Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-01-14
ALEXANDRIA.
TUESDAY EVENING, JANUARY a.

AIIAf11ND lOllls
TUESDAY EVENING, JANUARY IA.
CONGRESS- mounted q high horse, again,
yesterday-and rode at furious rate See
the abstract Of, the proceedings in another col
umn. The Senate sustained Stanton, and re-
fused to concur in his suspension from the Office
of Secretary Of War. The House passed bill
for the reconstruction of the Supreme Court
to suit the. present schemes of the Radical
party, requiring the assent of two-thirds OF the
Supreme Court in order to set aside as uncon-
stitutional law passed by Congress. AS the
Court. now consists Of eight members, being
thus fixed by Radical legislation, vote of six
out Of. the eight will be requisite to make two
thirds: Mr.. Garfield, of Ohio, attempted to
introduce a bill ''to. reduce and improve the
military establishment by the discharge OF one
mejor general-the one who was last commits
stoned in that grade before the lst OF January,
1868" This is mean method of attacking
Gen. Hancock, without mentioning his name,
as he is the major general indicated. The res
olution was not passed, but will be renewed on
Monday It does really seem as if the Radical
leaders were determined to go to the utmost
length In revolutionizing the government by
legislation. The New York Times, Radical
journal, declares that the extremists ARE reck-
less, if not desperate 1t adds that Tor twelve
months past they have been engaged in tying
the hands Of the President, and stripping him
of authority conferred by the Constitution /;
and now they are about to attempt the same
operation upon the Supreme Court with the
view of preventing an adverse decision upon
the reconstruction acts" It may we'll be asked
that, when the overthrow of such party-a
party which tramples on the Constitution be-
cause it impedes their policy-comes, as come
it must-what will be the fate of that policy
what the upshot of their plotting and legisla-
ting and usurping? The clouds were never
darker over the country, than they are at pre-
sent. The ominous mutterings of the storm
are heard and needed in the North;-for the
South, though it hears them, is passive, help
less and without power to interpose in any way
whatever If the country is to be saved the
reaction among the people of the North and
West, which has commenced, must go on
One OF the signs of the times is the present
course of the New York Herald. That paper
when it essays to lead public opinion-which is
but seldom on great political questions
finding that It's lead will not be followed, backs
down, and has no scruples in turning round
suddenly and completely upon the measures
and the men it had the week before praised and
recommended. But no,o, it has apparently
tried the public pulse at the North, and its at
tacks upon Congress are continued, systematic
and made with ON, and persistence which
shows that it feels it is ministering to popular
feeling. It's language is such as would not be
used at the South-or which, if used, in some
quarters there would lead to evil results. We
give specimen to show how, and in what way,
Northern press disoourses upon the psesent
situation of affairs:
There is hardly depth of political degreda
ton that its people have not sounded under bad
ical military rule, and they seem to feel that any
change may be possibly for the better. The
danger is to those who are still free. The dan
ger is, that as We grow daily in anarchy, as we
grow from bad to worse Under the mlsgovern-
ment of Congress that torgets it's plain duty
to the nation in the pursuit OF partisan schemes,
the people BY and BY may grow to envy even S
those who live under the tranquility OF des
potism, and may look on with satisfa ction when
the commander of an army posted to keep
down the Southern people (perhaps recruited
TO great extent in the Southern States) shall
suddenly march to Washington, seize the Cap
itol, and dispense that gathering, jabberlng,
corrupt, and contemplate rabble, the Congress
of the U. S.
Be it recollected, that this is voice from
the North; and that We quote it merely as
showing the influences at work there, to induce
the use Of such language and such reflections
These are utterances not from those who are
falsely represented to be 'hostile to the gov
ernment, "disunionists, y 'secessiouists,' and
"rebels''-but from men who have been and
are strong Union men, and up to this time, not
sympathizers with the South, or disposed to
any particular action in favor of the South.
Judge Chase, and some others of the JUS
tees of the Supreme Court, have hitherto
favored the policy of the Radicals. What will
the say now, when they find that the Radical
leaders, having Frustrated 10 a great degree
Executive authority, along with State Rights,
have commenced an assault upon the Supreme
Court itself How the Court will treat the
attack upon it's independence remains to be
seen. It has been asked, suppose the Court,
by majority of its members, declares the re-
construction acts constitutionally invalid, and
refuses to recognize as constitutional the law
defining the conditions Of a judgment? Will
Congress, having failed to legislate the Court
into compliance, undertake to legislate it out