New-York tribune., 1868-08-12

semblv from receiving certain election returns III lo
Office 0f the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Dut 10
comnel Them 10 receive in their stead other returns
(Which had been certified by the fr0thOhO'aly -
Dphiladelphia Comfy. As soon n the senate iU. e
was Organized by the election OF Charles d. S,T Scy
a. Sneaker The returns, In the hands oI ,lS 49, -
Garv were then presented and received ana INC -
sons puw0rtng TO have been elected Dy lneso ation
were admitted 10 their seats. Upon 'ils .a.riod ae
Mr. Brown. who was one OF the persons % co. address
elected by the other returns a>heH Itd1o @ iiic,lty
the Senate. which obtained WIN SUI. ~ in t6e
All the close of the speech the spectators m ~ ,,d
galleries rushed upon the l3oI 1 NJ Sncaker hastily
took possession of the hal' !ne mp,,'ber tO the
called sir Rogers a Democratic M Mcn'ii H. Sscrs-
CIair aud he together with Nil BuTIOWes, tno
fary OF Inc Commonwealth ana MT NIL tbro,,gb
were on the floor OF the Scn9le esf"P'U
window from the violence OF the iioo' - ,,;totino
~, tl. s9ne day the same questions were agllatInE
the House. which was sem Sarb faction organized
,,aj i,r'rIcb of the Legislature the wings tlectns
-Cboms. s. Cunningham Speaker, ana lhe DeioVidI9
William Hopkins. both branches nolilymg the GOV
r " tL,f tGe House was organized and ready 10
,,rooead I'D business The Governor was ptiplcASI"
PJ Alarmed Not ONLY the Senate Chamber but the
foWn it,r. was the possession OF mOD. MI en-
rose tl. Speaker of the senate. ana MI Cuhhlhs-
ham fine Speaker of the Whigs' each issued an ao-
dress To the people. which did not mend matters.
The Governor then issued proclamation calling ou1
the mil ,ia of the Commonwealth ana appheQ 10 lne
General Government for troops TO suppress the OUT
break which seemed imminent inns can was r.
pondsd TO by the greater part OF the organized l-
tary forces of the State but the troops asked from
fIc GrucraI Government were refused. The dOcu-
ments transmitted TO the United States house OF
RepresD sDutatiVes In answer to resolution ASKING
the President to communicate TO the House lhIOIHa
fiOn resu.tug the call for an armed 1Orce OF Chteu
States troops 10y the Governor OF Penusyl{anl are
interesting reading at this day. Among liiese VIZ
communications from the late Gen, l.; v Ss'ninvii
then captain of dragons at Carlisle bHIdChs' anu
James h paulding the author, then Secretary OF
the Navy. the former refusing TO send troops oecdusc
the disturbances proceed. from political differences
the people 20 a man going support OF the measures
.Of their leaders, and both parties dlsclalng Ilieh
tiOn of violence. But TINS state OF thhsS coulu hot
last long. Although no agreement cQuu pe lhaQe,
tacit understanding was arrived aJ Dy Whicn po.u
speaker resigned, some OF me wing members wiz
had been already qualified IN the hopklhs blaucA
assisting 10 bring about TINS hapIF coHsuIL
Mr. HOD.ns WAS then elected speaker, ana tie mes
sage of Gov Porter who had been lnaugUuateu III
tie mean time was received.
Now that the Democrats had the organization Of
the House IN their own hands, they poured ONT Jhe
vials of party wrath upon tine head OF Nj stevens
and Committee was appointed 20 inquire whether
Thaddeus Stevens a member elect from the County
of Adams. has not forfeit ted ms Ight 10 seJ III tue
House The oltense was contempt OF the itouse M
calling 10 an illegal bodi-lhe oHaWlh4 "l rly''
Mr. Stevens declined 90 attend the meetings OF the
Committee. but in q strong letter set 1OIIh the
illegalty OF the inquiry Ihirty-clght Democralc
members of the House uuitca i'm protest against the
proposed action of a majority OF that body, but ne
elected from the Legislature with aI the lgho-
lniny that party raucOr could bestOw. Sent back 10
his constituents. Mr Stevens published STIRRING adj
dress 20 the people of Adams County. and no was
triumphanty reelected. Am escort 10 the State Cap
tai was offered him by his admrlng electors but he
declined this mark of popular esteem as Clncnnatus
TNe elder Cato would nave OeCllIeu "a bllulIdI
honor. His letter refusing the demonstration Is re-
markablc taking ms subsequent career into the ac-
cOunt-iudeed, II was prophetic OF the Iuture tn'I
was before him when he said: victories even over
rebels ln civil wars should be treated with solemn
thanksgiving rather than with songs Of mirth"
IL is interesting 10 notice that Mr.. McElWee, on
whose motion the Committee of Inquiry IN the case
Of Mr. Stevens was appointed, was himself expelled
by the same body, the members OF which were his
party friends for personal insult offered on the OOF
of the House TO Mr. Higgins, who had been Chairman
Of the Stevens Committee. lie was the same person
who had two years before challenged Mi Stevens to
dUel, and he appears 20 nave entertained a most
violent anim0sity toward him. Mr.. Stevens was
again elected 10 the Assembly IN ISL which closed
his legislative career.
