New-York tribune., 1874-06-11
WE'LL KNOUGHp CONGRESS.

month wearily toward the close OF Its frst
session was eected-with the exception OF
very few members-in the Presidential strug-
ole of 1879. IL was period of swell enough :
of the rule of very ordinary men. wrestling
with ordinary affairs in an extremely ordinary
way, EverybOdy-Or the majority, which Is
virtually everybOdy-said, "Let well enough
alone" and 80 they reelected President Grant
and sent to Congress the men who understood
the function of Government TO be the distri-
button of offices. contracts, and patronage,
and their own duty to their constituents to
consist in getting their fair share of each.
Very shortly, however. this ordinary condition
ran somewhat into the extraordinary; con-
siderable crop of emergencies and crises sprang
up; the ordinary pOt-bOiling politicians be-
came confused, and the country startled. The
last Congress assembled for its last session,
investigations began. hidden things were un-
covered, our purest and best turned out to be
30 frail, feeble, and fallible that we ceased Tor
time to point to them with pride, aud finally,
in a fit of desperation, the investigators said,
| " Oh. this is too demOraizing; let us stop in
vestigatng, take what's left, and go home"
And they went. And that added another extra
| ordinary feature to the situation
| Before the succeeding Congress met, great
financial crisis came upon the country. The
Administration which had been elected upon
the theory of "letting well enough alone"
finding a set of circumstances in front of it
which could hardly be called well enough,
began a series of financial gymnastics that
served only to confuse the country and excite
| the laughter of the civilized world. Various
| fl,a
public and abhorrent to all ideas of truth,
justice and decency, for which the people held
the party in power responsible, complicated
the situation still farther. The field of politics,
which seemed so clear and free of difficulties
| in 1872 that by common consent all the func-
| tions of government were handed over to ma
chine running politicians instead of statesmen,
appeared to the Congress elected under such
circumstances, when it assembled III December.
1873. wild snarl and tangle that might we'll
| tax the utmost resources of craftsmanship to
adiust and nut in order. The highest order
of talent, the purest and most unselfsh patri-
otism. the loftiest character for purity and in
tegrity, were demanded by the crisis, or rather
by this conjunction of crises. The people had,
upon the whole, Notwithstanding this Congress
had been elected on the letting -well-enOugh-
alone principle, the right to expect OF 1t some
wisdom and sagacity-sOme apprehension at
least of some Of the features of the political
| situation, iD it's treatment of the subjects be-
fore it. In the Administration party in the two
branches of Congress are-nOt to be too exact
several candidates for the Presidential nom
ination. 1t was not unreasonable to expect
that some one or more of them should have
developed qualities of greatness, capacity for
leadership, fertility of resource, breadth OF
view-some quality of some sort to justify their
pretensiOns and illustrate their fitness.
Here has been opportunity, great and pro-
longed. Here was the startled camp and here
the broken and demOralized ranks for some
born leader to rally and command. This was
the occasion for men who want to be Presi-
dent to show their capacity. Well, let us see
How many have come out great Hold up
| your two hands, oh sovereign citizen; let us
count on your ten digits the Administration
leaders of this Congress who have grasped the
oppOrtunty to show themselves equal to such
emergencies as may arise in our politics. Run
tho pencil down the list slowly, carefully-re-
member everybody's merits-give everybody
a chance, don't be too exacting, and vet
well, good sovereign, you may drop one
| manu- Uuc dttItuuC II buCcV"Ot ouu oho WIN
be sufficient for our census. Now begin
again. Let us count on this citizens five
fingers the representative Administration
Congressman who have shown either great
genius or ability in treating the subjects which
| have come before them and which imper-
ativeiy demanded attention. Who has shown
the head for finance and the heart for reform
which the time called fort Close up your fin
gers, sovereign citizen. one by one we do not
need them. And yet out of all this lot of am
bilious men, men who at least have studied
politics and learned political history, there
must be-yes, there must be-One man, great.
Leave up the thumb, and let us look over two
or three names more carefully. Is there not
one of these who in the crisis Of his party and
his own opportunity. when State and people
have been holding out implOring, helpless
hands to be delivered from incompetency on
the ono hand and dishonesty on the other
has not one of them invented something
statesmanlike and practical. or said some
thing that was ringing with hearty honesty
and sincerity, or done something besides put
ter and scod and fret or worry and dodge
and lief And only two weeks left. Fold up
your thumb, oh sovereign citizen; it represents
too many. He is not in this lot. This Is a
Congress chosen to "let well enough alonen
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ANTARCTIC ANTAGO GONISMS.
No more agreeable topic could be suggested