Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-05-21
THAD. STEVENS SPEECH.

The following is an extract from the
speech Of THAD STEVENS, delivered in
the House previous to the vote on the
Constitutional Amendment 1t is worth
reading
Gentlemen say we are striving fol-
party. do seek to sustain my party
when that party is necessary to save the
Union. l say rally to your party and
save that party, or you lose the Union.
Gentlemen tell us that it is too strong.
Too strong for what2 Too strong for
their stomachs, but not for the people.
Some say il is too lenient. 1t is too le-
nent for my hard heart Would to God
that the exclusion of rebels might not
only run to the year 1876, but to the
year 1906. 1t would then be but too
mild punishment But | hear it said
you must not humble these people.
Humble them, why not7 Do they not
deserve degradation ? If they do net,
who does? What animal or felon de-
serves it more2 They have not yet con-
fessed their sins, why should they be
forgiven ? He who administers justice
and mercy never forgiyes until the sim
ner confesses at the footstool Of power
Why should we forgive any more
than He? If they are to come
hack, let them come back and ask for
forgiveness, and then let US consider
whom we shall forgive and whom we
shall exclude.
That is my principle. All i regret
is that this is not sufficiently stringent
Let not these friends of secession and
secessionists sing to me their halcyon
songs of peace and goodwill until they
can stop my ears to the shrieks and
groans of the dying victims at Memphis
"a scene more horrible in atrocities,
though not to the same extent, than the
terrible tragedy Of Jamaica. While /
am willing that these rebel States shall
be represented here, / pray you not to
admit those who have caused the slaugh-
ter of millions of our countrymen, while
their clothes are still wet with blood.
Wait until they are differently clad. /
do not want to sit side by side with men
whose garments smell of the blood OF my
kindred.
Gentlemen forget the scenes that took
place here twenty years ago, when the
mighty TooMBs, with his shaggy locks,
needed Southern fre-eaters with shouts
of defiance, and rendered this House
hell Of legislation. They seem to forget
the scenes enacted here six years ago,
before Southern members left the hall to
Join the armies of CATALIYE and when
encouraged by their allies they came on
here in one yelling body, because a
speech for freedom was being made on
this side, and when the ruffian CRAIG, Of
North Carolina, drew a pistol, and the
assassin BARKsDALE drew bowie-knife-
Mr. THAYER reminded Mr.. STEVENS
that the third section did not affect the
eligibility Of those persons as representa-
tives, but merely excluded them from
voting, and he asked him If he thought
he could build penitentiary big enough
10 hold eight millions of people
Mr. STEvENs-Yes, sir; that peniten-
tiary which is guarded by bayonets, down
below; and if they attempt TO come back
we will shoot them. The penitentiary Of
hell is the penitentiary that they deserve
to have till then
Such are the sentiments Of man who
is, by reclamation, the leader Of the
dominant party in Congress and the
North. We need expect no quarter from
this man, or his party. We can only hope
for good through a revolution Of public
opinion in the North and West