, 1866-04-20
.lfHApnREIIs. srrrEns.

The Stockton 'IHdsr sidssf Rlfss Eam e inc fdAhtl
in the life Of Thad. Stevens, and endeavors to
make hlin appear as avery Nestbr 6f statesineh
and The iucarnatioa, Of rpatriotism. The rLhds,
pendent, however, neglects' to mention a very
ptominent Incident in his life which proves his
Characteristic disregard for Constitutional and
legal authority, and bis inherent contempt for
tile soietd1'y expressed wishes Of the people.
Thad. SlsEenb'was Sedpetary. Of. State. 1--WE be,
lieSe) or member of the Legislature Of Pennsyi-
vania during Jo Rithers administration. AT
least he held q very prominent position,
and generalls controlled its policy, Old Penn
sylvana will recollect the Buckshot War, tof
1899, if our memory serves correctly D. r.
Porter, had been elected to succeed Ritner as
Governor. Under the advice Of Stevens the
Sims under Ritner refused to give up the va
rous Offices of State to the parties elected there
to by the people, and Thad. Stevens, Ner Mid
dleswarth; Tom Burroughsj Charles B. Penrose,
and several others, concluded TO hold on to.their
otlces by force, and consequently entrenched
themselves ia the State House. The Governor
elect called upon the militia of Dauphin County
to aid him in expelling the traitors at the capt.
tol, and they were iguominiously expelled.
Thad. Stevens making hasty exit through a
back window of the capitol with a bayonet in
close proximity to his rear. In this affair-tev.
olutionary and reasonable as it was-Fhad.
Stevens strongly exhibited the contempt for
Constitutional authority and the expressed
wishes of the people, which have been the
marked characteristics of his life. He is A man
of great energy of character, extreme moral
bolduess, winning address, ready with speech,
reckless and INSCRIPTIONS in the pursuit of OBJ
jects he wishes to attain. These qualities have
enabled him to succeed u keeping himself prom
inenty before the public in spite of the fact that
be has never originated practical measure.
His real capacities as a statesman and politi-
cal economist are illustrated in his monstrous
bill for making dealing in gold penal offence.
No man with practical turn of mind or at ali
fitted to legisate for the needs of great Nation,
would have proposed so great an absurdity.
That bill, had it become a law; would have
made felons of all in california, yet now we are
told by the members of the order of ''whip and
spur that he is the man we must especially
honor. Another marked evidence of his want of
political common sense, and his utter disregard
Tor Constitutional and legal obligations, was
given in o speech he made some three months
6ei0re the meeting of Congress. lie then cons
tended that Congress should without any regard
to the Courts declare sweeping confscation
of all property 10 the Southern States and give
the same to the negroes and soldiers. He was
for punishing every man, woman, and child in
the South for treason and trying them afterwardt
The wisdom cf that policy can be estimated
from the fact that it would have entailed the ne
cessity of supporting a standing army, of more
than a milli-n of men, for which the people of
the North would have lad topay, tie utter ex-
termination Of the entire white race Of the Sou th
for, deprived of profefty and the moans OF
livelihood, they must have starved to death--
and the keeping of the South in such a condi-
ton that it could not produce a dollar of wealth
to aid the necessities OF the Nation fOrten years.
Yet we are told that this rampant, raving, i'm
practicable, law disregarding theorist is the
man whom Intelligent and practicable people
mus: accept as their leader. This is the man
whose political cruditfes we are called upon to
support, in opposition to the matured and we'll
digestcd opinions and views of such successful
and competent statesmen as Seward, McCulloch,
Morgan, DooIittle, Raymond and others-S. +.
Call