Weekly Trinity journal., 1868-03-14
WEEKLY TRINITY JOURNAL.
The Pulse OF Congress.

1t is an American citizens duty to make an
occasional visit to Westinghouse only for the
sake of seeing with what little wisdom the
world is governed" True, one NAV generally
see this by staying at home-particularly if one
lives in about New York But WASHINGTON is
more ambitious city it tries to govern not
only itself, but the nation and fails in both
functions The men whom send to Washing
ton to rule become eminent for being ruled The
influences exerted by the Federal capital are
small compared with the influences exerted on
It, Take, for instance, the House of Represen-
tatlves. An interloper who smuggles himself
into its cloak-room to make observations is as
tonlshed at two things: first, that members
have so little regard for the opinions of each
other; and, second, that they have so great
regard for the opinions of the outside world.
When conversing with friend, representative
is not likely to say, Mr. Bingham's opinion is
this, or @ Mr.. Boutwell's is that - but, " A
correspondent of mine in Ohio writes this, or
ga lawyer in Massachusetts writes that" In
fact, if wishes to be influential with Con-
gress, let him avoid being member of it.
Last week, during brief soj0urn at Washing
ton, we saw what we have seen many times be-
fore-the amazing anxiety of Congress to know
the daily mood of the popular mind. That rep
resentatives should diligently watch the VIII OF
their constituents is honorable and praiseworthy
but that the courage and frmness of the Ma
tional Legislature should go up and down like
thermometer, and vary not only from week TO
week, but from day to day. is not to be COM
mended, but rebuked. Some of best
in both Houses are notorious for taking hope
full view of affairs At one hour of the day, and a
Respondent view at the next. Such unsteadi-
of mind begets uncertainty of action.
Great men are self-poised under defeat under
victory. Hope is excellent, but courage is
indispensable, quality in a statesman. Thad-
deus Stevens is broken OLD man, who has lost
his faculty Of hope, but who can never relax his
nerve of courage. Too many of his compeers
keep hoping for just reconstruction but keep
f;nchng in the execution of it. Congress has
three days of fabbiness to of strength The
President, if he had lifted hand against Mr.
Stanton any day last week, would have been i'm
peached in half an hour. Knowing this, he
kept himself, like tortoise within his she'll
But Mr.. Johnson, like all other men, knows that
there are recurrent periods during which, for
some unaccountable reason, Congress is nothing
bit wet rag, and may be wrung with impunity.
Perhaps n few days hence shall see Congress
once again coward, and the President once
again bully.
Nevertheless, while the present spasm of en-
ergy lasts, let US chronicle it with golden words
of praise. At various former periods we have
seen our national legislators in various stages of
moral strength and weakness; but we never saw
them more brave, manly and determined than
they appeared last week. Their faces wore an
uncommonly CHEEKY look, showing that their
hearts were beating uncommonly high Let the
country and Congress reanimate each others
breasts, and reunite in an invincible determine
ton to Squelch the wrnked-browed renegade
who scowlS at both from his Presidential chair.
-Ner York I7dependent