The "expulsion" Of Mr. Long

naturday, so Jar as we can recollecti was the fiist. day since the beginuing of the session vvhen Congress has feit sul fioient interest in the business before t to debate thut business nith some show of vehemenee. Had the the dignity of the question corresponded to the warmth of the discussion, the country would hail Saturday'g proceedings in the House as a sign that Congress is at last awakening Irom the daudling, donothing apathy in which it has wasted an alreudy ong session. But unhappily, the heatcd debate of Saturday concerned itself with nothing more important than the personal opiuons of a mernber of no mark or figure. In comparison with tlie grave duties which Congress bas been so lng negecting, of what consequence is it what Mr. Long, of Ohio, does or does not ihink ? Three days ago, not one citizen of a tbousand, if asked who Mr. Long is, cDuld have told. The ravs of Congressional indignntion concentrated upon hirn as a focus, have served to illumine aud render visible an obscure tnember, who otherwise vvould not have eommanded public atteution to anything he conld sny, " Bat Mr. Long "declared himself in favor of stopping " the war, and recognizing the inde" pendence nf the South." Well, soppose he did ? It is the most unpopular opin'on he or any other man cou'ld have uitered Is Mr. Long a man ol such transcendent ability that he can stem the tide of odium nLich such a sentiment would encounter if put forth by u man of influmicü? Was there danger that if a great communion was not raised Mr. Lnng would convert the country to his principies. " But there was danger that tho uti"rebuked utterance oí such sentimonts " would encoun.gu the rebels." The rebels, then, are greater simpletons than we over took thcm to be. 'J'hey have reason 10 take courage when such friv(ilons and theatrical exenditurcH ofitrdignation as eODSBmed tho wholo of Saturday, and ure to bo renewcd loday, postpono lcgisiation indispensable to save the country frorn financiül ruin. When uil efficiënt mensures fot' sustaioing the war aro luinonsly put off to fiml time for such exhibitions, the rebels have is mach reason to be pleased as the fxiends of the Union have to niourn. Whüt can the countrv hopo from the petty iaquisiloiial niinds that spend Ihe pubíic tin e n idle attempte to ■ni-üin at such a gnat as this Mr. Long whüe they are swallowing the camel of naüpnaj bankruptcy ? The scène in the House, on Saturdhy, wns x hvpocriiical electioneering trick ; a device of squabbling politiciaus incapable of rising to tho dignity of stiitemanship lts. parpose wan, not to (lisalmse tlie South if the idea that Mr. Lnng'a sefitiments would be of mv avail toward their independenco (ter not even Collax can believa the South to be such a pack of fools), but to convey to the Nortdi tho false impression that all the Democratie meinbern share Mr. Long's opinions. Know lig how fully tho Democratie party is uommit ted to freedom of diseti.-sion, these trickster9 frumed a resolution for which tney knw Detptorats coirld oot voto, with a view to charge all who would not go to the extreme length it propoaed witli Invoring southern independenoe. Mr. Cox und otlier De.nocrats who spoke ugainst theresolutien were thureupoi) offensively stigtuatized as gympattiizers with ihe rebellion. Prav, observe the consisteney of these preciou patriot ! Lest the South should bu eneouraged by the idea that thero was a ingle well-wislier to their cause in the House, these puragons of pub!ic virtue aaderlake to exbibitthe whole body of the Democratie members as masked or umnaskcd esoessionistf ! If the South was likely to be enconraged by Mr. Long'ti speech, wbat will be the effect of t bis pretended demonstration that nearly half of Gongress agrce with him ? Sueh wholi-gale libéis would of course do mischief at the South, ii believed. Tho whole election eerirtg tacties of the adruinistratlon party are so inuch aid and comfort to the enemy. The persistent denunciation of the Democratie party as a band of traitors, is bilt another way of assuring the Soulh that the odds against tbem are not really great. With thdir iwn seclion cor.solidated and half the Noilh in their favor, why should they despair ? The course of Speaker Colfax in this pitilul business reflecta no credit on his character. With many amiable and obligmg qUalities, Mr. C' lfax has always been a good deal of a demgogue. Sume time ago, Mr. Colf'ax aiiiKiunced, with politie prudery, that he would retire fiom pabtió lif'e at the close of his present term; but he ha lately fuffered himself 10 ba prevalied upon (thirt is the fel oe he puts. upon it) to be once more a candidato for reejection. He understands the temper of his district, and has seized this opportur.ity tothtust himft-lf' upon its fa vorable nolioe. There is in the House no laok of demagogues who would have been willing to offer the resolution for expelling Mr. Long; but that would bot have served Mr. Oolfax's purpose to make himself eonspicuous by an act sure to bo applauded by his constituents. Mr. Clay once descended from the speaker's chair to the floor of the House Ánder circumstances eomewhat similar; but the contrast of his course to that of Mr Colfax niarks the difference bei ween a statesman and a demagogue. The occasion we refer to was in the last war with Great Britain, when some of the New England Fed eralists were plotting for tbe dissolutton of tho Union. Jopiah Quincy, a Massachnsetts rneniber of prominence and influence, hud made a violent ai;d niest virulent anti-war and pro-British speech. But what did Mr. Clay go down to the floor to do? To ofter a resolutiön of expulsión? Nothing of the sort. Truth, ia those days, 3;loried in freodom cf debuto as its triumph.-. Mr. Clay delivered a Boalhing phillip pie, a speech abounding, however, in poweriul argument as well as in gallintr invective. Although he said Mr. Quincy could not tread the carpet of the House without soiling it, he fiad no more thought of his expulsión than he had of ubolishing the office of speaker. Truth, with a irnijority to back it, was then deemed mighty enotigh to grapple with error without danger of getting worsted As Democrals, we repudiate Mr. Long's sentiments and deplore his pölitcul folly. But. as irtonds ot free debati we deprécate the attempt to expel him even more than we do the damage his speech was calculated to do to the Democratie party. On this subject we know no path but that of arinciple. We shall rnaiiitain the rights of free dmcussion to t he end of the chapter. If no nppogition to a war once beguri is ever to be toleroted, how can a war be ended when a ínr ther prosectition becomes mischievous ? In evëry great war there ís a vast multitude oí officers, conlractors, specuia tors, manufacturera, etc., whose personal interests are promoted by its coiitinuance, irrespective of its advantage to the country. The eíiorts of a few isolated peace men are no countorpoise to tbe influence of the multitudes who thrive by the war. Althongh we sin cerely believe that peaco would now be ruinous, we can not consent to the establishment of a principie whioh would prevent opposition to the war alter tho attaioment of i!s object should become hopeless, if nnhappily, fortune has such a ealnmity in stoie for us. We support frecdoru of del)ato in time of war, as a prudent general would keep open alineof reticat in advancing to büttle. We trust we shall know peace only as a conseqiience ot victory ; but if disasters should come - or whether they come or not - tho country has a right to determine for itself whether the further prosecution of the war íh expedi-ent and wiso It is the prerogative of 4"ingrrss, not only to declaro war, but ' too decide how long it will próvido! meansfor carrying it .m; and this being the case, the expediency of anv pasticuíar war must always be a ques tion open to dehato whenever rnembeiB choose to debate it. It is by ihe strength of the free majorities that support it, not by gawging opposition, ihat war receives effluent moral support. JÜT" A Cnpe Ann pnper is resporsible for the followiog : " A lady in tbis town sent her husband to the storo, lately, to buy a, dollars worsh of sugar, as the good wife was nearly out. The sugar not appcaring, a few days afterwarcLs sho asked hor husband what he had done with it. He replied, after n few moments hesitation and head scra'ching, "I must have put it in my otber vest pocket." I