The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-03-15
Mr.. Stevens on the Presidents speech.

| MIR. Stevens on the Presidents speech.
| Wectpy from the Washington dispatch of
the Boston Advertiser the following sketch OF
Mr.. Stevers's amusing speech in the House of
Representatives Saturday afternoon:
The understanding that Mr.. Stevens would
speak in the House yesterday afternoon
brought out crowded gallery to hear what
ever he might have to say in reply to the
| He evidently had not intended saving any
| thing, for he had only manuscript written for
| delivery several weeks ago, and postponed to
the present time because he could not get the
floor. The first part of it was entirely an ar
| gument in support of his well-known position
in regard to the status of the seeded States,
and In some respects reply to Mr.. Raymond.
He finally went on to say that some papers
charged him with hostility to the President.
This" said he, sis mistake. 1 feel great re-
gard for the President. honor his integrity,
his patriotism, his courage, and the purity of
his intentions; but all this does not make me
less free to criticise his policy and doubt his
Judgment on some occasions When l deem
his views incorrect shall say so, and I shall
even denounce them If I please"
Mr. Price OF Iowa arose and wanted some
information. He called attention to the fact
that one Thaddeus Stevens had been de-
nounced by the President, and he wanted to
know if the gentleman now speaking in such
warm terms Of the President was the same
man there denounced. 1
Mr.. Stevens-Does my friend suppose that
speech, which it was reported the President
delivered in front Of the White House, was
fact I? lLaushter.l If so, desire to put
him right. l will make confidential commu-
nication, and presume that nobody win yio-
late the confidence which / repose in him.
Sir. that speech, which has imposed upon the
gentleman liom Iowa, and which has had
considerable run and has made some impress
sion on the public mind, was one of the grand
est hoaxes that have ever been perpetrated,
and more successful than any except the
moon hoax" which am told, deceived many
astute astronomers. Laughter am now
glad OF an opportunity, although do not wish
it to go out publicly. lest my motive might be
misunderstood, of generating the President
from ever having made that speech. Laugh
ter 1t is part of the cunning contrivances
OF the copperhead party, which has been pro-
scrbinS our President since the 4th OF March
last. Taking advantage of an unfortunate in
cident which happened on that occasion, they
have been ever since constantly denouncing
| him as addicted to low and degrading vice.
| 10 show you that, and in order to prove the
| truth OF what l. say about this hoax, send up
to be read part of that same slander taken
from the New York World OF March 7, 1865
The following extract was read by the clerk
from the World, March Z, 1885 1.-THE drunk
en- and beastly Caligula, the most profigate OF
the Roman emperors, raised his horse to the
dignity OF consul, an Office that in former
times had been filled by the greatest warriors
and statesmen of the republic, the Scipios and
Catos, and by the mighty Julius himself The
consulship was scarcely more disgracsd by
/ that scandalous transaction than is our vice
presidency by the late election of Andrew
1 johnson. That Office had been adorned in
| better days by the talents and accomplish
nents OF Adams and Jefferson, Clinton and
Gerry, Calhoun and Van Buren,, and now, to
see it filled by this lnsolent, drunken brute, in
comparison with whom even Caligula,s horse
was respectable, for the poor animal did not
abuse his own nature, e,-and to think that only
one frail life stands between this insolent,
clownish drunkard, and the presidency !
May God bless and spare Abraham Lincoln"
Mr. Niblack-I beg to inquire whether that
may not be also hoax, in the same way as
the Presidents speech was !? ll
Stevens-That was O serious slander, inser-
ted in the New York World. Taking advan-
1 tage oil an incident which, it is thought by
many, was brought about by themselves, they
have been ever since prosecuting him with
such ISLANDERS as that. But, although they
have asserted it from time to time, they have
never made the loyal republican people of this
nation believe it, and they never can. We
never credit, but look with Indignation on the
| SANDER thus uttered against the President ol
our choice. [Laughter.l Being unable to fix
such odium upon our President by direct evil
dence, they bring IN evidence alitnde. With
the skill of practised advocate in case de
lunG'ico inquirendo, where the outside evi-
dence was doubtful, they cautiously lead the
subject of the inquiry to speak on the ques-
ton of his hallucination, and If they can get
him to gabble and talk nonsense, then the in
trinsic evidence in the case is made out
Laughter.] Now If these slanderers could
make the people believe that the President ev-
er uttered that speech, then they have made
out their case. Continued laughter. Now
we know that he never did utter it. Is it not
possible, and I am glad of this opportunity to
relieve him from that odium. But they had
wrought it up in such cunning way
Mr.. Winfield, interrupting, = May hope
| that the injunction of secrecy will be removed
from this earnest and sincere defence
! Mr.. Stevens-Oh, no, hope no one will vi
olate my confidence. Now, sir, these gentle
men worked up their hoax very cunningly.-
For instance: they pretended that the counsel
OF the assassins of the late President escorted
him to the stone wall on which 1t is ALLEGED he
stood, and they also pretend that he was sup
ported on one side by the late rebel Mayor Of
this city who was provided lodgings at govern.
ment expense near the mouth Of New York
harbor. Some people may have believed al
this; but we who know the President cannot
be 50 deceived: The loyal republican party
which elected him to office knew it was lie
from the first. Laushterl They doubtless
made some persons believe, sir, that this speech
was really delverea az tnat time ana N ina
s,,ra ua' ,het w;th Il, tha;- aJrG.nes az, az,
In "o, s,'ood =, ;n;,.s. !. ,,,s,
VIII never succeed IN imposing II upon any
conslderaoie number OF the persons VINO eject
ed the President to his position. must say