Year: 1875

The deadlock in Congress arising from
the conflict of political belief and party in
terest between the two Houses in the next
Congress will hardly serve to give peace
and quiet to the country. 1t is true there
will be no possibility of completing much
legislation to disturb the present condition
of affairs, but this fact of itself, will have
the effect to provoke disquietude. The
Democracy will be inspired by the hope of
retaining the control of the lower House,
and eventually of getting majority in the
Senate, while the Republicans will strive to
regain their lost ground The fillibustering
and the jugglery which will be resorted to
for these purposes will astonish and con-
fuse the public, and, no doubt, result in the
personal discontinue Of many of the active
participants Efforts will be made, as mat
ter of course, to repeal the specie resump-
ton act, and there will be strange divisions
and coalitions as the result, as there will


be on every question connected, however
remotely, with the subject of finances


This feature of the proceedings of the Forty
fourth Congress will prove to be the malev-
olent inspiration of national evil, and there
are many who believe it will exert an in
f1uence to depress and stagnate the vital
interests of the country. Another bone of
contention will be the appropriations. The
Democrats will interpose objections to the
use of money by the War and Navy De-
partments and the Department of Justice,
and, in short, all of the Departments,
under circumstances calculated in every
way to aid the Republicans. The strife, in
truth, will be to cripple, in every imagina-
BILE manner, the patronage of the Admin
istration, and to render worthless, in a
pecuniary sense, the offices held by leading
Republicans. With these objects in view
the Democrats will attempt to cut off ap
preparations for salaries, for public build
ings, for the navy yards and for other
similar objects. To brief the whole thing,
the prospect promises lively contention
and prolonged struggles of the most ex-
citing character.


Two years from next December, how
ever, when the Forty-f fifth Congress shall
begin its first session, when the national
campaign shall have been fought, and the
successor to the present Administration
been inaugurated, the country will have
passed its Centennial birthday, the people
will have expressed their will in command
ing tones, and the future of the Republic
for the present generation will have been
mapped out. Two brief years pregnant
with the mysterious uncertainties of ma
TONS life With the stupendous questions
at stake, the power Of the General Govern
ment over the State governments, and the
almost numberless issues now known and
others not yet dreamed Of one looks for
ward to this brief era with feeling of awe.
The most intrepid believer in the perpetu-
ity Of our governmental system cannot fail
to see in it dangers which are appalling.
The disloyal under current of political feel
ing in the South, and the growing disineli-
nation of the Northern people to pay atten-
ton to anything except affairs of immediate
personal concern. form a basis for grave
doubts. The gradual disappearance of the
power of the blacks in some of the States
to retain the exercise of the rights of citi-
zenship accompanied as it is by IN appa-
rent disregard one the part of Republican
leaders of the solemn pledges of the party
to protect the freedom of the humblest citi-
zen, combine to threaten an overthrow Of
the dearly bought results of the war. The
insidieus encroachments of the Democracy
and he covert efforts of the treasonable
State Rights element to reassert the doc
trine of paramount State allegiance, should
startle every loyal man with the dire posi-
bilities OF the future, and we believe they
will.


Tried as tho Republican party has been
by fire and storm since its organization, its
trials in the coming two years will be
greater, and although the shock Of battle
may be avoided, the hardships to be eu-
dured by those who will prove to be loyalty
consistent to its record will find no parallel
in the peaceful periods of its history. The
day of its utmost usefulness is lust begin
ming to dawn; but with the morning rays
there is danger of disintegration. Too
many of its leaders have become SO accusI
toned to the enjoyment of honors and emol-
.uments that they are willing to sacrifice
principle for success. In doing this they
will emasculate 1t, and emasculation at this
juncture is but the forerunner of disinte-
grafton. The only safety for it resides in
fhe careful inanapement of its Affairs during