Weekly Trinity journal., 1875-02-20
THE NEXT COSGRESS,

The material Of waich the next House
IF Representatives will be composed is
we'll calculated TO startle the minds of
loyal men, when it is made a subject of
calm reflection. The Democrats viii
have a clear majority OF sixty. OF the
one hundred and, siXty-odd Democrats
more than one-half were in the rebel ar
my decade since. The clemency Of
the Government has been such, that
those who but yesterday, as it were, laid
down their arms after an unsuccessful at
tempt TO destroy its unity, arc now in
position to secure the enactment Of laws
equal in effect TO q victory on the battle
field few years ago. How will they use
their power 1t Is serious question:
If the course Of the party upon all mat
tiers requiring legislation IS allowed to fol-
low the decision Of a party caucus, these
ex-rebels can control matters and shape
them in such manner as will suit the in
terest of their own section. All appro-
priation bills must originate in the popu-
lar branch Of Congress. If the extreme
Southern element is so disposed, and can
control their Northern allies, they can
prevent appropriations for the army
and navy, or for any and all branches of
government, thus impeding its operations
and placing It, in great measure, at the
mercy Of foreign invaders or domestic
foes.
Some Of our contemporaries appear TO
think the chief, if not the only hope the
country will have in case an emergency
of this kind arises will rest with the
Northern wing of the party-the "War
Democrats. Past experience should con-
vince us that that hope would be falla-
cious-that as in former years the Dem
ocrats from the North could "out- -Herod
Herodf' in their advocacy Of any line of
conduct indicated by the Southern lead
ers, SO they can probably be relied upon
to continue in the same course of slavish
subservience. We think it Is not proba-
BILE that the Democratic majority will be
united upon any Of the questions which
divide the country. Among the ex-reb-
els there will doubtless be found some
who have, in truth "accepted the situa-
tion," and who will not be disposed by
the commission of acts aimed to directly
impair the usefulness Of the government,
strengthen tina. feeling Of distrust with
which every rejecting Democrat must
know that his party Is regarded by the
great majority Of the people.
An administration should be wholly
Republican or wholly Democratic. There
are those who say it is better that one
House should be in the hands of the OPP
position-that thereby hasty and extreme
partisan legislation may be avoided
This may be well enough when the coun-
try is in state OF profound tranquility,
and is apt 10 produce better general leg
lation than when one side has everything
its own way. But in the present condi-
tion of affairs, emergencies are liable to
arise at any moment which may require
united and decided action. Lawlessness
is rampant in some sections of the coun-
try-the State governments are poweress
to deal with it, and it is only the dread OF
Federal interference which causes it to
be less widespread than it would other
wise be. 1t is not to be expected that
the South, conquered and overrun and
defeated in its cherished hopes could at
o nee settle down into state of tranquil
ty-and the disposition evinced by some
parts thereof to do so, was dissipated by
the attitude assumed by Northern Demo-
Gratis. Even now they are telcgraphing
to the Conservatives" of New Orleans
not to compromise, when all must know
that it can only be through mutual COM
promise and concession that farther
trouble can be averted. These things
should influence the action Of California
in the September election. We should
send n solid Republican delegation to the
next Congress, and strengthen the minor
ity in the House Of Representatives SO
far as lies in our power. If we do other
wise the act will be given q wrong inter-
pretation, and California set down as jus
tiiying the acts of those who have shown,
that they only await the opportunity, to
inaugurate n reign Of terror which will
make the constitutional amendments a
mockcry.