Year: 1867

Mr.. Stevens bill to enable the insurgent
States to organize governments on q loyal
basis, has been referred by the House, after
full discussion, to the committee on recon-
struction. The vote to refer was 83 to 65.-
Of the S3 who voted to refer AZ are Repub-
icans, and 12 of these, members of the pres
cnt Congress, have been defeated by the loy-
al people of their Districts, on account of
their dubious positions. Thirty-six cop
perheads voted to refer. Addthe 10 new mem
bers Of the 40th Congress to the e5 who yo-
ted against the reference, and we have n
thoroughly Radical members, to say nothing
of number of Republicans like General
Banks, who voted to refer because the bill
under consideration was not regarded by
them as su6ioientlysGing There will be
not less than 100 Radical members of the
next House, who will be prepared to adopt
any measure necessary to reorganization on
loyal basis, while the copperhead vote IN
that body will be smaller than it is now.
The Congress is certainly dilatory in this
business, but we are not at all disheartened.
The Northern people decided in the late cleo
tions, first, that the Howard amendment
should be adopted. That will soon be done
by three-fourths of the States that have
never lost their constitutional relations to
the government, without asking the South
any odds. As the Southern States will not
be consulted in the adoption of the amend
ment, so it will not apply to them until they
shall have been restored to their former rela-
| tions. The adoption the amendment will,
therefore, render reorganization indispensa-
BILE. We are satisfied the next Congress will
at once proceed to this work, and we shall
have not only the Howard amendment, but
such suffrage as will ensure the presentation
of Republican Constitutions" by the in


surgent States similar to those of Colorado


and Nebraska On no other basis will these


States ever be admitted to their former priv.


ileges as members of the Union.


1t must be rocollected also that the House


of Representatives is engaged in steps look


ing to the impeachment and removal of the


President. We do not know what progress


has been made in this matter, if any. 1t may


be that the purpose of members in this re


spect had controlling influence in referring


the bill.


We do not credit the secession telegram


that the committee on reconstruction


"hopelessly inharmonious." The next Con


gress will act promptly, through this or som
other committee; and no important step wi
be taken save in caucus. No caucus actio


has yet been determined on in relation rn re


construction. Caucus action was had in re
lation to impeachment and with referenc


to the Supreme Court, and the result wa
that the House put through by more tina


a two-thirds vote every proposition ir


volved in those questions.


We therefore assure our Union friends tina
there is no reason why they should despone
, Let them continue to hold their meetings, t
, organize and compact their forces, d t
petition Congress for redress of grievance
That body will act in due time. Treaso
will be made odious, loyal men only wi


govern, the Union will be restored, and W
e shall enter again at no very distant day on
: new career of prosperity.