Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-01-13
ALEXIAlI.NDRI:A.
MONDAY EVENING, January ls..

ALElAt1QND lGIt1.
MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY Isl i
The rNEwsa RECON- BILL. The
reconstruction COMMITTEES On Saturday removed
the injunction. Of secrecy as to- its proceedings,
and its members; we're permitted go giva pub
Lefty to any ORAL Of their proceedings. Anew
bill Was agreed on,eexpected 70 30 reported to
the House Of Representa- to-day: J. This
bill declares invalid 4and illegal 7the govern
ments existing, il tie Southern States
gives General Grant full supervisory power
the acts Of the military commanders in
those States, With authority TO remove them
if he think PROPER and detail, other; officers,
and also to remove any civil officers acting un-
der the existing Provisional Governments, 81
The Washington oorrespondents-of5 the Baltis
more SUD says shat upon taking a vote on the
new bill! proposing Provisional Governors, Civ
ing General Grsnt poNer to appoint military
commanders etc. i was found that the Rad
ical members were not all satisfied with il.
Mr.. Stevens voted against the bill because it
did not so far: enough, Mn, Brooks, Demo.
Graf, of course voted against it, being opposed
to the bill in totoSsa Ittsibslieyetf the measure
will pass in tte1House With SOME; :modifcatioh;
but the .a9senate,is not. expected. to favor il,
especially that section giying,to thesGeneral-in-
Chief po.er'to; remove military commanders.
This is obactedto ,bysome, Radical Senator'S as
Of doubtful conStitutionality. ss&rhe opposi-
ton of the Southern people to this and kin
dred measures, viii avail nothing The ruth.
less ndreokless Radical majority in Congress
will rather seize thatlopposition asa reason tor
passing the new Bill. But the voice Of remon;.
STRANGE is,alseady raisedin the North, from some
Of their own political friends and it ntay swell
louder and louder. The New York Times, calls
the course which the Radicals are now pureu
ing, 'disorganization not,reconstruction. The
Times sdds:4"Doubt no longer hangs over the
purposes Of The extremists. THE conferences
with Mr.4Steyens, the resolutions of Messrs:
Epson aud Boutwell, in the House, and the
more specific: proposition Of Mr.. Morton in the
Senate, all point to the same result. The re-
construction law is not to be allowed to run:its
course. It is to be- stopped on tbea plea that
it's working is not according to radical notions.
The whole question is to be reopened, and the
confusion that, exists. in; the South is to be
worse confounded' in order that early and
pescefulErestoration may be rendered impos-
ADle e-{i :. anisZ -.....- - aaA @&' :" "a
Under. the head Of I: Root Hog, or Die, the
New York Tribune, has leading editorial
upon the distress now prevailing in the; South
ern States The editor admits the suffering
precisely as it is represented, but protests in:
the most emphatic language against any sat
tempt to mitigate the existing or the prospee-
tive distress by. national contributions for the
relief of the sufferers" That there may be no
mistake as e his position, he goes over the
ground In detail, s. The niggers won't work,
the old planting aristocracy are neither able
nor willing to pay fairly for black, labor ';the
plantation economy is breaking down, y "the
planting system: is a, failure" tsthe niggers
steal-yes, they do, After celebrating each
Of these fpeints, the editor continues: "WeI
look the. crisis full in the face eve proclaim
that the South is =wretchedly. i cor, and that
many of Fiber people are now, or soon will be,
suffering for want Of food J; and still we say
Root Hog,or, Diel" This he repeats in vari-
Gus forms, and sums up with, it at the close =
1.-THE best that the nation can do is to say
promptly, peremptorily, concldsively, to the 1
South-tn whites and blacks alike-Root Hog,
or Die saf This issvery cool and comfortable,
list n it ! stand yet the editor Of the Tribune,
has, it is said, generous impulses sometimes
and was Lately nominated by President John
son as U, S. Minister to Austria .,,r. i,
The cases before the Supreme Court, involv-
ing the constitutionality of the Reconstruction
laws, attract much attention, and there are va
rious reports as to the expected decision Of the
judges. We confess We have not much hope.
o. Friday, Mr.. Black, moved the Court to ad-
vance the McArdle case (McA was arrested in
Mississippi by order, Of Gen. Ord for publish
ing stricturessupon his public conduct, so hat
it might he taken up at once Attorney Gen
eral Stanbery was present, and stated that a.
he had advised the President that these acts Of
Congress were unconstitutional, he coull not
conduct Che case for the Government. This
fact he had communicated to Gen; Grant, and
the atterwas making arrangements to have
counsel appear on the part of Gen. Ord, The
ms,ter will, it is thought, come up again on
Friday next. It is said that when the Mis-
sissipri case was before the Court last session
Chief Justice Chase wrote an opinion sustain
ing the Reconstruction laws, but the majority.
of the Court dissented, and decided the case on
= technical point. .. (2) In the meantime, it is
significantly added, that it is probable Con-.
gress will take action il the matter BY passing
. bill requiring that two thirds of the Judges