who have
hitherto dictated to Congress, there
is to be 10 giving back on the con
gressional policy, but the opportuni-
ty is to be seized to fix it on the
country while accidental power is
| able, at the same time to thwart the
public will aud save itself, it may
well be considered the height of rash
ness in Congress to disperse before
the thing is accomplished. Persever-
ance in the Radical policy will i'm
pose the necessity of 4 permanent
sitting of Congress. This is what
the Radicals contemplate, and had
begun making preparations for it
before their confidence in the future
was shaken by the demonstrations
all round, of popular revolt against
them, and when they supposed they
had only President without par
ty as an impeachment to their abso-
lutte power over the constitution and
among the electors.
There are good many signs
abroad that large masses of the par
ty and leading men among them have
begun to see things in different
light since the elections, and are not
unwilling to recede from grounds
which have proved to be unsafe, and
may be untenable. But signs and
expressions Of the sort are not at all
decisive of any line of conduct to he
expected; for it has happened sew
era' times that very loud expressions
Of dissent from the Republican poll
cy, and Of angry remonstrances
against the authors as the mcrest
architects Of ruin, have ended in
unanimous submission to the dictat.
ed will of the majority, and active
cooperation in carrying into effect
the measures most emphatically de-
nounced. Such things may happen
again; from the frequency with which
they have happened, there would in
deed be increased reason to expect a
repetition of the same recreancy, but
for an important change of the posi-
ton. When in 1865 and in 1866 the |
Radical machine was laundering OH
with fearful momentum, it was dan
gerous to attempt to get off, and some
did not know where to go by if they
did succeed IN the effort. The belief
was that they were all carried for
ward by an irresistible force. which
1t was folly to resist. But there is a
very different state of things now.
The machine is losing it's velocity,
the managers are sensible of a slack
ing of the power, aud there is NIGH
ty and combined effort to put on the
brakes, and displace the frantic agen
cleS who have run it so wildly. Con
scienti0uS men need no longer shrink
III mere hOpelesSneSS from efforts to
arrest the course of ruin, and pUliti
clans can see a safe place OF efuge in
the protecting arms of a people who
will receive and reward all who come
out of the ranks of destructivenesS,
and help TO rr-eStabliSh order. Ii
wi | be a different thing in 1867
for Republicans to organize revolt
against Radicalism, from what it was
in 1866, when the whole country
seemed to be held in bondage to
tyrannical and proscriptive faction.
This is our best ground for hoping ;
that he session of Congress, which
meets tomorrow, may begin to see
the reaction which has rebuked ex.
in every part OF the country
whenever the people cOnld reach
hem by vote, and have its CORES
Donding effect in strengthening those
members of Congress who have been
IOtnriOuSly reluctant in following |
The dictatiOn of the ultras. and who
nay now feel sure of the applause of
he country and the support of their I
Iwn c0nStitueI cy in resisting the {
'urther pro >rcutiOn of schemes they
lSapprove. {
Bciug only an adjourned session
o-muEruw the President. if he fol {
owS usage. will not send in any mes {
age, except in explanation of some {
particular act which may cone up I
Immediately. The department re- t
,ortS will also he probably reserved
or the regular session. |
Stevens is on hand with some very $