The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-01

ton OF the court All the prisoners plead not guilty.
One witness was examined.
The Present Congress and the Next-The
Approaching Election.
The question as to who shall be the next
President seems to be the absorbing one and
there is no doubt it involves great issues and
important consequences affecting the future
of the republic. But there is another one to
be solved at the same time of still greater
Importance, and that is the character of the
next Congress. There is more noise made
about the Presidential election, because the
enormous patronage of the government is the
prize aimed at. The politicians, who do all
the convention and electioneering work, are
intent upon the Offices and the three or four
hundreds Of millions of spoils every year; and
that is the reason we hear so much more about
the Presidential election than the Congress
sional elections. But as regards the welfare
OF the country it is much more important to
elect conservative and an able Congress
1t requires no argument to make this clear; for
we have seen by the conduct of the present
Congress that the Executive is powerless-is a
mere cipher-when there is an overwhelm-
ing majority against him. A radical revo-
lutionary body like the present one
not only paralyzes the Executive, but
intimidates the Supreme Court and over
rides the constitution. Have we not seen
this done? Has not this branch of the govern
ment controlled the others in defiance of the
plain meaning and checks and balances of the
constitution In the hands of reckless
radical majority it has assumed all the despotic
powers of a legislative and governing conven-
ton, just as the Jacobin convention of revo-
lutionary France did. We have experienced
this remarkable anomaly in our republican and
federative system of government, that
political party which happens to have an
overwhelming majority in Congress for the
time can set aside the constitution and put its
heel upon both the Executive and Judiciary
with impunity. There is no remedy while
such Congress is in exist ence, and no appeal
but to the voice of the people. How vastly
important is 1t, then, for the people to pay
particular attention to the election of wise,
conservative and prudent representatives in
the place of those incompetent, violent,
revolutionary and corrupt men now in
Congress
With regard to the character and conduct
of members of the different parties or factions
there Is little difference. The republicans,
democrats, radicals and Know Nothings or
whatever else they may be called or call
themselves, are much alike. Few have any
capacity for legislation, some are di..-
grace to Congress and the counr> and
others are reckless revolutiQp'sts. Look
at the men who represent, or rather
misrepresent, this grea, metropolitan the
Woods, Brooks, Ycfrisseys and others, who
have been the mere tools of the radicals,
while pretending to be conservative. The
South might have been restored long ago but
for ,ns, stupidity They have been !ss : :.y;:
! " pso'-sed disunion and tho pr6Scriptive
onerous measures imposed upon the South by
playing into the hands of the radicals. Instead
Of having gentlemen Of experience, education
and wisdom to represent this metropolis, men
who understand the subject Of national finance
to represent this great financial and CONNER
cial centre, We have shoulder htters, little
scheming ward politicians and those notorious
as public plunderers Then look at such Jaco-
bins as Butler, Stevens, Schenck, Bingham,
Boutwell, and hundred others, who would
destroy the best government and ruin the fair
est country for party purposes and to crafty
their own passions and ambition. While them
the people are much exercised about the Presi-
dental election, we call upon them to pay the
greatest attention to the Congressional cleo
tions. The evil lies in Congress, and II is
there they must apply the remedy. Let them
lay the axe to the root of the tree. All these
old, incapable and corrupt Congressman should
be left at home, and new, better and ADLER
set be returned to gil their places. With such
change in the House of Representatives the
Jacobins of the Senate would be kept in check,
and with the revolution in public sentiment
which this would bring about the chars cter Of
the Senate itself would be changed In two or
three years. Congress is the Magdala of ini-
guilty, ignorance and oppression first to be
assaulted. II the people make clean sweep
there we may hope for a new reign Of peace,
union and prosperity.
What will be wanted particularly in the next
Congress is capacity to place the national
finances on sound basis. The Presidential
contest will be over in the course of few
months, and the country will be relieved of
| that political excitement for four vears after