National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-05-31
THE NEW DILEMMA.

surprise TO the Democrats, Tor they Knew
they were confronting the inevitable when
they put their rider " upon the legislative
appropriation bill but they had not worked
off the full measure of their perverseness,
and took this occasion to show the country
that they were not without some abiding
talent for "cussedness." Now they have
reached the end of their tether in that di-
rection, and they adjourned over to
counsel with each other to ascertain if
there is any remaining resource of mean
ness not yet exhausted. 1t looks rs if the
majority in Congress had added to the in
tcnsity of their dilemma by the occurrence
of each succeeding veto that they have en-
countered. This is but just retribution
for an attempt at bravado and revolution
which had not been provoked and can
never be justified by wise policy or correct
principle. The Democrats have brought
their present dilemma upon themselves by
an attempt to force the Executive branch of
the Government into concessions that
would have been alike unstatesmanlikc,
unjust, and humiliating.
The insolcnt menace that came from the
Democratic caucus in effect that if the Pres
ident did not approve obnoxious and rep
rchensible measures the appropriations
would be withheld and the Government
would be brought under starvation policy,
aroused the President to u sense of inn
pending danger which at once determined
his action. Executive amiability soon
crystalized into patriotic obstinacy,
which has become as firm as a rock and
which cannot be moved.
The President has returned the two ap-
preparation bills for the enactment of which
this extra session of Congress was convened
without his approval. Congress has in each
case proved itself powerless to overcome
the objections of the President, and now,
after two months and half of trifling with
the public interest, it stands precisely where
it did when the session opened in regard to
the subjects which convened it. What is
more, it stands before the country clothed
in perverseness and covered with dshonor,
without an excuse for the attitude it occu-
pies at this important era. Never was a
party so decidedly discounted as the
Democratic party is to-day. Perverse-
ness has been from the start its
| cohesive power, and the strain upon
that has been such as TO lead to disintegra-
ton, until there is no unity of feeling or
action in that party either here or among
the people throughout the Union. The
/ Nvn nap,nnrntc bar
thoroughly disgusted with and tired of the
revolutionary schemes of the rebel Briga-
diers who have controlled Congress and
shaped its policy during the present session.
Every Union man, no matter what his po-
litical complexion may be, has been led to
understand that the Government is en-
vironed by dangers of an alarming charac-
ter under the advances that the dogmas of
State sovereignty are making upon the
integrity and perpetuity of the Union.
Awakened by these startling developments
the loyal people stand appalled, at the bold
ness of the attacks made upon the constitu-
tional rights and powers of the Government
and party ties are loosening until party lines
in the future will be marked by theslivis-
ions that existed during the rebellion.
The Democrats see and understand this
though they affect otherwise, and this adds
greatly to their dilemma. That this
is so is evident in their hesitating and
halting action regarding the business
that called Congress together. They
are reluctant to go ahead and
yet they have not the courage to refuse ap.
preparations, so they are halting, and daily
accumulating at their door q measure OF
public contempt which if further challenged
will leave that party Os helpless as it was
during the rebellion, when our braves were
fighting the battles of the Union and they
were resolving in conventions that the wal
to crush the rebellion was miserable fail.
ure. The Democratic party has managed
during this extra session of Congress
to place itself before the country il
an attitude akin to that occupied by it dur.
ing the dark period of the rebellion. 1t has
fought persistently to attain that point, and
now that it has reached it, we bid it Q
hearty welcome to all the fruits it may
garner from this industrious sowing The
political tide has completely turned back
upon the Democratic party under its own
insane policy with flood that will over.
whelm it in every Northern State when,
ever the people shall speak, and leave il
without any valuable estate outside the