The New York herald., 1879-12-09
Pe.itioning Congress.

PetitiontnR Congress.
The right of petition, guaranteed by the
constitution as sacred and inviolable, has
been SO seldom exercised in ON imposing
manner or to any large extent during the last
forty years that it has almost fallen into
disuse. At the time of the earlier anti
slavery struggles many strenuous battles
were fought for the right of petition in
the House of Representatives under the
vehement leadership of John Quincy Adams
and his resolute Northern allies. It is a
striking proof of the efficiency of this mode
of political action that the South contested
the ground against Mr.. Adams, inch by
inch, and resorted to every kind of parlia-
mentary tactics to prevent the reception of
abolition petitions. There is, indeed, no
more effective way Of influencing public
opinion and bringing it to bear upon Con-
gress than petitions numerously and re-
specially signed and sent for presentation
by citizens of weight and standing in their
respective communities. During the heated
struggle between President jackson and the
Bank oft United States Congress was daily
flooded with petitions from all the leading
cities. The scenes at their presentation were
often highly dramatic. When great orator
like Webster arose in his place, with several
immense rolls Of signatures in his hands,
stating the prayer of the petitioners, set
ting forth their responsibility, informing
the Senate that q numerous committee,
which had brought the petition, was present
on the floor, ready to converse with members
who might desire to avail themselves of their
information, the orator using the occasion
to make brief and pungent speech, and
when this scene was repeated from day to
day, with the unremitting flow of petitions.
a powerful effect was produced both inside
and outside the walls Of Congress.
We are sorry that this mode of acting
upon Congress and the country has come
to be undervalued. 1t is easy, indeed, to
ask how the right of petition can have the
great Importance given it by the constitu-
tion when we elect our Representatives
every two years But public opinion
may undergo great changes in so
short period. When this Congress was
elected in the autumn of 1878 nobody
foresaw the present condition of our
finances or anticipated the questions which
have arisen out of it. The time has sud-
denly ripened for repeating the legal tender
clause All our ablest fnanciers, official
and unofficial, recognize and proclaim IT.;
but the members of Congress are hide
bound in the obsolete con troversies
of the campaign in which they
we're elected. Hence the necessity Of
putting them in communication with the
present state of public opinion and pour
ing into the halls Of Congress q strong ven-
tilation from the fresher and healthier at
mosphere of the country. The advantage
of the right of petition is that which forces
upon legislative attention the more en-
lightened views of the community and stirs
up the stagnant thought of a body that
does not keep up with the progress Of pub
lie opinion.
petition to Congress for the repeal of
the legal tender clause has been in circu-
lation in this city for the last two or three
days, and the signers already include
several hundred of the best known and
most eminent business men of this metrop-
oils. It is signed without distinction of
party, but multitudinous rs are the
names they should be rather weighed
than counted, since they comprise
all the best judges and represent
all the various interests that can be affected
by the condition of the currency. We un-
derstand that similar petitions have been
started in other commercial cities. They
will soon be pouring into Congress, not
only from New York, but from Philadel-
phia, Boston, Baltimore. Chicago, Cincin-
natl and all the great centres of trade.
Congress may be deaf at first, but 1t will be
compelled to listen. What the petitioners
demand is for the public interest, and the
view they set forth will be more and more
accepted with the progress of the agitation.
It is point that challenges attention that
those who have most deeply considered the
subject are practically unanimous. The
President, the Secretary of the Treasury,
the Comptroller of the Currency, gave the
cue which all the great business communi-
ties are taking up. We are glad to see the
great engine Of petition once again set in
motion.