New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-06
4 POINT or DEPARTURE.

| 4 fOINI VI mr. HhI OhE.
| The Congress which this week meets and
adiourns is doubtless called to play a very
/ important part in cOtemporaneous history.
| 1t may be called the first Congress which has
met under normal conditions since the one
which ended on the day when Lincoln was
inauguratcd. That singular body had almost
ceased to exist for months before the gavels
of Pennington and Breckenridge declared
| it formally at an end. Its South
ern half had almost entirely withdrawn
| in truculent and OstentatOus defiance. It's
! Northern portion, though Ostensibly firm and
| loyal, was so corrupted and disintegrated by
every mean motive of interest and fear, that
there was no absolute reliance TO be placed in
it for courageous and steady defense of the
country. The Senate was much worse than
the House of Representatives. The open enc
mics of the Constitution were in a bold ma
iorty, which could have impedcd all legislation
If the Rebels had not been so blind rs to throw
away their political advantages and appeal to
war.
On the Inauguration Of Lincoln this motley
Congress scattered in every direction. Many
of its members sunk back into the oblivion
which has absorbed all the men and the events
I
"war" Many have reappeared as officers in
! the two great armies of the war; and large
number entered that historic Congress, which,
when winnOwed of one third its numbers by
the blast of rebellion, was of the trucst
and noblcst grain that has been seen since
the DAYS when Hancock and Adams and
Jefferson gave to the world a new gospel and
a new example Of political thought and action.
Since then we have had until to-day no Con-
grcss where every State was represented by
its full complement of members. The vacant
chairs were eloquent witnesses of party rancor
and strife, and furnished the frequent text Of
| bitter misrepresentation from the opposition,
/ who uniuStly charged upon the law the dis
abilities of the law-breakers.
| For the first time in ten years we have a
| full Congress and a normal condition of affairs
! for the exercise of their legislative functions.
! A manned and imperfect Congress had strength
and vitality enough to carry the ngiOn safely
| through the thousand perils of a state of war
! The Constitution was saved by their persistent
| devotion and vigilance, and the statue of Lib
! ertv was never vailed. The Man on Horse
| back, predicted by the malicious and dreaded
by the faint hearted, never once appeared on
the horizon, and when the war ended
The first of our soldiers became the most loyul
and law-abiding of citizens. The vast army
melted back into the yaster people, and the
work Of repairing the rayages of war de-
volved upon the representatives of the loyal
States. When we are far enough removed
from the conflicts of the day to APP
preciate this work with something of Judicial
calmness, we believe that it will clearly appear
that never, since the welfare of peoples was
intrusted to the hands of popular assemblies,
has a great political scheme of organization
been conducted with equal ability, equal
fairness, equal sagacity, and so fraternal
and delicate a consideration for the interests
and susceptibilities of conquered section,
which repaid all concessions with insOlent
| opposition and defiance. We are far from as
| serting that in the mOmentOus legislation OF
the last SIX years there have been no errors
committed. We have had frequent occasion
| 10 visit with severe comment what has
appeared to us hasty, or il-advised, or
inconsistent action. But striking an impartial
balance, and surveying the results Of the labors
Of these successive national legislatures, we
see that Congress has paciicated revolted
empire, given new impetus to the general
prosperity, largely reduced the National debt,
and restored the country 70 that commanding
position among the nations of the world to
which it is naturally entitled The proofs of
this are obvious. We need only refer to two
the Census of 1870 and the roll of the XLIId
| Congress.
The war and its trials and efforts are mat
ters of history. The persistent and sagacious
! legislation which has restored the Southern
| States to their practical relations to the Cen
cral Government is virtually finished, and sub
iect only to the final revision of posterity.
i full and normal Congress is gathered in Wash
ington. ready to begin the practical and regular
service of peaceful times. While we hope they
will take new point of departure, and do
their work in the interest Of the present and
| the future, we do not ask them to turn their
hacks upon the recent and glorious past-in
which there is 40 much of precious experience
and solemn warning. They can Ina errors 10
avoid. and mistakes whichmay be easily corrected
in the simpler and palmer tasks when await
them. But we shall be satisfied II they emu
! late the ZEAL the integrity the firm ana cher-
getc patriotism displayed, in spite Ol many