Year: 1864

To-day the first Congress under the permanent Con
stuton of the Confederate States closes ts session;
expiring by imitLtioa. 1t has done great deal OF
business OF most important character under many
difculties and at most trying and critical period
1t has had meet difficulties, and to overcome, try
to overcome them. These difficulties of the most
pressing ard momentou character rendering necessary
a resort to the most vigorous. we might almost say
the most extreme one other could possl-
bly, meet the requirements of the How far the
measures adopted will answer the ends proposed by
their trainers remains to be Many of them are
sufficiently sweeping in their character.


very little reflection will be sufficient to convince
any one that such measures as Congress was called
upon to pass must, from their nature meet with op
position and create dissatisfaction in many quarters
War is q caamty-a state Of war is state of calam-
ty 1t requires sacrifices and inAicts hardships, of
which all must be aware. Nc patriotic citizen or
will complain of the burthens which the public de-
fence imposes. All that is required OF Congress is
that as far as possible, these burhens be equally dis
trbuted so that each shall bear his due shae and that
all measures shall be framed with view to the careful
development of the strength and the outstanding OF all
the resources of the Confaleracy.


The Earmest friends of the late Congress will hardly
claim for it the possession of distinguished ability. 1t
evidently wanted cry many Of the leading minds of the
South It's embttere enemies, those lshmaeltes ofthe
press who seek to impose viruence upon the public
under the name of independence may attack, and, H.
deed have attacked its honesty ard impugned its mo-
tives IN oil or nearly all without cause. We can
not but think that the late Congress was the main
honest and patriotic with arduous duties to perform
ne think it applied itself to the discharge of these du
ties with full of the responsibilities which It
owed to the country. We speak of the Congress as
whole and especially of the House of Representatives,
which alone goes out body, two thirds of the
Senate holding over Of course We know that in any
body of there likely to be exceptions to any
general rule and cannot claim for the late House an
exemption from the faings of men, whether in
Congress mbled brought together by accidental
circumstances.


We do not pretend to say that agree with al! the
doings of the late session. Oar columns will bear
witness that have than felt called upon
to dissent from of the actions Of Congress. But
it must be borne in mind that Senator's and Re
presentatves entitled to liberal construction Of
their acts and actions The state of things with which
they had to deal, still but partially known to the pnb
hc may have forced upon their minds q conviction o
the necessity for resortng to TO which under
other circumstances they could never have been brought
to assent. W must lament the clTcQTlstanceS-Wt
cannot Justly blame the legislators for reluctantly
Welding to the necessity which these circumstance
imposed by passing the only measures which seemed
adequate to the semergency. We cannot forget tn
passage of the CONSUMPTION Law. All know that tina
is a hard law We thought that the necessity for i
could be avoided. Facts since made public, Thic
were communicated to both houses in secret session
show that the fate of the country then trembed in th
balance. 1t was simply that or abandonment O
the struggle.


There are few now WHO do not admit that hard a
they once thought, aud perhaps, still think the Cor
scrption sot Its posssge absolute necessity.
had 10 be done. Further knowledge and furtLer e1p


rience may furnish the same justification for som
OF the late session which now appear harsh


not unjust Let at least wait and ses before we Col
demn. Let not judge hastily We are not now calle
upon to scrutinze party with the ewes of pa


tizans. We are called upon citizens to sustain ii
country in all its efforts for existence independents,


The English Court of ExcIsqu On the Alsxandirs


The London Inde1, of the 14th January, just
hand by recent arrival at this port, deVotes Ion


editorial article to the above case upon which it shec


some light not already given to the Confederate publ


Oar space will not permit Us to copy the whole sricl


We, therefore, confne ourselves to statement of sut


nsH facts q il may contais.