The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-03-10

Setting a Precedent-The Cndctship
Business.
TfRoH OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, March 7.
In the long discussions which are constantly
arising in Congress, in some new phase Of the
interrninable Georgia question, the Radical
members find themselves compelled to confess
the folly of their own legislation in the work of
reconstruction. In the course Of speech
made on Saturday, General Farnsworth. of llli-
nois, declared that but for the unlawful and
bad acts of some OF the officers of the State of
Georgia, the Republican party would have
maintained its position there, and been solidl-
fed and made unit; yet he argued that
'sthere is net Z good reason why Congress
should attempt to perpetuate the reign OF
those men, especially when it is charged
that they are purloining and approprlating
to their own use the funds belonging
to the State. He hit Butler good lick by
informing the House that when he wanted to
push anything through the irate Massachusetts
member" rose In his place, and with Naming
nostrils and raised arms, yelled ont at the top
OF his voice, murder! murder! "There have
been disorders in Georgia" said Farnsworth,
but, in my Judgment, they have been grossly ex-
aggerJsd. Ihave always noticed, the moment
Georgia affairs arc to come up, we read in the
Chronicle of this city of outrages; then we
have Governor Bullock and his staff here with
more outrages; then an act Of Congress
The Republicans having passed an act in 1865
declaring Georgia entitled to representation
in Congress, and having admitted to seats on
the floor of the House four representatives
from that State, find themselves puzzled not
little TO vote 1or the same thing over again;
bnt the dictum of party rule will push the bill
through both Houses, and thus inauSurate the
dangerous precedent of reconstruction, or, in
the language Of Mr. Beck, Of Kentucky, "es-
tabsh the right of Congress to seize any
State by the throat and compel her to do what
Congress chooses to soy she shall de-"
AS to the status which Georgia has just oc
cuplcd, both parties unite in dcnouncing the
tool Of BGllock-General Terry-who treated
her as If she were again military district. IN
most convincing speech on this question on
Saturday, Mr.. Beck said
Edo not believe that the President Of the
United States sanctioned the proceeding. II
he did it was plain, palpable usurpation OF
power, without even the poor plea OF lgnor-
once to shield him. No man i'll this House
will venture tc assert that there is anything in
that law. Butler himself said yesterday that
there was not anything in that law-to reduce
thai State to q territorial form OF government.
1t there is not, then how did she come to oc-
cupy thft position? Tic President said In his
message, on the first Monday of last December,
that the Slate had complied with all
the Reconstruction acts and was State
in full fellowship with all others, and had
ratified the Fourteenth amendment; and
that it was because of her vote, added
to that ut other States: that the Four
teenth ameiidmcnt was ratified. This being
the fiict, and the President knowing it, as he
said he did In the message, and as the'act OF