The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-02-24

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The Control or the Next House Of
Representatives.
The very suggestive statement,
says the Albany Journal is made
that eighty five members of . the
next, or Forty fourth Congress,
either served in the rebel army or
held civil positions under the rebel
government. We suppose this
number embraces those in the
Senate as we'll as those in the
House. And yet there can be only
very few in the Senate. We do not
know the exact number, but an ex
animation of the list shows that it
probably does not exceed five at
the most. The remainder are In
the House.
What does this statement mean:
1t means that the control of the
next House of Representatives is
in the hands of those who were
personally, officially, and actively
engaged in carrying on the rebel
hon and seeking to destroy the
government. It means that the
mastery of legislation and of the
purse of the nation has been acquir-
ed by those who were lately seek
ing to break up the Union. For
consider the facts The Democrats
have 1853 members of the next
House, being a majority of 60 over
the Republicans. OF this whole
Democratic strength, 80 is clear
majority. OF this 80, the actual
fighters or officers under the rebel
flag have at least 80, possibly the
full 80 certainly enough, with the
help Of one or two Northern dough
faces where q score could easily be
had. to give them an unquestioned
majority on the Democratic side
Now what follows? The House
OF Representatives, with its power
over legislation and the arpropri-
alton, is under the control of the
Democratic members; the Demo-
cratic members are under the con
troll of the caucus which determins
the policy of the party; the caucus
is under the control of a majority
of its members; and that majority,
as we have seen, is made up of
those who served in the rebel gov
eminent. Thus it comes to pass
that those who we're only the other
day fighting to destroy the govern
-ment have now, through the Dem
ocratic party, secured possession of
the popular branch of Congress,
and have the power to say what It
snail and What it shall not do.
This is certainly a significant
and startling result It shows
first of ali that the government
whose legislation permits such a
possibility has been anything but
Oppressive and sstyrannicar2 in
its treatment of the defeated rebel
foe. It shows in the meer practica-
bility of such result magnanim
ity unparalleled in the history of |
the world. But it also raises other
questions of the most suggestive
character. Whether the appropri-
a.ions for carrying on the govern
ment shall be made will depend |
upon those who are just fresh from
the attempt to overthrow the gov
eminent. Whether the principal
and interest of the debt incurred |
in saving the Union shall be paid
will depend upon those who fought
to break up the Union, Whether
the pensions of the MANNED and
crippled Union soldiers shall be
continued viii depend upon those !
who struck the wicked blow.
Whether the true and loyal men of
the South shall have any protec-
ton win depend upon their bitter
foes. Already the threat has been
made that the appropriations for
the army and other vital national
purposes shall be cut off. And
whether they shall or not is for
those who fought under the rebel
flag to say.
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