The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-03-27
The Party ef Acttess.

II Is true that the great cry Of "re-action"
ct up BY the oOpperheads during the last two
years uas too potent to Be ignored and too
positive to be wholly resisted. But they made
mistake in calculating that "rs-sctiOn" to b
dissent from the policy Of the Reconstruction
acts adoptcirby Congress. The majority Of the
people Of the country believe to-day and have
believed that Congress ". right in theory; but
they did believe that Congress was not right In
practice, and they believed rightly. We have
been among the few members Of the republican
prsss throughout the country. that have not
hesitated to prvdlct the ultimate defeat Of the
republican psrty. unisss 1t adopted different
policy Of action than that which has character
i,ei II for two years past. ..,... +,
For man 10 b pAssively good ID one thing
to b actively right, Is an entirely different
thing. II Congress is right and has tho power
as IL claims. decide upon and settle the status
Of the rebel Estates, every reason under heaven
calls upon Il to do It's duty. and not shuttle along
at what has unfortunately been for the party ga
dying rate" presenting to the world Congress
bandying words with traitor. and trying to
stop his refreshments with Partington
broom. Had no been impeached and Dot aside
two years ago, Is he ought to have been. and a.
Is now admitted by majority Of thOss who re-
sisted impeachment then, the country would
now be in profound peace, and the whole num-
Der Of States would b concoriant and indus
trial.
The New Hampshire election Is significant
II not only teaches US that an important crisis
Is upon the country. but that when great issues
are at stake, when momsntous interests are at
the mercy Of favOring or displeasing gales, posi-
tive and bold action is necessary to secure sue
cess. We believe that New Hampshire, with a
like effort on the part Of the cOpperheals, would
have been lost to US, II not wholly, at least
practically, had the election taken place in De-
cember last. The "e-action" In this State in
September was not entirely owing to the ad-
vanced legislation upon temperance. There was
lack Of something positive, something for the
people to grasp hold Of. on the part Of the
Congressional policy, which brought too much
apathy along with ii to secure that success which
should not have in il some element Of defeat.
We do not say that the significant action taken
by Congress in the impeachment Of johnson Is
the all in all Of future active duty, but We do
say that II gives more assurance Of some sta
bility, something worth fighting for, than all
that Congress has done for the last two years,
in that its action Is clear. express, decisive and
performed.
That man or that body Of men who are con-
tent to act upon the defensive only, are not exec
utivs men, nor are they practical men. II your
character Is assaulted, turn to and horsewhip the
assailant and give him something real to talk
about, else live Il down; but don't spend your
time in playing "bat and shuttleeoek" with an
enemy. And yet this last Is what Congress has
done with johnson prior to the present time,
and he has succeeded in "bottling up" Con-
gress as etfectually as Gen. Butler was bottled
up at Bermuda Hundred, because II felt obliged
to defend itself. while II should have wiped out
the sggressor instead. When Lee marched
North to Gettysburg he was nearer victory than
since Bull Run battle. While our army watched
his across the RappahanOck river, the rebel
army was a. strong as ours, and would have 50
continued, had that war policy Of ours not been
d.,.r,r;ncJ When Grant was the apvressor and