The Sun

Gen. Grant in the Lobby of the Senate.

The Dominican treaty is a mere job, and being prospectively a prolific one, the Washington lobby have taken it in hand. The visit of the President to the ante-room of the Senate, to influence its action in favor of this treaty, establishes a dangerous precedent. If it is resorted to in respect to all objectionable treaty, it will soon be employed to secure the confirmation of unsuitable nominees for office, and by and by it will be resorted to to pervert the ordinary legislation of Congress.

Three centuries ago the Kings of England used to take a side seat in the House of Commons to overlook and influence its proceedings by their presence. In process of time that sturdy body recorded a vote to the effect that these royal visits were a violation of its ancient privileges. They were then discontinued for two or three reigns.

CHARLES I., after protracted quarrels with Parliament, finally resorted to the desperate expedient of going in person to the hall of his refractory Commons, and arresting PYM and four other eminent members of the liberal party. The spirit of the House rose up against this unusual attempt to dominate and obstruct its action in an unwarranted manner. The progressive and independent sentiment of the nation supported the Commons, and within a brief period the head of CHARLES rolled from the scaffold into the basket of the executioner. Though guilty of many crimes, the turning point in the career of the unfortunate CHARLES was his visit to the halls of Parliament, in order to coerce its action or unduly control its decisions by his royal presence. He was an amiable prince, but he had not carefully studied the times in which he lived.

We repeat, the Dominican treaty is a corrupt, and to the nation an unprofitable and discreditable job. By ratifying it we shall certainly annex to this republic an unconsenting people, and incur large pecuniary liabilities, and purchase an unpropitious interest in the civil convulsions now smoldering in that island.

The rulers of the United States carry out their plans, and the people execute their will, by methods different from those employed in England during the rule of the STUARTS. CHARLES went down to the Commons. GRANT went up to the Senate. CHARLES arrested five commoners with his own hand because they would not yield to his arbitrary will. GRANT, with his hands full of favors, only sent for half a dozen Senators in order to persuade them to yield to his pleasure by ratifying a treaty reeking with corruption, and which, at that stage of the proceedings, was solely within their jurisdiction. GRANT might have sent a message to the Senate, like his predecessors, expressing his views on the pending treaty; but he chose to go to the Capitol in person. CHARLES might have caused his royal will to be announced in the Commons by one of the retainers of the Court; but he preferred to repair to their hall in person.

Of course there is no danger of the head of Gen. GRANT rolling by and by from a scaffold. In these days, lobbyists, however distinguished and persistent, are not put to death. The only penalty inflicted upon the President for his unprecedented mode of mixing in this assembly business will be, that he will be pushed off the platform of the next National Convention of the Republican party—not, as was also the case with CHARLES, for this one act alone, but for his incapacity to catch and keep up with the spirit of the times.

Gen. GRANT's fate, in respect to a renomination, is fixed. But for the honor of the party that elected him, let him keep out of the lobby of Congress.