The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-03-16
Thaddeus stevens as a Comedian.

Thntideus Stevens as n Comedian.
'''Twas pitiful, o, twas pitiful."
Stevens having painted himself,
grlnned and turned u somersault last
Saturday, to the amusement of the
House. The following is & portion of
his remarks on the OCCASION:
Referring to the position which
some journals had assigned him Of
hostility to the President, he said
that those journals had done him too
much honor, and he would now say,
once for all, that instead 1r feeling
personal animosity to the PRESIDENT,
he felt great respect for him; he
honored his integrity. his patriotism,
his courage, and his good Intentions.
He (the President) had stood too
firmly for the Union, i'm the midst of
danger and sacrifice, to allow him
(Mr. Steyens) to doubt the purity of
his wishes; but all this did not make
him less free to doubt his Judgment
and to criticise his policy. When he
deemed the Presidents views errone-
Gus, he should say so. When he
deemed them dangerous, he should
denounce them. While he could have
no hostility to the President, he
might have, and did have, very grave
objections to the course he was pur-
suing. He should have forgotten the
obloquy which he had calmly borne
for thirty years in the war for liberty,
IT he should turn craven now
:, Mr.. Price-I ask the gentleman
from Pennsylvania whether there
must not be some mistake in this
matter? When I hear him speak in
such warm terms OF the President,
and when remember that the public
press of the country has been, for the
last few weeks, using the name of a
certain Thaddeus Stevens as having
been mentioned by the President, in
a speech in front of the White House,
and now when hear the gentleman,
whom l supposed to be the Thaddeus
Stevens referred to, speak in such
strong terms in favor of the Presi-
dent, want to hear him say whether
he is the same person or some other.
Laughter
Mr.. Stevens-Mr. Speaker, does
the learned gentleman from Iowa
suppose, for a single moment, that
the speech which / presume he refers
to as having been made in front of
the White House was an actual fact?
Laughter. 1 desire now to put the
gentleman right What [ am now
going to say, however, do not wish
to be reported. It is confidential
communication, laughter;] and I pre-
sumo that nobody will violate the
confidence which [ repose in him.
Sir, that speech which was imposed
upon the gentleman from Iowa, and
which has o considerable run, and
has made some impression on the
public mind, was one of the grandest
hoaxes that has ever been perpetrated,
and more successful than any, except
the ''moon hoax" which, L am told,
deceived many astute astronomers.
Laughter. 1 am now glad of an
opportunity, although 1 do not wish
it to go out publicly, lest my motive
might be misunderstood, Of exone-
rating the President from ever having
made that speech. Laughter 1t
is part of the cunni1ig contrivances
of the copperhead party, which has
been prescribing our President since
the 4th of March last.
Mr.. Stevens proceeded to quote
newspaper comments on President
Johnson's inaugural address, and the
alleged circumstances attending its
delivery, and proceeded to remark
that, taking advantage of an incident
which, it is thought by many, was
brought about by themselves, they
have been ever since prosecuting him
with such ISLANDERS us that; but, sir,
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 it; but look with in
dignation on the slander thus uttered
against the President of our choice.
Laughter Being unable to fix
such odium upon our President by
direct evidence, they bring in evi-
dehce aiuaele with the skill of prac-
ticed advocate in case of del,AQatic0
inqmirendo; where the outside evil
dence was doubtful, they cautiously
lead the subject of the inquiry to
speak on the question of his halluci-
nation, and if they can get him to
- and talk nonsense, then the