The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-11-14
The united States Senate.

The United States Senate.
Thc institutions Of the republic have un-
aerrone severe trials during the civil war
and the period Of bioodless political war
that succeeded the war Of blood. A great
deal has been developed throwing light upon
the character Of these institutions. We nave
discovered points OF weakness where we
supposed the chief strength was planted'
and we have observed safeguards where we
feared weakness. Some OF the wisest men
have had their confidence in our system I'M
paired; but the great body OF Tue ,noss
practical and spacious men nave oeen
rather strengthened in their faitn' anu Emu
renewed satisfaction with their pohticai
condition. The strength OF the Govern
nent has been put to the test, anu
re have found that from the strug-
g,c It made and the means it employed
It was too easy and too natural for It
TO drift beyond the point OF triumph to the
spherc OF tyranny and oppression. But,
nevertheless. we have discovered that there
are forces in our muItiform institutions,
poIitical and social, to check excuses from
triumph, and bring back the Government
to its proper limits and restore to the people
their liberty. Under the benign influence
OF the present Administration we have seen
this grand restoration OF true republican,
ism; and we are to be permitted, we hope,
for long period OF time to enjoy freedom
and nut our trust in our Government.
gam Y>nf CHI
lessons OF experience that time and trial
have placed before us. To us 1t seems that
the Senate OF the United States has shown
greater susceptibility to the influences adj
verse to public virtue and liberty than any
other institution devised by our forefathers.
They had put their greatest reliance IN the
Senate. So had we. In our day the senti-
ment has been proclaimed that when liberty
was about to depart from our country the
last spot upon which she would rest her
feet would be the dome Of the United States
Senate. Alas we have found that the Sem
ate would be probably the first hall in the
Union from which she would be completely
excluded. ---.-->--,--..---~- -.-.~'--
There are, in our opinion, certain points
OF weakness in small bodies OF men assem-
bled for deliberation which are not found
in large ones. In corrupt times a few men
submit more readily to temptation than do
many. Temptation works with more facility
with small bodies than it does with large
ones. But the source OF greatest evil with
the United States Senate is its participation
with the Executive Department in the dis
Densation OF the Government patronage.
That partition OF power between the Senate
and the Executive has inspired the Senate
with an arrogance that is detrimental to
the Executive authority, and has plainly
eneendered disposition on the part OF
senators not only to checkmatc the Presi-
dent, but to derive from the Executive
patronage the advantage OF promoting their
own advancement and personal benefit.
It is this tendency that has led to the
secret conclaves OF senators about what
course party as we'll as personal interests
might require them to pursue; and these
conclaxes and conferences are OF the very
essence OF conspiracy. 1t is not patriotic,
it is not loyal to the nation, to consult about
Senate has the simple duty of approving
Executive nominations or rejecting them
upon the personal merits or dement's Of the
nominees. Party considerations and con-
siderations merely personal to the senators
themselves have no proper connection with
the duty they have to perform. On the
question Of considering appointments, Sc
cret consultations bear the appearance and
have the very nature OF conspiracies. S.:
We have seen enough Of the manifesto
tions OF the United States Senate since the
war to convince us that that body has lost
its high dignity and integrity. 1t has not
only made a bold movement in the line OF
subordinating the Executive Department to
its will, but it has shown that in times OF
high excitement, when sectional rancor is in
the ascendant, that body is the chief deposit
tory Of the fire Of discord, and is the source
of the blasts that longest keep up the flames
OF sectional luminosity: There, in that body,
have been longest held over the people the
measures OF persecution and vindictiveness !;
there has been shown the greatest reluctance
toyield to any measure OF Cancellation, to any
concession from arbitrary power to popular
liberty and constitutional right. Even now
the bitter party 80 long ruling the Senate is
endeavoring to fortiiy itself in malicious
power, and hold its menace over the Presi-
dent. True, that party holds, a broken
sceptre in the Senate; but what we have
seen shows the danger to be apprehendcd
from that body. -, u
We regret to observe such indications in
a body which has been regarded by the ma
ton with so much reverence. To our mind
they are such rs to satisfy rejecting men
that the United States Senate must be re-
formed to keep it what those who framed
the Constitution confidently believed that it
would be--the shield Of the Government,
the defender Of public justice and liberty
itself elevated above party prejudice and
passion, calmly and faithfully guarding the
Constitution.
Some Figures for. the Conference.
The Annual Conference OF the Methodist