Year: 1866

Letter from Henry j. Raymond Exp0sing


their Plans and Purposes.


The following remarkable letter appeared
in the New York Daily Times of the 18th
June:


WAsnINoroN. Sunday, June Is, 1866.


Political panics are quite as mischievous
in their way as pancs in an army. Parties
are demoraized and sometimes routed, by
the apprehension Of dangers that prove to
have been wholly imaginary. Sometimes.
too, these fears create the dangers they dread
and thus fulfill their own predictions The
Union Party in Congress is just now experen.
cling panic of more than usual severity,
and its action under the circumstances does
ore credit to its zeal than to its discretion.


You may have noticed the passage in the
House, few days since, Of resolution of,
fered by Gen. Paine, of Wisconsin, calling
on the States to organize, discipline and
equip their militia, and directing that two.
thirds of the arms, ordnance and ammuni,
tion now under the custody of the General
Government be distributed among the States
the distribution among the loyal States to
take place Immediately, and that among the
States lately in rebellion to be postponed
until further orders. The resolution came
up from the Committee on Military Affairs
and was pushed to vote, without debate or
delay, under the previous question. 1t ATT
tracted as little attention in Congress as it
has in the country: and the PUBLIC will
doubtless receive with incredulity the assur-
ance that it was intended. by those who Sc
cured its passage, as the first step toa0ord pre-.
puration for another civii qUar Although no
debate was had upon it, members were urged
TO vote for it by direct conversational appeals
on the floor on the part of the few who were
pri,y TO its introduction. Some were told
that it was necessary to enable the Southern
Ioyalis!s to protect tbemselves:-others that
IT was simply a matter of detail in the War
Department:-others that the arms must be
taken out Of the hands of the President: and
others that it was proposed at the instance
of the Secretary Of War An appeal was
made by Mr.. Kasson, Of Iowa, to allow de-
bate upon it, as it seemed TO be matter of
importance-but this was refused.


Most Of the leading and rejecting Radi
Gals in Congress take this view of the poti'
cal future: If the Fall elections result in
the choice of Northern Democrats enough
to constitute, when added to the members
from the Southern States, majority Of the
House, they assume that this majority, thus
will claim to be the Congress,
and will act accordingly, and that they will
be recognized by the President as the body
to which be will send his message, and
whose sessions be will, if the necessity should
arise, protect by military force. They assert,
on the other hand, that the Union members
from the loyal States-if they constitute
majority from those States-will claim to be
the only legal Congress, and will, if neces
sary, invoke an insurrecton of the people to
IN maintan them 10 that position. They do
not 10 the least conceal their purpose, in the
event of such a collision, to appeal to force,
and to "drive the rival Congress, with the
President and bis Cabinet and supporters,
into the Potomac" to use the language of
one Of the ablest and most sincere of their
number. If you will recall the remarks of
Mr.. Boutwell,, of Massachusetts, in last
weeks first caucus, you will see this move.
ment clearly foreshadowed- avowed.
He declared his belief that an issue of force
vas rapidly approaching and that we must





who cooperate with him in these measures
profess TO act, Under the apprehension that
the President intends to resort to force
that he means TO disperse the present Com
gress on its re-assembing in December, if it
refuses to admit the Southern members; and
Mr.. Farnsworth ascribed to Mr.. Seward
the declaration, that this Congress should
never re assemble unless the Southern mem
bers were admitted-in support of this be
belief. l need scarcely say that Mr.. Seward
never made any remark of the kind, nor
that the project ascribed to the President is
purely An invention, or at best the crazy
dream of political nightmare. But in either
case it serves the same purpose. 1t covers,
and is held to justify, the determination 10
arouse the North, and prepare for resort to
force upon the assembling of the Fortie,h
Congress in extra or in regular session; and
this determination is avoUed. And the reso
luton to which have referred, for an orr
ganization of the militia and distribution
of arms in the Northern States, is the ini'
tial to its execution.


do not propose to comment upon the
result of such a movement. 1t is obvious
that if any such contingency should arise,
the war would not be sectional, as was the
last; it would be war of political parties
and of neighborboods. Not only have the
great body Of the Union party in Congress
no sympathy with these views and purposes,
but they are in the main ignorant and in
credulous Of their existence. That the ex.
treme Radicals entertain them, however,
there is not the slightest doubt, and we know
from the appearance of secession in 1851,
how few men it sometimes requires 10 plunge
great party or great nation into war.


The Philadelphia Convention is another
source Of panic to the Union party. By the
Radicals Of whom l have spoken, it is re
garded as intended to pave the way for
bringing northern Democrats and southern
rebels into close concert of action under the


protection Of the President, at the opening


Of the next Congress for the purpose referred
| to above md hv nearly the whole Union