From 10 when he removed to Lancaster TO 1913,
when he was first elected 70 Congress and during the
ten years intervening between the iTst and second
periods OF his successive service. MI Stevens prac'
tced his profession with great success, and never
entirely abandoned IL even amid the important
duties of his active career IN the House. Many
anecdotes told of his tact as lawyer, and some
OF them reflect much credit on his humanity as on
his Judgment and skill. WINE sun very young
man, he heard incidentally OF iIee woman VINO was
held I'm the js.l at Frederick Maryland, as slave
He instantly volunteered to become her counsel and
)saved her from the decree that only wanted an eX
cuse OF the color Of an excuse, 10 condemn her to
servitude Some yeaTs atterwaTd, while on the way
from Gettysburg TO Baltimore, he was appealed TO
bv the same woman 10 save from being sold south her
husband who slave, about 10 be disposed OF by
his owner and his own father, and MI Stevens was
compelled TO pay the full value OF the chattels TO
the unnatural parent In one OF hs earliest causes
he show ed in a striking manner the aCuteness which
distinguished him from that DAY down 10 Jhe
Impeachment trial of Mr. Andrew Johnson He was
defending q client accused OF simple assault
and battery, and the case was made out by
an intelligent but INSCRIPTIONS witness When
the testimony in chef was finished, the counsel
for the prosecution handed the witness over 10 MI.
Stevens. with the remark: lie Is IN your hands"
And we turn him out of Court" was the con-
tenptuOus reOinder and this was followed by
speech Of such earnest nyecuye that he gained the
cause by the force of his contempt and the power OF
his OTaOry In these early days he relieved hls pro-
feSSlBual labOTs by outdoor exercise ana JOQe
in many fox hunt while that old-time sport was a
popular recreation. This gave him that hardness OF
constitution, which. together with the power OF his
will, enabled HIM 10 endure labor ana taugue, IN
spite OF disease and years, 10 the last weeks OI s
life
In Congress, Mr. Stevens wrought ont for himself
a lasting reputation. Neither the AAAlst nor the
AAAIl0 Congress were concerned with measures 10
call out his great ability 10 give member OF
the House particular prominence before the country
but in the interval that elaped between the AAAlId
and the AXANIth grave questions had been sprung
upOn the people, and on his return 10 Congress IN
lsJ9 Nh. Stevens at once took prominent position.
DuIlng three sessions ne was Chalrnah OF thG import
ant CoMmlttee'Ot ways and Means, ana ne h6ld the
position of Chairman Of the Committee on Recon
stTuctiOu of the XAAlAth and ALth Congress. lie
also served on other committees his last important
position being Chairman of the Board of Managers,
on the part of the House, III the impeachment OF
Andrew johnson before the Senate Mr. Stevens
was also member Of the Baltimore Convention, IN
loJ3, and voted with the Pennsylvania delegation
tOT MI johnson for Nice-Presldent. How tho
roughly and ably ne endeavOred 10 undo the work
OF mat DAY, the impeachment Of Andrew johnson
viii attest.
The first measure of Mr. Stevens tending to give
INN the nigh position he atteTward held leader Of
th| House was the bill introduced by him on the oth
Oi December, lSG2, 70 indemnify the President and
other persons FOR suspending the privilege Of the
writ OF habeas corpus. The Democracy made gal
lant light over that measure, but were defeated in
the Senate IN the House, and in the courts. To that
act may possibly owe the successful issue of the
war ana tne whole country will yet speak in terms