The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-04-12
cur Washington Correspondence.



THE WORK OF TuR SESSION.
Though much was left undone by the Con-
gress that closed Its frat session yesterday,
II certainly consummated much more bona
ads legislation than was expected Of II under
the circumstances under which 1t met on the
| 4th Of March ultimo. The facts that II was
the dccouchSr Of new national Adminlstra-
tion, as 1t were, and also that very large
portion Of Its members were new TO their pc.
sitlon and duties, were sufficient to embarrass
them not q little In dealing with the work
before them. Their ofiice-gettlng (for others)
duties, If the bad practice may be so deslg-
mated, were enough to defeat substantial
legislation to very great extent. Never
theless, they did manage to accomplish the
enactment Of far more bills and other meas
ures Of great public importance than was
generally anticipated.
NOTHING REPREHHssIBLR cossuMMArRp.
As far as I can perceive, they did nothing
heedlesslyi passing nothing likely to be re-
GREETED by themselves and the country In
time to come. They certainly slaughtered
remorsely everything In the shape Of Jobs
attempted to be put upon them by sinister
influences, which is saying more In their
praise than can be justly said Of any other
Congress Except the last, at It's last SESSION.
I remember in many years. experience with
the body.
THE RECONSTRUCTION RECORD OF THE sEs-
SION.
Among the most notable features Of Its
work Is the firmness with which 1t adhered
In all things to the reconstruction policy Of
Its predecessors. Fresh from the people, Its
members were certainly more conyersant
with the tone and temper OF their constitu-
onts npon that most important subject than
any other similar NUMBER OF persons could
possibly De- Ihelr legislation upon the sub
Ject, ana the drih OF all the speeches made
oy members OH dominant party upon 1t,
Illustrated the stcadiness with which the
people continue to adhere to the advanced
polcy that had resulted from the terrible
lessons OF the rebellion. The application OF
the proposed fifteenth amendment to the
constitution to the Virginia, Mississippi and
Texas reconstruction bill illustrated the stern
| ness Of the present Congress on the subject.
Under ordinary circumstances the powerful
| appeals OF Senators Trumbull and Conkliug
against amending that bill by requiring those
States to accept the amendment as condi-
uoh precedent 10 their readmlssion into the
Union would doubtless have defeated the
proposition
The conviction that the contamination Of
that amendment was the one thing neces-
sary to securing absolute peace at and pros
perity for the South was really the cause Of
Its adoption over the earnest protests refer
to above. The proprlety Of such legislation
under ordinary circumstances was, to say
the least of 1t, questionable. Yet the Incl
dents Of the public necessities Of the times
afforded the complete Justification, in the
senate's opinion, for the step. The chief
feature of the legislation in question is Its
Illustration of the fact that the Government
of the United States is undergoing such un-
written changes as that Of England has I'M
dergone for centuries; that is, when civil
wars and necessities of peaceful progress
nave demonstrated That the time hsd come
to give long cherished readings, or interpre-
tations, OF constitutional law and rights for
others made necessary by the altered condi-
ton oil the times and national affairs
TIE BLIsp OF TO-DAY AND TWO HUNDRED
YEARS AGO.
large class Of our fellow-citizens (almos
exclusively OF the Democratic party ar
evidently not yet educated by the events o
the last decade to comprehend the propriety
OF such changes as the result of the rebel
lion. Not a larger class, however, than thai
In England that resisted the great changes
In her unwrtten law that followed as a conse'
quence of her revolution Of 1888. Their re-
sistance 10 those changes were far more
stubborn than that manifested by our reac
tionists to the changes marking the AIneri
can revolution Of thought-fundamenta
ideas of government-now In course ofrapit
progress. Then the English Tories to
man believed their Government was golnl
to the dogsi that the utter destruction oil oil
rights and oil public and private prosperit!
5 was at hand.
TIE ENdLIsH GOVERNMENT CHANGED.
Yet Impressed with the lessons OF the Da'
government from which they had rescued
England, the reformers perseVered until II
half century the Government was mad
almost new one, as 1t were Its old land
marks were obliterated In fact, though no
In name The right OF the Crown OF tn
Church, the aristocracy and the people wer
/ almost wholly remodelcd' Most features
3 these remarkable changes had no warrar
whatever In previous constitutional or othC
u laws. The extgencies OF the times and I'll
u State was the only possible plea Tor the
JuS''uea''on'
IhE hEsSLi'