The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-11-29

Tuesday Morning, November 2e, 1870


Next Monday begins The thru and last ses-
sion of the Forty-frst Congress. 1t VIII leA
main in session, with the probable exception
of a short vacation DUNG the holidays, till
the 4th of March, when the Forty second
Congress will begin its first session, unless tie
law providing for a third session of each Con-
gress is repealed.
1t is Improbable TO speculate as to what
the national legislature will do in given ses-
sion. But there are few things which are
proposed that ought not to be done; and con-
corning these an expression of popular opn-
ion in advance of the action of Congress is
not Inappropriate.
One of these things is the adoption by Con-
gress of Gen. Buffers "policy" OF involving
us in foreign war. There is little danger of
the Massachusetts members obtaining a very
large following among his associates, for he is
by no means the Influential person he is i'm
a9ined to be by his admirers. There are in
the House arpet-bagge-s" whom he can Sc
duce, (tor we are constrained by the facts to
confess that these gentlemen, with individual
>->S>P>'0AASt "AS VI NoSJ FiitoCJ
whom he can bully, and members OF weak
intellect whose feeble minds are dazGled by
the vulgar splendors of his controversial ora
tory OF the coarse demo1strativeness and sur
passing confidence of his demeanor. But
after all, he has little influence. The MAORI
ity of the members emphatically decline his
leadership, and he never has been gratified
with that position since he virtually held 1t
during the impeachment trial. All his char
acteristic schemes are supported by rdicu-
lous minority. Schenck's probable retire.
fhent will give him no opportunity to take
the lead, for he has no strength. He is a
prominent figure in Washington specials and
will continue to be. Fe is man whom it is
remarkably hard to overlook, for person
with his pecularlties of character and tenn
per has certain "pcturesqueness" by which
correspondents and. the public at large are
continually struck-to say nothing of the pic
turesqueness of his personal appearance,
which, Notwithstanding the terrific assaults
made upon it by caricature, wit, humor, sat-
ire and invective, in fact by all the weapons
of which ridicule and anger can avail them
selves, is impressive and, at times, command
ing.
If Congressman exhibit the least liberation
of Buffers ideas their conduct will only serve
to sho Y how much less honesty and ntelli-
gence they possess than their constituents
For those ideas gave occasion for one OF the
most gratifying exhibitions of popular virtue
that the world has ever seen. 1t is not at all
remarkable that the people should reject a
proposition so hideously wicked as that q war
involving an incalculable loss of blood and
treasure, if NOT the overthrow of the Republic
itself, should be deliberately invited for the
purpose of cementing the union of certain
politicians for their own personal good-that
this war should be fought ito continue for a
generation the ascendency of the Republican
party" an organization which, according to
Gen. Butler, can give as the only excuse for
its continued existence the necessity of keep.
ing particular set OF men in Office. But it
is remarkable that the whole people saw in
stantly through all the fimsy adornments
which the author of the horror had hung
about his monster-that they laughed when
he appealed to them in the name Of patriot
ism, party allegiance, human rights, justice,
religion and even peace. 1t is not to be ex-
pected that either the President or Congress-
men are below the usual standard of inteli-
gence, or that they will overlook the fact, pa
tent to everybody>else, that Gen. Butler be-
lieves in
The good old plan,
That he should take who has the power
And e shot Id keep who can.