The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-28
NATIONAL POLITICS.
Letter from Thaddeus Steven,
LANCASTER, PA, August 27, lS67.-The
following correspondence will be published in
the Lancaster Examiner and Herald tomorrow.

LANCASTER, Pa, August 81, lS67.-The
following correspondence will be published in
the Lancaster Examiner and Herald tomorrow.
deus Stevens, Lancaster, Pa.-Dear Sir: Several
of your intelligent constituents in this region
doubt from want of proper information, are COM
planning Of mistakes made by Congress in not
passing laws at the last session restraining the
removal of certain officers engaged in reconstruo-
ton.
1 contended that you had passed an act at the
very close, providing for that very contingency,
but which is not executed.
Will Won be SO good as to inform me how far our
representative is respons ole FOR this OMISSION If
omission IL be. You know we are in the habit of
Ninth.
A brief answer will much oblige your friend,
SAMUEL SoHoCH.
LANoAsTER, Pa, August %, 1s67.-UoloueI
Samuel SChoch, Columbia, Pa:-Dsar Sir-You
are right in supposiEg that Congress made MIS-
takes, as is the inevitable lot Of man; but you mis-
take IN supposing that there is any Law prohl0it
the removal Of the district commanders wIthoE!
the consent of the Senate.
Soon after the commencement of the last session
OF Congress reported a bill from the committee
of the House of Representatives which contaiued
Il provision prohibiting the removal without the
consent OF the Senate. 1t passed the House, and
was sent to the Senate. The Senate struck 1t out,
and returned 1t to the House, who refused to con-
cur in the amendment. The result was a commit
tee OF conference, where an animaed contest en-
sued.
There were several other questions in contro-
versy between the Houses, which the House Of
fereo yield If this could bs granted. The Senate
persevenngly refused, declaring that they would
sooner lose the bill As that would frustrate all
our legislation, it could not be allowed. Che
House yielded, with warning of the evils it
would infitct upon the country. some of the men,
bers OF the Senate seemed to doubt their power
under the Constitution, which they had jlst repu-
dated, and wholly outside of which all agreed
that we were acung else our whole WORK or re-
construction was usurpauOn, or perhaps they had
a desire to be thought TO be gravely conservative
and magnanimous.
These ideas seemed to control the action of some
half a dozen Senators who preferred trusting the
| President. My dear Colonel, u few Senators OF
| great ability, undoubted patriotism and purity
| have become saturated with what they are
pleased to call conservatism (tohoSe meaning
feSS am unable TO UnderStdnd) that fear they Will
forget the monster that slam In 1776 and again
in 1861, and will thus do great damage TO the cre-
| alton of a government now so capable of being
converted into political paradise. This is liable
| to happen, not so much by a dtrec: aud palpsble
| attack upon its frame work as by gradually for
getting the vital principles of the Declaration OF
| 1ndepen endence.
Strike out one of the living sparks which give
life to our Goddess of Liberty, and the mysterious
and intense heat whose welding tires, near a cen.
tury ago, and at present, are tusng the principles
| will gradually cool, until the most conservative
despot could thrust his SWORD into it without
| affecting its temper.
| l have said above that did not know the mean
| ing OF conservatism. 1 have since seen the repor
| of a speech said to have been made by an
| truly reported and is TO be considered as def
milton OF that doctrine, then it, to me, is very
| alarming-worse than copperheadism. 1t is legs.
| lauon without authority, and reconstruction by
usurpation.
am very respectfully, your obedient servant,
THADDEUs STEVENS.