The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-12-07

Il
Congress assemblies for it's closing session are
not favorable to energetic legislation. A
badly beaten political rarty, like beaten
army, loses something of its morale, and is
likely to adopt . timid, haiting, over-cautious
strategy. The disastrous battle OF Bull Run
took all vigor and enterprise out OF the federal
forces for the ensuing ten months and the
recent overwhelming discontinue of the re-
publican party humans its leaders and
depresses the confidence of its rank and file
in o similar manner. Alarge proportion Of the
republican members of the House and quite
number of the republican Senators are re-
manded to privatslife by the recent elections.
These wounded party soldiers who are put
hors de combat for at least the ensuing two
years. ard most of them probably forever.
cannot be expected to fight with spirit in this
last engagement. Such of them as have lin
gering hope of returning at some future time
must rest their expectations on trimming
subserviency to the local opinion of their dis
tricts, which has undergone so great o change
that they will think it more polite to bow to
it than to brave it But the greater part
of those who 60 out Of Congress with
this session will never return, and are
to be classed rather among the dead than
the wounded A large proportion of the de-
feated members are salary grabbers, and that
political wound will prove mortal Even if
the republican party should come again into
power it will not renominate the cashiered
salary grabbers. There is no district in which
they will not find rivals who will easily sup
plant them by pressing this formidable objec-
.tion. In the Congressional nominations of 1875
the republicans will not take the risk OF run
ming any back pay candidate, SO that all that
numerous portion of the retiring members
have no further personal interest in politics
and will act with corresponding feebleness in
the legislation of this session.
Still another depressing influence will weigh
upon the spirits OF the republican members
Instead of proceeding with firm steps, sup
ported by popular favor, they are resting
under a popular rebuke which will paralyze
their faculties The speeches and measures
in Congress are habitually addressed more to
the country than to the immediate body in
weeks or months that elapse between the in
PRODUCTION of every important bill and the
final vote upon it are employed by
members in watching public sentiment
on the pending measure, and more votes
are controlled by its expression than by
all the argument and eloquence Of the de-
bates. In the present state Of opinion the
measures proposed by the republican majority
are more likely to be assailed than supported,
and this will beget timidity and irresolution
1t will be the most wonderful phenomenon in
legislation if Frustrated party, about to lose
its hold on power, should at this late period,
after SO many squandered opportunities, estab-
lish bold, broad and sagacious policy. It is
more likely to fall back behind intrenchments
and shun an advance, as the army of the Po-
tomac did after its first great reverse.
We can recollect no example Of Congress
adopting great and bold measures when its
party majority was not strongly supported by
the country. All the war legislation was SO
supported by overwhelming majorities; the
| Emancipation Proclamation was SO supported;
the reconstruction measures were SO sup
ported against Andrew Johnson; the Enforce
ment law was SO supported after General
Grant came into power. If q condemned and
repudiated party uses the transient remnant
Of its time in legislating against public opinion
it incurs the risk of having all its measures
repealed and its humiliation deepened IS soon
as its opponents gain control, as happened to
the Judiciary act OF the expiring federal Con-
gress passed in the winter of 1901. Appre-
hension Of this danger has an enervating in
fuence and gives tone of feebleness and
vacillation to the proceedings OF . Congress
which has lost public favor.
The Congress about to assemble labors un-
der still another disabling infrmity Its
party majority is divided on the most impor-
tant question which demands Legislative con-
sideration, so irreconcilably divided that
there is no possibility Of their acting together
on that question. We. of course, refer to the
currency and finances, upon which the
republican President came into col
ision with the larger portion of his
party in both houses at the last session.
The effect of this years election has been
IdlucI VI WlOcu Lulb OlucIcuC6 tuau 10 harmon
ize it, The baff1ed inhationists are confirmed
in their opinion that the veto was a party
mistake, and the President thinks the party
has been beaten by the wild theories of Con-
gress which made the veto necessary. This
state of feeling does not promise well for
legislation on this subject at the present ses-
sion. The spirit of recrimination which has
been aroused under the sting of defeat does not
tend to union and Cancellation. 1t is given out
that the President in his Message will reafirm
with holder emphasis the doctrines MAIN
tanned in his Veto Even if the inflationists
should be subdued into prudent silence they
will not ''turn their backs upon Themselves