The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-07
,,art of Congress.

r,s Adjournment OF CONGRESS
Inc az ..aress wound up its career and
The ae' .o,nmeuced Its session both on
the 4th instant. - ~
examination Of the session OF the torty-hrst
Congress. 1t was an Improvement upon
the fortieth, and so will the forty.second DC
an improvement upon the forty-frst. IL IS
impossible that the bitter ansmosities OF tue
war shall linger undated in the na''on''
councils. Each Congress. although .ne
change In the relative strength OF pSi'..s
NAV be trivial, will be less embittered WIN
sectional yindictiyeness than its preoeceS'
sor. II Is not in human nature TO treasuie
hates with no relenting, and it Is ,nolspe"'
sable to the peace and prosperity o, W.
country that the prejudices ana s ecu. So
resentments Of the land shali III N"S. "
moderated and cease to imo'ie 'he laws
with harshness and oppression
Rut there are importan> changes III Tue
now House of Representatives from that
whose term Is ended. The opposition party
G. stronger than ii was. 1t is strong enough
to deprive the dominant party of that two
thirds majority which enabled them to
carry through any measure. however ab"
horrent, without the process of due delib-
Grafton. 1t is predicted that the Repub-
licans will change the rules so as to enable
a bare majority to set aside the rules OF
order and rush through measures that are
obnoxious to the good sense and justice OF
the nation under the whip and spur OF
party intolerance and tyranny. We doubt
this; but if It be true. it proves waning
of power-the power to pass osious bills as
well as to take them up.
We trust we do not speak too hopefully.
We feel warranted in hoping thus of the
future by the history of the past. The hypo'
critical bill for protecting voters and man.
ipulating elections is bad enough but we
have no idea that Buffers kuklux bill
could have passed the body. Yet that bill
would have rushed through both Houses
in '67. We do not believe the new Con
press would pass such bill as the election
bill. Thus we shall 60 on Slowly enough
in all conscieuce) improving in disposition
and policy until, we trust in short time
there will be an end of the folly an0 in
Justice of the Federal Government in its
treatment of the southern States.
We are glad that Congress seems disposed
to adjourn at once. Time is great recon
structionist. It moderates passion ano
gives the mind time to reflect and profit by
reflection. It is far better that the ne"
Congress should have this opportunity fol
reflection, and that it should not be divided
upon any exciting topic until it meets IL
December, when it may have to look at the
public interests and shape the public policy
In view of a greatly changed condition Of
public feeling and national interests.
We have not doubt that the next session
will be far more liberal and better posted
on the national interests and wishes than
any since the war, and that it will profit BY
the improvement in experience, knowledge,
and general frame of mind.
There is another feature Of improvement
In the new House of Representatives which
1t is interesting to contemplate. We find
the following pithy allusion to it in the
Washington Patriot, Of yesterday
"The general physiognomy of the House
of Representatives has greatly improved.
On Saturday, when the carpet-baggers,
scaawags, and negroes, who claim to re-
present the southern states-the Africans
being by far the best of the Disappeared
to be sworn in, there was general express
sion of disgust, even among the Radicals,
who are to be associated with this tribe as
colleagues. But when the Democratlc ana
Conservative members from the South
the real representatives Of the people
presented themselves to the bar, the con-
trast was so striking and impressive that in
voluntary applause testified the apprecla.
ton from the floor and the galleries."