National Republican., 1886-08-06
Tho Clnsc of the sesslon.

Tie fUrty-ninth Congress assembled on
the ith day OF December last aud ad.
iourncd sine die on yesterday, the 9th
day Of August, making session Of 2l2
days, or about eight months. II was the
first Congress convened under Demo-
cratic administration since that which met
in the dreary days Of James Buchauau's
term, when Democrats were plotting tred-
son alike in the Cabinet and in the halls Of
legislation, and were cSultng in the hope
Of destroying the federal Union. 1t was
factional strife In the Democratic party
which precipitated the rebellion that was
then In It's incipieDt stages, and factional
strife in the same party has been the most
pronounced feature of the congressional
session just closed.
After twenty-five years Of exclusion from
national power as a result of the feud that
rent the party asuuder in 1860, II gained
control by murderous violence and fraud
only to renew It's old habit of internal war
fare. He who knows what the party was
IN ante-bellum days, he who remembers
what 1t was and what 1t did in lSGO-'6l, will
find the study Of that patty's course during
the past eight months profoundly interest.
ing Happily the subjects of dissension
have been changed. The feud OF to-day is
far lees dangerous than was that which
ragged before Democratic armies were set in
hostile array against the flag aud the capt
tal Of the nation. But II is strange that
bitter experience has taught the party no
lesson, strange that the Democratic House
Of the forty-ninth Congress should have
treated James Buchanan's first Democratic
successor with such palpable, such almost
contemptuous discourtesy as IL has shown
President Cleveland during the past eight
months.
We do not like to hear or see wholesale
denunciation Of Congress, for II Is almost
| equivalent to denuncation OF the people
and condemnation Of their capacity for the
maintenance Of republic. In so far as
our elections are honest, Congress is repre-
sentative OF the people, is what the people
make It, To raise an outcry against Con-
| gress is to weaken the confidence OF the
| people in our system Of government,
system which, with all Its defects, Is the
best that the world possesses. This Con-
gress, during the long session Just ended,
has failed to justify the hopes or meet the
expectations Of the country, but II has not
earned all the abuse Of which II has been
the recipient. Judged by the amount Of
positive good accomplished, 1t cannot be
highly commended. Judged by the oppor-
tunities and temptations to do evil which
1t has not yielded to, 1t merits word OF
praise. There have been other Congresses
that have wasted time and failed TO do the
work expected Of them.
The Senate has been industrious, aud has
striyen hard to do its duty In most respects.
1t did grand thing when it made provl-
sion for the presidential succession. 1t
performed noble work when, for the Sec
ond time, 1t sent the educational bill to lie
smothered to death In Democratic con.
tempt in the other end of the capitol. 1t
did well in exercising a spirit Of fairness in
regard to various appropriations that had
been so pared down in the House that, but
for more wisdom on the part OF the Senate,
various branches of the public service
would have been badly crippled. But the
Senate made a mistake in not yielding
gracefully to the universal demand for open
executive sessions, and it made much
greater mistake in reconsidering the vote
by which the Beck bill was passed. Oppo
sition to that measure has put capital int
the bands of the Democratic party, AM
they will make effective use of 1t.
The House has not exhibited any indus
try, and its chief claim to notice resides Il
the fact that 1t has not done any OF the In
portant things which the President recon
mended, many Of which the country ex
pected. The next session will have tim
for nothing beyend passing the apprc
priation bills, so that the forty-nint
Congress will die on the 4th O
March next leaving a sad record Of waste
opportunities sand misspent time. Blu
our "Union, strong and great" will "rOl
on" in spite of unfaithful Congresses, and
,, as the years pass away, the steady improve
: ment Of the people in intelligence an
morality will result In wiser and bette
: representation.