Year: 1862

The Re-Eioction Of Members OF Congress.


1t is generally acknowledged that the


South was indebted for its former inilu-


enee in Washington, very mech 10 its


practice Of giving its Representatives in
Congress long terms Of service. Whether


this practice was deliberately adopted upon
/ considerations Of policy, or whether it
I grew out Of a peculiar social condition, it
K is not material to enquire The practice


existed as q matter Of fact, while the con-
I trary practice Of rotation in the choice Of
members Of Congress has generally OBJ


tanned at the North. The consequence


was, that the Southern Representatives,


with no advantage in. ability, and inferior


IA respect to education and general in


formation, had an undoubted superiority


in parliamentary experience; and the inn
portanee Of superiority in that particular
cannot be oveF-estimated.


The interest Of constituencies TO be ef-
feotively represented is a consideration of
vastly greater moment than the pretcn-
sions Of aspirants. The irstis public, and
affects hundreds Of thousands The last
are the concerns Of only few individ-
uals.


The real question to be considered BY
constituency, is, who can best represent
them and their political principles in the
national legislature. The mere fact that
an individual was selected two years ago
does not prove that it is now wise to re-
elect him; butso also, it is no ground for
assuming that the selection Of an indi-
vidual is inadmissible to-day, that he has
been selected once, twice, or three times
before. The true question is always aDho
Is the best man taking all circumstances
(ineluding experience) into the account
Il is unwise to say that member Of Con
gress shall have two terms as a matter of
right, without regard to the capacity for
usefulness which he may develop duriDtr
the first term. And it is equally uny5ise
to say that any number of terms Of SER
vice should exclude any body from the lists
from which the people may choo Sc a Rem
resentatiye. The true question. we re-
peat IL is always the same, 9vho IS the best
man and experience is never disouali-
Tying circumstances, but always the re-
verse.


Without spending any more time and
words IN generaiIi'ng, we hope to see a
large proportion pf the true men in the
present congress reelected by their con-
stituents. They have deserved it by their
courage fdelit!5 and persistency in well
doing and the, vast results they have ae-
eomplished for their country. It is a safe
rule, to conclude that the point Of attack
by all the evI-disposed, is precisely the
point which the well-dispOsed should rally
to support The point, beyond all ques-
tlon, IS the present Congress of the United
states. 1t has been the target of the abuse
Of every sheet in the country in the inter
est Of secession, or in sympathy with Sc
eession, and not a few of them have gone
the length Of threatening to drive it out of
the capital with the bayonets of the SOL
diery And it is in the same spirit that
they have been insisting for months, that
Congress should abdicate its power and ad-
jOurn. Does any one fail to see why that
body is 50 offensive to the Washington Star,
to the Baltimore Sun, to the Boston Cour-
ier, and to the Herald, the Express andthe
Journal Of Commerce in New York? Does
any one fail y see that Congress is hated
By the -enamies- Of the country, because II
has been true to the country?


WehOpe to see a gOodly proportion of the
men reelected, who have made this Con-
gress so effective of good, and so much
hated and feared by the various grades and
shades Of sympathizers with treason. And
this, not solely, or principally, because they
deserve 1t, but because they can be trusted,
and because it is the interest Of the eoun-
try to re-elect them.