Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1898-07-16
4 PATRIOTIC CONGRESS.

One OF the most important legisla-
tive sessions in the history of the
world ended on Friday at Washington,
and II is proper SO say at once that the
record now closed is, on the whole.
highly honorable to those who made
it and to the United States. During
the last seven months the LVth Con-
gress has eyinced spirit of patriotism
cores ponding to the temper of the
American people. During the early
weeks of the session, while many be-
lieved that war with Spain could be
surely and even easily averted ii the
President were left in unembarrassed
control of the processes of diplomacy,
there was much unwise debate, which
threatened, and was perhaps intended,
to force his hand; but neither then
nor after the destruction of the Maine
had made the situation intensely criti-
cal was a majority of either house be-
| trayed into any fatal loss OF self-re-
straint. The President, employing
| with extraordinary skill the resources
! of authority and personal character,
was Loyalty supported by those who
had it in their power to thwart him,
and when the emergency became acute
and the issue of peace or war was
hanging in the balance received one
of the most impressive tributes of con-
fidence ever bestowed upon Chief
Magistrate. The appropriation of 50,-
100000 placed unreservedly in his
hands by a unanimous vote was at
once noble tribute to his character
and superb manifestation Of the sa-
cred love Of country.
There have been, as we have indi-
Gated, some indiscretions and some dis
cordant notes. We do not believe that
the United States ever really came
near committing the monstrous blum
der of recognizing a Cuban republic,
for the President could and would haye
averted it; but too many members of
Congress were misled into advocating
such a declaration. In various ways
the duty of exhausting the possibilities
of negotiation was made more difficult
than it might have been, and when the
last hspe of preserving peace had dis
appeared the various resolutions an
nouncing a state of war, including the
one which was finally passed, disclosed
lack of wisdom and propriety. There
have likewise been some things to re-
gret since that mornentous day; but the
blemishes have been comparatively
few, and the record of accomplished
facts is fit to be commended to the 1e-
spect of the world. In Congress, as
consistently as throughout the coun-
try, have been displayed the best quail
tiles of great people reunited in the
imperishable bonds of fraternal devo-
tion to the common honor and welfare.
Finally, as the closing act of memor-
able session, an act according with an
historic policy and responding to the
wellnigh universal will, the Hawaiian
Republic has been added to the terri
tory of the United States aud the
Nations interests in the Pacific have
been forever secured.
There is much talk, some of it de-
served and some of it unseemiv, about
the shortcomings of the peoples repre-
sentatives at Washington. 1t is worth
a great deal to feel and to be able to
show TO the world tina. there as else.
where crisis has revealed the attrib-
utes required to meet it. 1t is Con-
gress OF patriots which has just ad-
iourned.