Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1866-03-29
poIhtaI.
RECONSTRUCTION.

. RECONSTRUCTION.
EXTRACTS FROM THE
Speech of Hon. Thaddeus Stevens.
In the House Of Representatives, March 10, 1866
Mr. SPEAKER: You may have OBJ
served that since made my frs,
speech at the opening of Congress, Civ
ing my views on reconstruction, Ger
tain newspapers have been attempting
to disturb the harmony which existed
between the President and myself In
the most polite language and the most
fattering epithets within their vocabu.
larry, they have denounced me as the
enemy of the President, and, with the
aid of certain high official, as having
waged successful war against him.
Those journals have, perhaps uninten-
tionally, done me too much honor. !
will say, however, once for all, that in
stead of feeling personal enmity to the
President, feel great respect for him.
honor his integrity, patriotism, cour-
age, and good intentions. He stood
too firmly for the Union, in the midst
OF dangers and sacrifices, to allow me
to doubt the purity of his wishes. But
all this does not make me fear to doubt
his judgment and criticise his policy.
When | deem his views erroneous,
shall say so when deem them dan
gerous, shall denounce them. While
| can have no hostility to the President
| may have, and have, very grave OBJ
jections to the course which he is pur-
suing. Ishould have forgotten the oblo-
guy which | have calmly borne for
thirty years in the war for liberty, if
should turn craven now.
Mr.. PRICE. desire to ask the gen.
tleman, with his consent, whether there
may not be some mistake here. When
! remember most distinctly that the
public press of the country for the last
few weeks has been repeating the
name of certain "Thaddeus Stevens "
as having been used by the President
in certain speech at the White House,
and when hear a gentleman whom
suppose to be the Thaddeus Stevens
referred to speak in such strong terms
in favor of the President, wish to
know whether he is the same gentle
man or some other. Laughter.
Mr.. STEVENS. Why, Mr.. Speaker,
does the learned gentleman from Iowa
(Mr. Price) suppose for single mo-
ment that that speech, to which he re-
fers as having been made in front of
the White House, was fact? !? Laugh
ter. desire at this time to put the
gentleman right What | am going
to say now | do not wish to have re-
ported. 1t is confidential communi-
cation, and | presume none will violate
the confidence repose in them. Re
newed laughter.l
Sir, that speech which has imposed
upon the gentleman from Iowa, which
has had considerable run, and has
made some impression upon the public
mind, was one of the grandest hoaxes
ever perpetrated, and has been more
successful than any except the moon
hoax, which am told deceived many
astute astronomers. Laughter !
am glad to have at this time the op-
portunity (although do not wish the
matter to go before the public, for they
might misunderstood my motives) to
exonerate the President from ever hav-
ing made that speech. Renewed
laughter. 1t is part of the cunning
contrivance of the Copperhead party,
who have been prosecuting our Presi-
dent since the 4th of March last.
Why, sir, taking advantage of an un-
| fortunate incident which happened on
that occasion, laughter they have
been constantly denouncing him as ad.
dicted to low and degrading vices. To
prove the truth of what | say about
this hoax, send to the Clerks desk to
be read a specimen of this system of
slander. 1t is an extract from the
New York World, Of March I, 1865.
Let the Clerk read that vile slander
from the leading paper of the Demo
cratic party
The Clerk read, as follows:
The drunken and bcastly Caliguia, the most
profigate of the Roman Emperors, raised his
4 ~
in former times. had been filled by the great.
est warriors and statesmen of the Republic,
the Scipios and Catos and by the mighty Ju.
Illus himself. The consulship was scarcely
more disgraced by that scandalous transaction
than is our Vice Presidency by the late elec.
ton of Andrew johnson. That Office has been
adorned in better days by the talents and ac-
complishments of Adams and Jefferson, Clin-
ton and Gerry, Calhoun and Van Buren, and
now to see it filled by this iasolent, drunken
! brute, IN comparison niM chom eUea Caliguia'
horse ras respectable for the poor animal die
not abuse his own nature. Aud to think tha
only one frail life stands between this nlsolent
clo,raish drunkard and the Presidency Ma,
God bless and spare Abraham Lincoln
I Mr.. Stevens. Now, Mr.. Speaker, il
it any wonder that
Mr.. Niblack. beg to inquire 0
the gentleman whether that may nc
also be hoax Of the same kind as tn,
Presidents speech ?
Mr.. Stevens. That was a seriou
slander which appeared as an editoria
in the New York World. That party
taking the advantage of an inciden
which it is thought by many they them
selves brought about, have been perse
: cutting the President with such slar
ders as that ever since. But, sir. a
though they have asserted it from tim
to time, they have not made the loys
Republican people Of this nation believ
it. and they never could. We neve
credited it, but looked with indignatio
upon the slander which was thus u
tered against the President of ou
choice Being, therefore, unable to Il
( snch odium upon our President by ev
! dence which the lawyers would ca
e aliunde, they resort. with the skill Of
] practical advocate, to another exped
!. ent. Ny friend before me, mr. Bint
ham, if he were trying in court a cas-
n .deluaatieo inquueado, and if the outsid
8 evidence were doubtful. leaving it que
tionable whether the jury would adol
the view that insanity existed, woul
/ cautiously lead the alleged lunatic
speak upon the subject Of the hallue