The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-08-22
DEATH OF THAD. STEVENS.


The telegraph announces that old
Thad. Stevens died on the night of
the 18th inst. A little before he died
two colored preachers called aud
prayed at his bed side. Also, two
Sisters of charity administered the
baptismal rite of the Catholic church.
A few minutes ere his decease-about
the last words he uttered as nearly as
we can gather-he said that the great
national questions now are recon
struction, finances and a railway sys-,
TEN. On the 18th his remains were
carried to the rotundas of the capitol,
where they remainedin state till eight
O'Clock next morning. The body was
attended by detachment of Buffers
Zouaves, colored military organiza-
tion of Washington city, preceded by
Gen. Eakin, Sergeant-at-arms Brown.
Senator M'Donald of Arkansas, DR..
Gray, chaplain of the Senate, and a
few personal friends of the deceased,
and some forty GRITTY others, princi-
pally colored. TheZoua3es aforesaid
acted as a guard of honor. On the
14th, at o. O'Clock, a. m, the funeral
took place; after which the body was
placed on board ear, which reached
Lancaster, Pa, at six o'clock that
evening.
1t is customary with many writer's
and speakers, to traduce public men
while living, but when they die to
eulogize them to the skies,-always
landing them safely in Abraham's
bosom. But we have never been
guilty of such folly; and while our
head is warm We never will.
Our opinion of Thad. Stevens can
be quickly given. He was a bold,
talented, INSCRIPTIONS, fanatical and
malicious man. He Wss the great
leader of the Radical party, and he
was nearly always in advance of his
party. When he first announced his
theory of Reconstruction many of his
own party denounced it and its au-
thor in no honeyed phrase; but in
less than six months they were all in
full chorus at his heels. 1t is quite
probable that if he had died at the
time, or soon after Lincoln did, there
would have been no serious opposition
to President Johnson's policy of Re-
construction. But old Thad. was not
satisfied. The South must. be punish
ed; Radical supremacy and power
must be retained negroes must be
enfranchised; their former masters
must be disfranchised and humbled
in the dust; oppression and tyranny
must be the rule, and clemency and
mercy the exception. To attain these
objects he trampled ruthlessly and
unscrupulously upon the Constitu-
tion, publicly acknowledging that he
and his party were acting outside Of
that instrument;- he swept aside ev-
cry barrier, regardless alike of pre-
cedent, honor, decency or law.
Through his efforts and under his
leadership the Executive and Judicial
departments of the Government were
Invested, to great extent, of their
constitutional powers and preroga-
tives; and finally he attempted to
remove the President by Impeach-
ment; but in this, thank God, he ig-
ANONYMOUSLY failed. Some call him a
statesman; but this is an error. A
real, sound and true statesman advo-
Gates only such measures as are wise,
humane, just and lawful. He never
seeks to crafty any passion, such as
malice or revenge, under cover of the
law, and the public veal. Thad.
Stevens did in the Reconstruction
and other measures of which he was
the author and fiery advocate is en-
bodied more deviltry and absolute
tyranny than ever was conceived in
the brain of the arch-fend himself
Had he lived in the days of the
French Revolution he would have
been Danton or Robespierre; and,
like them he would have expiated his