Year: 1872

Again the House or Representatives


has shown itself a more independent


and discreet legislative body than the


Senate. The public opinion which
found authoritative expression in the
Cincinnati platform, was echoed and
approved by all the unpurchased press,
and was set forth anew in language of
rs much beauty as vigor in Mr.. Gree
ley's letter of acceptance, demanded
that an end be speedily put to any


unjust and discriminating legislation
against the South. The Senate defed


this evident and earnest popular de-
mand. In obedience to the dictation
of those friends and managers of the
President who imagine that with the
same sword by which he gained his
fame he can gain his reelection, the
Senate passed bill extending to the
President the power of fsuspending the
writ of Habeas Corpus at his discre-
ton until the close of the next regular
session of Congress. 1t went easily
through that body, which, by com
mon consent, is called dignifed and
a deliberate one, though opposed
with vigor by several of the ablest
members OF the Senate, and not sup
ported by any speeches or arguments
worth mentioning. The Administra-
ton threw its whole weight in favor
of the bill, its partisans not hesitating
to say that its passage was required
as Il political necessity. There was
never more shameless sight pre-
sented by our political history an
Administration not daring to trust to
the free suffrage of the people, and
clamoring for the sword of military
power to be placed in it's hands to ac-
complish an endangered election.


The public Indignation against this
iniquitous attempt to gag and fettera
people just beginning to recover its
freedom of speech and action, had
been given intelligent form and direc-
ton by the Cincinnati movement.
The House of Representatives was
near enough to the voting population
to appreciate this fact. When Gen.
Butler tried to accomplish the wishes
of the President by the trick of voting
Il recess instead OF an adjournment,
the vote of the House showed un.nis-
takably the spirit in which they
looked upon such measure. We
were therefore encouraged to believe
that when the time came for the
House to act upon the Senate bill for
keeping the South another year under
military rule for political purposes, it
would be found that they would de-
cline being made.the puppet of Exec
utive ambition and of Senatorial SER
Witty. These hopes were not I'M
founded. Yesterday, Mr.. Poland
moved II suspension of the rules to
take up and pass the Senate Ku- KluX
bill. His motion which required ii
two-thirds vote, did not receive Il
majority, only 81 voting in its favor
to 105 against it. This virtually
killed the project; for, as Mr.. Poland
frankly said, if his motion had re-
ceived a majority, he could have re-
ported from his Committee an identi-
cal bill with that of the Senate, and
passed it by the same majority. But,
with the greater number against him,
he should not even report the bill ex-
cept by the instructions OF his Com
mittee.


This is another of the peaceable
fruits of Cincinnati. Just as the wise
and magnaimous plea for amnesty
influenced even the Senate to pass and
the President to sign a measure of
amnesty, which, though imperfect.
was far better than the grudging
meaness of their antecedent policy, so
the unequiyocal declaration of Cincin-
natl in favor of the restoration of civil
authority in the South, and the quick
and unmistakable response of the
country to this declaration, has given
strength enough to the conscientious
members of both parties to vote ac-
cording to their own convictions, to
bring back as soon as possible the
reign of law in every section OF the
country.