The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1867-01-05
Hon. Thaddeus Stephens On Recon.
gtruction

"hVe ana more tender charity. The fierce /
passions and fiery hates Of youth, Its iucon I
tlderate prejudices and sweeping ceneraiiza- /
tions, nre exchanged for the rhi!oSonhic /
temper and fOrbearing speech Iut there
arc men who grow more malignant with /
every year-the currents Of whose blood M
longer bounding with generous passion, are
converted into the feverish channels Of call
that wither' all the divine impulses Of ina.
inanity-whose prCjudices becone stronger,
TIER temper more dictat0rial, their hnguage
more sardOnic as they near the portals Of
the grave. Amid declining years they ex-
iiibit iierceT passions; with wasting strength
they lash forth into greater excuses Of vio-
lent action and Incorporate speech The
recent public career Of the Hon Thaddeus
stevens does not class him with those TO
whom uge brings q regered because more
generous and cuRsiderate mauhoOi. lie il
called heroic by partisan friendship; but it
is aught hut heroic to insult the vanquished
lie Is called noble, but it is not noble to twit
men with their former errors
MIR Stephens announced, in his speech at
the banquet that the war il not over lie
still finds an eEemy who presses with rclent-
less Vlgor. Their object, lie says, was to
rule one half of the nation as IL nation Of
slaves, to introduce free trade iuto the con
tinent and to humate the North for its
persistent advocacy Of freedom Their
object now is TO rule the whole nation by
means OF an oHgarehy, by milking the free
negroes and copperheads contribute to their
increased power 10y increasing the number
at their instruments, By thus Selling the
reIns Of Government and introducing free
trade to break down the industry of the free
which, by uniting with the already shining
Northwest, they would have fair prospects of
accomplishing" The plain English of all
this Is, that il the Southern States were back
IN the Union, their votes, added to what the
Democratic party might gain in the North
would exceed the Radicals, would abolish
lnordinate protection, secure a united coun-
try, and vote down the Radical leaders and
their proscriptivc policy. But as we have
the power, and can make the people believe
that we are only legislating to exclude rebels
from controlling the Government, we will do
violence to our institutions, we will perpetu-
ate dscOrd, lest if a majority be permitted
to vote, they should consign us to private
life.
This is precisely the theory on which MIR
Stevens acted when, at the time Of the Buck
shot war, he undertook to perpetuate tito
rule Of a Wing minority, and had to escape
popular indignation by jumping out of
back window He informs us that the lead
ers of the rebellion have only been changed
that instead Of jeff Davis, and Lee, and
Slidell, and Mallory they have now johnson,
and Wool and Seward and Welles, and, of
course, Stanton, and Dix, and Gustav, and
the thousand other fighting men, who hay
ing peFiled life for their country, are now
raliying around the President Verify, this
venerable politician must fancy there is no
? end to the popular credulity if the public
can he made for a moment 10 believe that
the men who put down the rebellion are now
engaged In uphOlding it. With q persist
Cnce Of hate that could only find Judgment
In a breast poisoned by years Of indulgence
in malignant passion, he SANDERS the Cabi-
net Of the man he was accustomed to ira
duce till the assassin's hand bore him be-
yOnd the reach Of his yenomous tongue. He
pirates about the assumption of regal power,
to hide his own base scheme Of Congress
sional usurpatiOn over the lives and prop
erty Of citizens of the United States
But Mr. Stevens charges cOwardice on his
opponents, while frankly cOnfessing the
shortcomings Of himself and friends. Nat
urally enough, he attributes the failure Of
the President to usurp unconstitutional func-
tions to lack Of courage, while he admits
that eve feel an awe in approaching these
lordly captives which humans us" We do
not deny the truth Of the acknowledgement
Seryility and domineering are both of the
same stock. What is abject humiliation in
the wretch PROSTATE at the feet of power
will be exacting insolence in the same indi-
vidual when clothed in the imperial purple.
lie win have no selfrespect and Will ex-
when victorious, is full Of lordly assumption
and arrogant dictation
Mr.. Stevens invokes the popular support
to aid IN cOnfscating the estates of the South
and impose impartial suffrage. Less than
this, he declares, shall never win his ap
prevail He throws off the mask and avows
that the constitutional amendment was never
intended as a settlement; that it is but one
~ step, n very mincing step, in the line Of re
CHARGE al
that it was but a trick "a cheat, &
swindle," "a desire to bridge over the cleo
ton" is acknowledged by the leader of the
House. and without dissent from his col
leagues Those poor gulls who accepted i
as finality, who believed that false denials
Of Radical speakers that they were in favor
of negro suffrage, who were deceived by the
hollow cutlery about one man in the Soutl
having more political power than one In thu
North, Notwithstanding the power Of a vote,
In Rhode Island is thirty times that Of ont
in New York, must be amazed at the extern
of their own credulity.
But Mr.. Stevens declares that The future o
this country, its preservation as a great EN-
pire, or its severance into fragments, de
ponds on the wisdom and justice of their &C
ton. This is but partially true. This nG
ton can survive the maddest folly of tn
Thirty-ninth Congress Its imperial destiu
cannot be baked by the venom of age or tn
fury Of passion, by the crooked aims Of tn
selfish or the foul designs of the base. Ne
ther confscation, law nor disabling claus
will long be permitted to mar its st0tute-boo
or disgrace its civilization. Its statesme
will undo the work of its politicians 1t
people will repudiate the passion guiled pc
icy of its merely PARTISAN servants.-Nt
fi0RaI IHteligeHcOr
The Hope of Man-Final successful
iov of his ife's ripe harvest-is the goal
our human hopes No wise or thoUghtfl
man will live merely for to-day. The pilgriI
who seeks a home is not content to hinge
and loiter for the mere flowers beside h
way. The sower looks onward to field