Year: 1869

Dec0 out OF the UNION. Dut, OOmltClnH
that by her secession she went out, she is
in again by the reconstruction acts of this
very Congress, and her Representatives
arc now members of the House. Her
vote, then, was to be counted as was the
votes of other States, and Mr.. Woodward
of Pennsylvania, in the debate ensuing
the action of the convention, inquired
pertinently, and in a way not to be an-
swered with credit to the Republicans
"If you treat Georgia in this manner this
year, what State may you not treat in the
same manner next year, or on some future
occasion? What is that but dissolution
of the Union? Her members are here
sitting on this floor. What right haye
they to be here if Georgia is not in the
Union?" The truth is, that having thrown
the Constitution to the winds, the Republi.
can party is drifting no one, not even
itself, knows whittier, by the shifting
winds of fancied expcdiency.


But there is something behind all this.
The House has felt for some time the
growing power of the Senate. The tenure
of Office act has given the latter new
power. 1t virtually controls, under it, the
vast patronage of tho Government. 1t
has not only shorn the President Of his
constitutional authority, but it has indi.
rectly lowered, and that very materially,
the political prestige of the members Of
the House. And there is something still
beysnd this. The Republican leaders are
divided already into distinct and antago.
nistic factions. The ultras both fear and
dislike Grant. Hence the refusal of the
Senate to repeal the tenure of Office act.
In the House, headed by Butler, is q
faction which seems to see future power
and profit both in curtailng the power OF
the Senate and in pleasing Grant. Now
Butler sees clearly enough, that in a quar-
rel between the Senate and Grant, he will
stand a chance to strike in on, or to make
the winning side, with great advantage to
himself. Already he has secured in the
House the repeal of the tenure of Office
act, and his purpose undoubtedly in the
coures he pursued in the convention, was,
to widen the breach between the two
Houses-making that which was an open
secret, palpable to Grant and the country.


The Tribune says that the issues which
have welded the Republican party together
are dead. True, but it is kept agglome-
rated, if not fused, by its widespread and
SO far, all. powerful "rings." If the
profits Of the whiskey and other frauds
upon the revenue, have been Hitherto
pretty equally divided among the members
Of Congress and their special friends, two
dangers loom up in the future. One that
the members of the South will hereafter
have the greatest control over and advan.
tase of, the pickings and stealings, and
the other, that Grant, may carry out his
promise Of enforcing honesty in the COL
lection and payment over of the revenue.


Hence, Butler and his coadjutors now
fight the South and will fight Grant if op-
posing him is likely to succeed and the
Senate is fighting to hold on to what it
has got, and to compel Grant to succumb
to its olligarchical tyranny. Honest men
are benefited, the proverb says, when
rogues fall out, and certain it is that the
combination and unison of action Of the
Republicans in Congress, has inflicted
upon the country, serious if not fatal
wounds. Grant promises well, but we
doubtif he fully realizes the power and
unscrupulousness of the pretended friends
with whom he has to deal. He cannot
however, we surmise, be SO credulous as
to believe that Butler is actuated by any
other than the most malignant motives
and the most morbid purposes.-Provi-
dence, Ri. l. Herald.