Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-03-14
Tn. rh,rty-Nin In cs>srs.1.
tFrom Harper's weeki.

The Tbirty-ninth Congress lIas been ss
fiercely denounced rs any legislative body
in history. From the President of the
United States down to the smallest Cop
perhead cur, its enemies have constantly
snarled or ,growled or snapped, while its
friends have been often impatient and
complaining, forgetting how necessarily
and wisely slow the action of such body
at such time ought to be.
The first thing that strikes the observer
of this Congress il that IL had no proper
leader, while 1t had many noted and able
men. There was no Conspicuous figure
like Henry Clay or Mr.. Gladstone. Mr..
Thaddeus Stevens, by his age, his long
fidelity 10 the principles of the dominant
party, his uncompromising spirit, his dis
tinct purpose, and certain personal
force, was the most prominent member
of the House. But Mr.. Stevens seldom
carried bis points, A true leader must
command the general confidence of his
followers, but this Mr.. Stevens never did.
There was no. doubt of his sincerity, as
there was none of his purpose but there
was doubt of his general good sense and
Of the sagacity, of his Judgment. His
tongue was remorseless his sarcasm
stung like hail but he is no leader who
exasperates instead of conciliates fall
tering follower. The general direction
of Mr.. Stevens was that of the House
and of the country, and upon the great
questions all moved together-not al
ways, however, without protest from
him. Hearty genial, Of an undaunted
spirit, and Of the sharpest speech, Mr..
Stevens will be always one OF the MEM
orable figures of this Congress, and al
ways honored for his sturdy loyalty to
the great cause. % Nothing is more comic
nj than thn rait Iratt.p nf him hxr
rebel letter-writers, who saw in him the
I Rohespierre of the time. Mr.. Stevens Is
as like Robspierre as the city of Wash
fington to-day is like old Paris. He ia
just as much Robespierre as the present
situation of the country is a reign of
terror. 'Al.ls 2 ..' .i-.gt
Turning from its men to its acts, the
great monuments of the Thirty-ninth
! Congress are seen to be the Civil Rights
| bill, the pending Constitutional Amend
ment, the District Suffrage bill, and the
| Reconstruction bill. They are the most
| important acts of legislation in our his
| tory, with the sole exception of the Eman-
! cipation Amendment; for they provide
for the equal rights of all citizens of the
! United States, complete the work of
emancipation, and secure the results of
! the war. These laws were the fruit of
careful investigation and wise delibera-
ton. Their inspiration was the wish and
conviction of the people, which, rs we
understand it, no Congress ever more
| truly represented than this. They are
! notimperiled by transcendingin the least
/ the popular sentiment. The plain dam
ger of Congress at time like the last
| two years is emotional legislation. 1t Is
in peril of enactipg hasty, crude laws,
which return to plague their supporters,
But this misfortune has been avoided
The very conditions of the situation,
| which seemed so threatening, have been
propitious. The certainty of a veto upon
every wise and humane measure of re-
construction has forced Congress to be
wary and to frame only such laws as
should be sure of the twO-thirds VOTE
1t has marched, therefore, even-paced
with the people, and they have approved
what the President vetoed.
Lastly, tile Thirty-ninth Congress will
he always memorable its contest with
the President. In all y Parliamentary
governments at some time this contest
has developed itself and the Executive
has been conquered. But while in other
countries the contest has been often fear
full, in ours it has been simply ludicrous.
The President, supported by the Secre.
tary of State, undertook to absorb the
most essential function of the supreme
power Of Congress, and to sustain and
Vindicate their extraordinary action
which was sheer usurpation-by destroy
ing the great party which had victorious
ly. finished the war, and forming q new
one composed of the late rebels, theil
Northern allies, and the camp followers
Of the loyal host. Doubtless it was the
Executive intention If a clear majority
of a Congress had not been elected by the
Union party, to recognize body com
posed of rebels and Northern Copper
heads as theCongress of theunited States
and doubtless, also, many weak persons
supported the Philadelphia movement il
the hope of avoiding trouble by yielding
to the maker of trouble. For a moment
and for moment only, the plot seemed
threatening; then it utterly niiscarried
amidst the mingled Indignation and con
tempt of the loyal people which ii pro
posed to betray. The political ruin Of the
chief conspirators was moro sudden anC
total than has ever been known. Con
gresswas striunphantly sustained. WheI
it assembled it appeared that, while the
Democratic party tactically supported
the Executive against the Union party
they cared for him as little; and thu
President, who was elected by q vast ant
hearty majority, and who had one of thu
few great opportunities in history, ha
no Congressional supporters whateve
but few political lhermaphrodites whos'
names will scarcely survive the session
The virtual reelection Of Congress wa
the sentence of the President. He ha
not yielded indeed, for mind whicl
could be Blind to sogreat an opportunit.
would not be likely to see a smaller one
But his persistence has been of true ser
vice to the country, not only in the wa,
we have already mentioned, but by com