Congress from Maine, laid down as the
task for the Congress, _Fight, Tax, Emancipate_--and the Congress
fulfilled the task. In a certain aspect the Thirty-Seventh Congress
showed itself almost superior to the great immortal French
Convention, which ruled, governed, administered, and legislated,
while this Congress dragged a Lincoln, a Seward, etc. This Congress
accomplished noble and great things without containing the so-called
"great" or "representative" men, and thus Congress thoroughly
vindicated the great social truth of genuine, democratic
self-government.

_March 5._--The _good_ press reduces the activity of the Thirty
Seventh Congress to its own rather pigmy-like proportions.

Congress was powerless to purify the corrosive air prevailing in
Washington, above all in the various official strata. Congress
ardently wished to purify, but the third side of the Congressional
triangle, the executive and administrative power, preferred to nurse
the foul elements. Such doubtful, and some worse than doubtful
officials, undoubtedly will become more bold, expecting the
near-at-hand advent of the Copperhead Democratic Millennium.

_March 6._--The Copperhead members of both the Houses have been very
prolific and _scientific_ about the inferiority of race. Pretty
specimens of superiority are they, with their sham, superficial, at
hap-hazard gathered, unvaluable small information, with their
inveterate prejudices, with their opaque, heavy, unlofty minds! Give
to any Africo-American equal chances with these props of darkness,
and he very speedily will assert over them an unquestionable
superiority. Are not the humble, suffering, orderly contrabands
infinitely superior to the rowdy, unruly, ignorant, savage and
bloody whites?

Southern papers are filled with accounts of the savage persecutions
to which the Union men are exposed in the rebel region. It is the
result of what Mr. Seward likes to call his forbearing policy and of
the McClellan and Halleck warfare of 1861-62.

_March 7._--For the first time in the world's history, for the first
time in the history of nations governed and administered by
positive, well established, well organised, well defined
laws--powers, such as those conferred by Congress on Mr. Lincoln,
have been so conferred. Never have such powers been in advance,
coolly, legally deliberated, and in advance granted, to any
sovereign, as are forced upon Mr. Lincoln by Congress, and forced
upon him with th