Middletown transcript., 1869-04-17
The Work OF Congress.

One. of the few public events which war
rants the press in congratulating the coun-
try has just occurred in the adjournment
of Congress. The sum of its doing seems
to be that it has cut down the army some
what, for how long it is of course impossi-
BILE to predict; made surly compromise
on the civil tenure law; removed disabili-
ties of some of its own partisans in the
South, (though second bill for the same
purpose finally failed, extended to the
whisky men the time for the payment of
the tax on spirits in bond, and given the
Executive indefinite power to spend some
millions for rivers and harbors, experiment
tai Indian policy, &c. Its brief session
has not been devoted to measures of ma
tional concern until near the close of the
session, when, having shirked the ques-
tions connected with the reconstruction of
the still excluded States, the President
threw upon Congress the responsibility in
his message, declaring that as an act of
justice and of policy, the time had come
for putting them in the way of rcsuming
their former relations to the government.
The prompt response of the House to this
message, giving General Grant full au-
thority to take action in futherance of this
object, while it conveyed vast power, in
dicated that the House had come to
somewhat more healthful mind on the SUBJ
ject of the political rehabilitation of the ex-
cluded States. The message of the Pres
ident and the action of the House seem to
have impaired great satisfaction, as far as
heard from, in the South. The Virginia
conservative press generally expressed
their approval heartily. The message of
the President was also approved by the
better class of the republican press of the
North.
The Senate, however, which was once
the conservative branch of Congress, has
ungraciously numbered the action of the
House with new compulsory feature,
which received the opposition of all the
democratic and conservative members of
that body. This was the amendment pro-
posed by Mr.. Morton, and which was f.
nally passed by both bodies, requiring the
excluded States to accept the proposed fif-
teenth amendment to the constitution of
the United States as condition precedent
to restoration. After taking action on
their constitutions, and, if adopted, Gin
whole or in part, as proposed) electing
Legislatures under them, then the Legis-
latures must accept this amendment, or all
that has been done passes for nothing.
The theory of the constitution is that the
States shall make amendments by their
own voluntary action, but this amendment
to the bill is an attempt to compel the now
excluded States, Virginia, Mississippi and
Texas, } in certain direction, and through
them to force an amendment upon the con-
stitution affecting the whole country, and
which without this compulsory process,
might not perhaps be adopted. The same
policy has been pursued heretofore in re-
gard to the fourteenth amendment to the
federal constitution, but here is one more
exacting than was imposed upon the States
that have been reconstructed. The sub
ject, however, in the present case is one
which the States to whom it is proposed,
will probably consider chiefly with refer
ence to their own interests. and as they al
ready have the question of colored suffrage
practically settled for them, may not deem
this requirement an inseperablc obstacle to
action. 1t may be that they will consider
it well to make haste, lest something else
be required. Georgia it had been propos-
ed to reduce to a state of bctweenity on ac-
count of not having done more than she
was ordered to, and the excluded States
may possibly take hint from her exam
pie. Whilst the President has been ves-
ted with great power by the action of Con-
gress, it is better perhaps, in this matter,
that it be so than notwithstanding that
it is done in conformity with a more libe-
raj disposition manifested by the Executive
towards the excluded States than had pre-
vailed with Congress heretofore. General
CRAFTS initiative has been taken in defer
ence to hose States where separate vote
is required on those clauses of their con-
which transcend the requirements
of the reconstruction laws, and the spirit
which has prompted him will be likely to
be cordially reciprocated. -Ealt. Sun.
FACTS ABOUT THE CUBAN REyoLUT1oN.