Year: 1868

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news that Gen. Schenck is not in favor of {


September session of Congress. Congress, i


will be remembered adjourned under join


resolution providing that the two Houses


should meet on the 21st of September, i


summoned to do so in manner prescribed


and if quorum were present on that day


BY agreement among the Radical members,


the advisability of holding such session was


left to the discretion of Senator Morgan, Of
New York, and Gen. Schenck of Ohio, wLo
were in due time to meet in Washington and
| consult on the subject. They have not yet
| had a personal consultation but since the
appearance of Gen. Schencks letter referred


to by the telegraph, it would seem that both of


them object to a meeting of Congress at the
time indicated. Senator Morgan, when in


Washington some days ago, expressed the


opinion that it would not be for the interest


of his party to have the meeting, and as Gen.


Schenck comedies with this view, it is ex-


tremely improbable that they will give the


signal for the assembling of Radical working


majority of senators and representatives in


September.


Hence the anguish which Schenck's letter


depreeating September session will cause


the csrpet-baggers. They have been looking


to that event as tleir only hope of rescue from


the gulf of perdition yawning before them.


They were aware that the object of the provi-


sion for calling Congress together was to
devise additional measures, should such be
demanded by the exigency, for strengthening
the carpet-bag oligarchy in the South and
carrying the reconstructed States for the
Radical ticket. They also soon became well
aware that the Democrats had, with alarming
effect, "practiced seductive arts upon the
colored voters-seductive arts which consisted
simply in telling them the honest
truth, and making them promises
which they know will be kept to the
letter. Seeing the colored vote, which they
had supposed safely stored in their bags,
slipping away from them-not daring to face
the issue of fair trial at the ballot box
they fondly assumed that the Radical ma
jority of Congress, when informed of their
desperate plight. would, as a matter of course
assemble i'm special session and reinforce
them with all necessary legislation. Their
case, it cannot be denied, appealed with much
force to the consideration of Radical con-
gressmen. But there was another side to the
question. They appear to have overlooked it
in their blind preoccupation with the South
ern field of politics. They appear to have
forgotten that the Radical leaders had hard
and doubtful battle to fight in the North
that the ground was shaking under the Radi-
cal power from New York to San Francisco |
and that disastrous catastrophe in that sec |
ton could no more be retrieved by the facti- |
tious and fraudulent success of the Garnet |
baggers in the South, than the Mississippi |
river could be stopped by the shadow of a
dam.


The fact is that the Radical senator's and |
representatives. find themselves between the
horns of dangerous dilemma. They per-
,eive that to save the South it is necessary 10
meet in September but they also perceive
hat to meet in September would cause the
already declining chances of their party in
he North to diminish with tenfold rapiditv.
Should they meet, they would be called from
heir States and districts in the hottest mart
If the canvass, when they know that they
lave not moment to spare from work in
hose places, not only for Grant and Colfax.
'ut for their own political existence hereafter.
Moreover, they have the moral effect of the
to dread. The scandalous spectacle
would be presented of session of Congress
or the sole purpose of devising legislation in
he interest of party, inspired by distrust of
he people, and intended to force the result
f an election.


The present indisposition of the Radical
saders to have September session, is a
ood omen. 1t means that their case is so
ad that they even despair of improving it by
mother installment of unconstitutional and
evolutionary legislation. As things now
tand, their defeat is certain. Popular ten
encies are all against them. Nothing can
ave them unless it be some fatal blunder of
heir opponents.