National Republican., 1878-06-17
TIE CLOSING HOUR, or CONGRESS.

The session Of Congress. which has be-
sieged this city since the 18th of last Octo-
her, with slight intermissiOn, promises now
to cvacuate some time tomorrow, and we
doubt it, in the century that has passed.
history has chronicled its counterpart, or
will for q century to come. 1t has squan-
dcred more time and money, without signal
benefits to the country and the people as a
return therefor, than any of its "illustriOus
predecessors The makeup of the two
Houses has been peculiar, and in point of
aggregate ability, sense Of honor, wise
craftsmanship, and an active desire TO pro-
mote the public welfare has fallen far below
those that have gone before al
most without exception. Partisan spirit
and desire to get even with the
North seems to have absorbed the talents,
energies, and efforts of those who have repre-
sented the late insurgent States. No measure
of great national benefit has been considered
in the spirit Of q general love Of country.
The public good, the strength Of the Gov
ernment, the perpetuity of our republican
institutions, the national credit, the enforce
mcnt of the laws the promotion OF the in
dustrial interests Of the people, the cause
OF commerce, trade and manufactures, the
suflcrings of the people for the want of en-
plOyment and its rewards-all these, and
much more, have heen sunk in desire to
secure petty local and partisan advantages,
to crafty sectional hates aud secure party
ends by the majority of the House and n
strong faction in the Senate. II the tax on
whisky and tobacco could be reduced, and
the interests Of trade and commerce, the
drlenses of the nation and its credit and
honor stood in the way Of such paltry
measure, they must all pay the sacrifice if
needs be.
4 regiment of investigators have been
TUNED loose upon the Departments of the
Government to interfere with the public
business, insult their heads, and scandalizc
the nation by an assumption Of frauds that
have no existence and corruptions that can
no, be discovered. The wheels of lcgisla-
ton have been retarded, the public moneys
have been necdlcssIy, ioolishly, and lavishly
sQuandered in lruitless raid upon official
integrity, to the neglect of duties and in
tcrcsts that have imperiously demanded
attention. Honest claims of wounded
Union soldiers have been ruth
| lessly put aside to give place to
those OF the late enemies Of the Union,
which were neither honest nor legitimate
A dccp-laid conspiracy has been inaugu-
rated to revOlutiOnize the Government,
which has taken up the time and money of
the country and disturbed the peace, conf
dencc, and quiet Of the people, and which
has collapsed only because the architects
aud engineers of the contemplated mischief
had not the courage 10 cOnsumnate their
he luriOus designs.
We have neither time nor space in which
to enumcrate the delinqucncies of the ses-
sion which, by promise, expires tomorrow.
| If those who are responsible for the short
comings and shameful acts which have char
acterized their proceedings during the last
eigh tmonths will only candidly and prayer
! fully review their conduct as recognized
statesmen, they will go down in sack-coth
md ashes before n wronged and insulted
country, and humbly crave its forgiveness
for their multitudinous sins Of commission
and omission.