Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-19
rE.E IAconrN pRoeRAmME.

FEE JACOBIN PROGRAMME.
The Jacobin "chief organizers" at
Washington are contriving the way to get
a Jacobin majority of two-thirds in the |
next House of Representatives. The pre-
sent ruling dynasty is just the opposite
of what Mr.. Lincoln describedas "gov-
eminent of the people by the people for
the people" 1t is government of fraud
and force by unprincipled partisan dema-
gogues for their own benefit and profit.
So long as these demagogues comprise
majority of more than two-thirds in Con-
gress, says the Chicago Times, they con-
stitute governing power which is virtu-
ally unlimited. The 'checks and bal
ances" of the constitution put no restraint
upon them, for having the numerical power
to override the executive, they can also re-
construct the Supreme Court whenever its
decisions run counter to their nefsrious
purposes. The favorite style of the Radical
party when Mr.. johnson was President in
describing Congress as ''the government, "
contained vast deal more of truth than
many who SO flippantly mouthed the
phrase supposed. ANY partisan division
of Congress which comprises more than
two-thirds of the membership of that
body, virtually becomes by that fact e'the
government" in sense outside of what
the Constitution intends in the use of that
term. For it may override, control and
govern both the other coordinate branch
es of the government; may enact laws
without the Executive sanction and in
spite of the Executive disapproysl, and
may mold the Judiciary into mere in
strument of its own usurpations- Nearly
all the political crimes of the Radical
party have sprung from the simple fact that
that party has had in Congress sufficient
numerical strength to force any measure, no
matter how wrong, outrageous, or uncon-
stitutional. Had the Radical majority in
Congress been less than a two-thirds ma
jority, not one of the infamous recon-
struction acts would ever have become
law; the war policy would not have been
extended five years after the war was
over; the States would not have been in
duced to give up sovereign rights which
their people desired to retain; instead of
| a government by selfish demagogues for
their own profit, we should still have
government by the people for the people.
Our Radical Governors are perfectly con-
scious of the advantages they derive from
two-thirds majority in Congress. They
are studiously preparing the way which
they hope will enable them to count
such a majority IN the next Con-
gress. 1t is their hope and expectation
that this will be the result of passing the
congressional apportionment bill at this
session, providing that the Congressman
which will be added, under the new CEN
sus, TO the present number, shall be
chosen in the several States to which
they shall fall, by general ticket sunless
the State shall otherwise provide"
Mr.. Trumbull's bill, which passed the
Senate on the 18th inst, fixes the men,
bership of the new house at three hun
dred, which is an addition,,of fifty-six
Congressman to the present authorized
number. II is calculated that the new
members will be distributed as follows:
Massachusetts, Connecticut, North Caro-
lima, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentuc
and Kansas, one to each; New Jersey,
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama Mis-
sissippi, Texas, Arkansas, Ohio, Califor-
MIA and Indiana, two to each; New York,
Missouri, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota,
three to each; Pennsylvania, five; Illinois
six; and the remainder to Virginia and
West Virginia. Now, according to this
distribution, supposing al the new men,
bers to be elected by general ticket the
Radical party expects to gain forty-seven
members, and possibly fifty members, in
the next Congress, giving to the Democ-
racy, at most, gain of only nine, and
perhaps only six, of the fifty
six new members. They are all
to be chosen by general ticket ''unless
the State shall otherwise provide" of
course it is not expected that any Radical
Governor will beso supremacy stupid as to
convene the Legislature of his State to re-
construct the congressional districts be-
fore the fall elections, and thus spoil this
pretty Radical plan of getting atwo-thirds
majority in the next Congress. Any Rad
ical Governor who should do a thing so
absurd would be forthwith indicted for
disloyalty to the party. But what will
the Democracy do about it9 When the
bill comes up for consideration in the
1 1Oust, MI AdioAaIi1 VI 1ilIhOiS, VIII plO-
pose an amendment, which, if adopted,
would give to the Democratic party its
| due share of the new members, in the re-
lation of the number of its votes to those
of the opposite party. The Democracy
cannot do better, for the time being, than
to favor that amendment. But its adop-
ton would defeat the Radical purpose of
getting two-thirds majority in the next
Congress. 1t will not therefore, be
| adopted, and the bill, most probably, win
be ''put through" in its present shape.
All that will then remain for the Democ-
racy to do will be to make the best efforts
they can to gain congressman in the dis-
tricts, and to carry some of the now Rad
| ical States. q
A FAN.