The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-06-29

The first session Of the Fortieth Congress
terminated under joint resolution that the
two houses meet again on the first Wednes-
day in July next; but that, unless there
be q quorum present on that day In each
house, the adjournment shall be continued to
the regular first Monday In December. The
object of this resolution was, first, to provide
against the apprehended contingency of some
embarrassments In the execution of the recon-
struction laws from the Presidents unqualified
hostility to those measures and, secondly, to
enable the members Of the two houses, by gen.
eral consent, to dispense with the proposed
July session, should intervening events justify
this alternative. It was the general belief,
from intervening events till the middle Of June,
that this conditional July session would 60 by
| default, SO satisfactorily was the work
Of reconstruction progressing under each
Of the commanders OF the FIVE South
ern military districts. But then, with the
PRONUNCIATION from his Attorney General Of the
Presidents Interpretation of these reconstruc-
ton laws. so widely at variance with the
manifest intentions Of Congress, universal
conviction, North and South, Immediately fol-
lowed that there would not only be quorum
in each house on the Sd of July, but some new
measure or measures of Legislation SO positive
and clear in their provisions as to admit Of
neither evasion nor misconstruction by Presi-
dent, Cabinet or Attorney General.
Such was the general impression throughout
the country, even in the remotest corners of the
South, as we are assured from the reading of
Attorney General Stanbery's pron,nciamiento
defining the metes and bounds of the Southern
military district commanders. All doubts
upon the subject are now at an end. 1t is
fixed that there will be quorum in each
house on Wednesday next, and as the two
houses are already organized we may safely
assume that their first proceeding will be the
despatch of joint committee to the White
House to inform the President that Congress is
in session and ready to receive any communi-
cation he may have to submit.
In response to committee Of this sort at
the opening Of the March session, although
the initial session Of the Fortieth Congress, the
President had nothing to say. He had no con-
gratulations to offer, nor any recommendation
or remonstrance. He had defined his position
No. l, and the new Congress- without much
loss Of time, proceeded to define it's position
in Reconstruction bill No. Q, or the supple
mental bill to No. l. Now, in bis execution
of these measures, the President in diverging
from the line of march adopted by the War
Office and the five military commanders, cam
not very well escape the duty of some ex-
PLANTATION to Congress. The very presence Of
Congress, under the circumstances, will involve
an accusation Of inidelity against him, in fail
ing to /" take care that the laws be faithfully
executed" We think it most probable, there
fore, that be will have q message to submit in
vindication Of his recent course, under the
opinions Of his Attorney General, as next in
order to an opinion from the Supreme Court
But, with or without message from the
Executive, we may safely assume that the
treatment Of his Attorney Generals opinions
by Congress will be 'short, sharp and deci-
sive." General Sheridan will be applauded,
and General Pope, General Siokles, General
Schofeld and General Ord will be endorsed as
good and faithful officers, and We dare say that
the existing laws, as executed by them respeo-
lively, even to the removal Of refractory
civilians will be explicitly reafirmsd by Con-
gress. Beyond some such stringent explana-
tory act of reconstruction, embracing, perhaps,
an ultimatum to the rebel States, we expect
little or nothing from this extraordinary
session The meeting Of Legislative body in
the northern temperate zone, in the cheated
term" Of July, is suggestive Of . revolutionary
crisis, and July, attested in the revolutionary
chapter Of France, the United States and other
countries, is the most revolutionary month in
the calendar. There will be enough, however,
Of revolution in single reconstruction bill for
the ensuing session Of Congress. The Presi-
dents construction Of the existing laws has
placed the ten rebel States completely in the
hands Of the republican party, and Congress,
after carefully providing to hold those States in
this position, may safely adjourn till October or
December.
The impeachment committee are said to be
actively at work again in examining witnesses
and in hunting up evidence for the conviction
Of Andrew johnson Of certain "high crimes and
misdemeanors" demanding his removal. But
Mr.. johnson need not be alarmed. He Is too
useful to the republican party where he is to
be removed, and there are men who think that
substituting the Hon. Ben Wade for the rem
nant of his term would be jumping out Of the
frying pan into the fire. Nor do we apprehend
even a serious agitation in July Of the confsca-
ton scheme Of "Old Thad Stevens" A speech
from the old man will serve till the next ses-
sion the purpose of the radical electioneering
game among the Southern blacks. Greeley,
we fear, is asking more than will be conceded,
in asking that the door be closed between them
and their expected free farms before their
votes are secured in all the processes Of recon-