Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-07-13
From the New York Evening Post. June 5Oth.l
MIR. stevens, Last speech,

From the New York Evening Post, June 10TH
MIR. stevens Last speech.
In the brief speech with which Mr..
Thaddeus Stevens introduced the amended
Constitutional Amendment to the House
of Representatives, on Wednesday, he
mourned over the impossibility. at the
present time, Of making part Of a "model
republic" of the Southern States. He
said:
"In my youth. in my manhood, in my
old age, I had proudly dreamed that.
when any Fortunate chance should have
broken up for q while the foundation Of
our institutions, and released Us from obi.
cations the most tyranical that ever man
imposed In the name Of freedom, the INTEL
lgent, pure and just men of this Republic,
true to their professions and their con-
sciences, would have SO remodelled all our
institutions as to have freed them from
every vestige Of human oppression, Of in
equality of rights, Of the recognized degra-
dalton Of the poor and the superior caste
Of the rich--in short, that no distinction
would be tolerated in this purified Repub-
lie but what arose from merit and conduct.
This bright dream has vanished like the
baseless fabric of a vision I find that
we shall be obliged TO be content with
patching up the worst portions of the an
Gent ediice, and leaving it, in many of It's
parts, to be swept through by the tempests,
the frosts and the storms Of despotism."
Few Americans, we trust, will agree
with Mr.. Stevens in these sentiments.
That any event which should "break up
for a while the foundation of our institu-
tons" could be a fortunate chance" is
not the general belief, else our institutions
would not have had the strength or the
value Of a rope Of straw. That the obli-
cations imposed upon US by the Constitu.
ton were tyrannical-"th the most tyranni.
cal that ever man imposed in the name Of
freedom"-is a saying unfit for an Ameri-
can, and which could not come from any
one who comprehends the true nature,
objects and results Of constitutional lib
erty.
To US, it seems that history does not
record a grander or nobler story Of a ma.
tion's virtue and truth, than this of the
great slavery discussion in America nor
can we in any part Of it find cause for Mr..
Stevens terrible words concerning the
Constitution. Under that wise instrument,
willingly bearing its "tyrannical' bonds,
the American people, with awakened
conscience, with genuine devotion to law.
full liberty. were speedily coming to the
point where slavery would have been first
girdled, and then destroyed by the inevi-
table operation Of the laws Of political
economy, aud by the lawful constitutional
exercise of the powers and wishes Of the
nation.
So far we had gone in peace. The next
step was, naturally, the abolition Of sla-
very, by peaceable and regular amend
ment to the Constitution. with compensa-
ton TO slsve-owners; and this consumma-
ton could have been delayed but a few
years, had not the slave owners with in
cridible folly thrown away their whole
case by rebellion. We do not deem the
war, which resulted, a fortunate chance"
On the Contrary, it is INT of the bitterest
calamities which ever befel the country ;
it has burdened our industry with an
enormous debt, half OF which would have
suficed to ransom every slave in the
country 4; it has brought sorrow and suf.
fering to millions; it has deprived the
country Of a considerable part of its labor
ing force ; and not least. it has interrupted
the regular administration of the civil
Government, and thus straiued the bonds
Of the Constitution.
We ask far more than Mr.. Stevens; we
want not only that slavery and the spirit
Of caste shall be destroyed, and that all
men shall own their hands, but that they
shall employ them as they please, and to
the greatest profit. We desire to see the
day when not only speech and labor, but
trade shall be free; when men like Mr..
Stevens will not be able to pass laws
which compel their fellow-men to pay
needlessly high prices for articles Of neces.
sity, and whose object is to turn a part Of
the industry Of the country into unprof-
table channels, for the benefit Of. a few
capitalists and to the loss Of the whole
nation.