Year: 1866

Nv


Schuyler Colfax in a serenade speech in
Washington the other night, frankly ad,
mittcd that Congress had no policy for res


toring the States lately in rebellion to
places in the Union, but that the President
had. The reason he gave for the Presi-
dent having. and Congress not having a
policy was, that the former had eight months
advantage in considering the subject, while
the latter has been only .tour months at
work upon the same great question. Here
is an admission that the President has
been developing and carrying out policy
in which he has had all the advantage that
a thorough knowledge of the condition of
affairs in the rcvolted States, ana the acm-
per and purposes of the people of those
States, could give him. But the abolition
leaders In the Rump Congress did not wait
for any enlightenment in regard to his or
any restoration policy before they CONNER c.
ed denouncing the acts of the President
in his efforts to restore the Union not only
in name, but in fact. Upon the very first
day of the present session OF Congress.
Sumner, and others entertaining the same
radical views in both branches of the leg
islative department Of the Government,
proposed amendments to to the Constitu-
ion to define the future relations of the
ate rebelious States, and it was, also, arly
announced by the same faction that they
should not be recognized as integral States
of the Union until they had accepted all
the conditions, no matter how unjust, un-
reasonable and humiliating, that the radi
cal majority in that body should impose
upon them Notwithstanding their record,
which is familiar TO the whole country,
Mr. Speaker Colfax now excuses the charge
that the radical Congress has not present
ed policy for restoring the Union, upon
the ground that they were not sufficiently
enlightened upon the condition of affairs
in the eleven States shut out from reprc>
sentation in Congress to present one to the
country. He says, however, that Congress
now has the facts TO go upon, and that very
shortly its policy will be announced.


Happily for the peace and welfare of
the country, the President has exercised
all his constitutional prerogativcs to rcs>
tore the fraternity between the sections,
and the people of the country who were
only little more than yearaS in hostile
array against each other. In the history
of civil war, never has there been an ex-
ample of more rapid strides in the pacif>
cation of a divided people entertaining up
ON one side, at least, the most intense an
tagonism and dislike of the other And
from the cessation Of hostilities the Pres-
dent has had policy to govern his action,
and the effect has been to bring back the
discontents to their allegiance to the old
Government. On the other hand, the ac-
tiol of Congress, so far as i. could, has
had the tendency to keep alive the preju-
dices and passions Of the Southern people,
and continue that spirit of revolt which
induced them to make the attempt to break
up the Union and establish an independent
Government. Truly Congress has no pol
icy to restore the Union, but it has been
governed from the opening of the present
session by the single idea to legislate for
the benefit of the negro, no matter at what
sacrifice to the interests of the white race,
and regardless of the welfare of the coun>
trv. The whole effort Of this radical Con-
gress is to defeat the policy of the Presi-
dent in restoring the concord, happiness,
and prosperity which existed in the nation
before the fell spirit of secession seized
upon portion of the people: for the re
dress of either fancial or real wrongs, and
as long as the present dominant faction has
the power in tie Government 1t Will have
no other end. We ask our republican
friends if they even desire to pay for such
a costly entertainment ?-Ia". H~rdM