New-York tribune., 1868-08-26
THE LONDON PRESS on THADDEUS STE
VENS

his passionate love Of equality; it was this passion
for equality which lay at the bottom of his last her
esy" his advocacy of the proposal to pay OIL the
Government bonds in greenbacks. Having charac-
teIized Dir. Stevens uneducated man, inpatient
in expression and marrow in intelligence and likened
him TO John Randolph aud CObbett The Times thus
reviews his course in Congress during and since the
Rebellion:
Toamau Win such talents a. Thsddeus Stevens pos
-essed the outbreak of Civil War opportunity
against whom he hated as those who seq at naught
or rather reversed tho principle OF equaty Whch was
hand t was conducted on the side Of the North by pol
inGians VINO ana not aeegaa,eV TSsddeus ste
yens Aung himself into the war, ianhlmaatng hag
the faintheared derding those who wayered between
geance SecessiOnsts He acquired such influence
who know their own minds ana nave tle uuScru-
0f Revolution and had his sclfcOntrOl been greater ne
might have directed the policy Of the North AS was,
the first to offer resolution procaimng the freedom OF
all slaves who would aid IN putting down the kepel9n
indictment to serye war and tne reson oon
ton was postponed A little lat@ he ,n COn
OF authority which Mr.. Lincoln had found heoes
and he vas one OF the most active I6e
vehement dOWnrighneSS OF his nature mas gwen MN an
advantage since the closed similar TO that he eJoyeG
while il was in progress He has realized throughout
what To neutral bysanders must seem an ncOhtioEeIu
bic truth that the States which seeded went out OF the
Union aud their names became mere geographical tA
press1s and he has therefore, free to debate te
terms upoD which they shall lie reconstructed, whle
Others have wasted their time and opportunity IN endeaY
Oring support theory that the Union was thTOugo
the war unbroBcn and ceased to include the seceG
ing states Thaddeus Stevens has died before theWork
was completed but the orgazaton n, o. M .e
The Star thinks that In recent times no man prop
ably exercised so commanding an influence upon
American politics AZ Mr. Stevens. II says:
In a that appertains to the reconstruction OF the South
ern states he has been the ruling spirit Of Conges 10y
great force Of WILL by the ansparlng use oI 3
bv a dccp attachment TO the cause OF human free
dom. Mr. Stevens not only maze n''em t cee4eJ ylo
most in the House OF Represenlatveo pt
in carrying through both branches or e Lc-lslatuLo
series OF measures which-whether his own name -
destined 10 lave IN history OF notin sn"Pe a @ baS
future Of the American nation lhaudeuS otcNchs l'
bitter tonue 3nt u" eSrrsy SSISe'S used "' against
traitors and eyil.dOers. His hostility 10 lne
south the natural consequence OF MS ahlsayely
onnion Twenty years ago, when he first entered Con
gress Of the representatives IIOn fthhs9 Iand
slavery It was therefore not surpuslng-lndeed
it was to his immortal honor-that when the
give effect 10 the opinions which he had adNOcated
during his previous career The civil ana poHucai
S,ate9 ri ~ mSia bcrSses viii soon be forgotten; but
f, 10 diaaJ i'm harness aud after his work had been
fully accomplished: although his impeachment or
aSd bc pocy of the President and his advisers as II
he had actually succeeded In removing hun from the eA-
allied office which ne has so unwOrthiy filed.
The DqiIy Necs thinks that Mr.. Stevens had out
lived his work. the principles for which he struggled
having been established by legislation, and that he
"was not the man for leadership in reconciling
times" The Ncrs says:
He was more revolutionary leader than statesman
He had that firm grasp OF great pEul ana tlai eA'hu,
sastc confidence IN their application Nmch leaders or
great national movements always possess; but he had
none of that power to understand and appreciate policy
other than his own, which IS so necessary 10 statesman
great national duesons-those VINO were wi n him were
for their country; those who against him
with circumstances, but played the crusader when the
crusade was over, and kept sounding the trumpet OF
battle after the victory was Won For year or Two past
De has the stormy petrol Oi politics Ills weird LOOK,
his wonderful energy IN triumphng over manifest phys
remarkable figure In the House OF Representatives, But
his influence over legislation was but small and MS sway
the popular miud had departed from him. His work
done when the battle won and the Congressional
scenes of bis trumphs win leave personal void but
cannot be said To- leave any important pace untitled.
either Ia the leadership OF his parry or in tho counseis Of
the nation.
The Telegraph believes it in great measure due to
Br Stoyenss vigorous and persistent fare against
Slavery, and his fiery and unrelentng dcnunciation
Of tho treason Of the Southern Rebels that the Re
publican party was enabled 10 conduct the war to
victorious accomplishment of all the great ends at
stake
From the day on which the defeat Of Bull Run first con.
vinccd the North that the battle for lie or death,
Stevens and his colleagues began 10 proclaim the truth
that the south could never be subduod so long as war
was not declared AGAINST slavery well rs against the
COufedUacy The doctrine at IT'S first euunciatiOn
rat at 81 popular: but notwithstanding tho Outcry OF
tue Northern Democrats the Republican Mountain as
Stevens aud his friends were called kept on declaring
that there could be peace tin the peculiar lns.it
ton" had been abolished At the outset they were
laughed at reved traitors. condemned as fanatics;
but they kent their Caoke cry that slavery must be
destroyed m at last the course Of events justified their
counses aud they found that Government and people
Just so since the war; Thad. Stevens's CRY. "The
Commonwealth IS still in danger" had finally
brought his party 10 accept the doctrine that demo
cratic institutions must be established in the South
as well as at the North. The personal energy and
talent of Thad. Stevens achieved what Sumner,
Wade, and Butler, without him, would have failed
to do and negro suffrage was made tenet of the
Republican platform. The telegraph estimates Mr.
Steyenss personal character as follows
There was something grand in tho very ferocy o. his
n,ans as william IT hated the French Thoirfrieuds
strength and mortal pain never soened the fury with
which he hunted President Johnson down from he honr
~ bs detection lie was neither GOOD nor wise nor
generous; hut In bis time ne did signal service, and, with
90 - t ,, aus @ "1 my ' ~ dctTH we NAV fairI
expect counscs 90 prevail IN the Republican party.
The Standard finds Mr. Stevens animated by no
other motives than hate" and "Tevonge,' rs it
might well do with such misapprehensioR of his
character as the following sentences botmv:
Impacibe in hls hatred Of every human being, except
negro, who owned a Southern State his birthplace
hard and cruel by nature that tale of misery dis
tross was never known 10 move him. he was exactly
fitted for the stern work which had be done by the
ruling party during the civil war Sumner for
nearly years. and stevens for than had waged
inccssant warfare against the Southern party and while
one suarting under tho personal outrage committed
by Brookcs m she Senate the other Is said have
his fOndnces for she negro into his own home When the
broke ouJ the hearts O both leap4d for ioy and
when 10 brought to end revenge was the only
cry which came 70 their lips.
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NM, M Al rtr on, MN Ntr,yp,Dpprv