The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-08-18
THE LAST OF THADDEUs STEVENS.
THE FUNERAL OF THE s'aaEAr ooMMoNER"-HoN-
oRs TO THE DEAD-AN Ns7ITSe BuBIEsouE-
THE PROCESSION TO THE oAPIToL-THE SCENE
IN THE RoTUNDA.

The Washington correspondent Of the Balti.
more Gazette, writing on the 18th instant
says:
The great Commoner has shufaed off this
mortal coil, nor would your correspondent per
an unkind word Of the dead. Yet the action oi
those who, to-day, surrounded the corpse o1
Mr. Stevens, under pretence Of paying honor
to the memory CT the deceased, is undoubtedly
q legitimate subject for criticism. Upon whom
rests the responsibility for the order OF pro-
ceedings is not known, nor is it material to our
purpose. II the whole scene could have been
photographed and reproduced in panoramas,
it would be prom 1unced by the whole loyal
North on insulting burlesQue, gotten up by
the vilest Copperheads to crafty party and
personal malice. When the corpse left the
late residence OF the deceased, the body guard
was file of negro troops (volunteers) in Zou-
ave uniform, and these were COMMANDED b.
negro officers. The procession being formed,
it proceeded to the east front Of the Capitol
and passed through files Of police into the
Rotunda. At the head Of the procession
walked ON Alabama senator, the Ser
gesnt-at-Arms and the Chaplain Of the Sem
ate, another white parsonage whose official po-
sition was not known. Next came dozen or
twenty red-breeched negroes, under arms, fol-
lowed by the corpse, borne by the same House
to the Senate Chamber during the impeach-
ment trial. After the corpse came another
squad of same dusky volunteers in red breech-
es, and following in close confusion came o
miscellaneous collection of dirty Africlns OF oil
sizes. These last brought up the rear Of the
procession, and when they had all passed the
files Of police, the great doors OF the Capital
swung to and admittance was denied any Of
the persons who had gathered on the outside;
1~,,t 1ol fo mi, tho
procession" The scene in the rotunda, when
subsequently the doors wero opened to the
white people, WIS as grotesque as 1t was morti-
flying. The fancy dressed negro soldiers were
pacing their "beats' in all directions and as
Stunning to direct the movements OF every one
who entered the building. A lady who had en-
tered was passing toward the corpse, when one
of these guards OF honor" seized her by the
shoulder, and, showing her in another direc-
ton, said, "go dat way Lar, not dis here
way.n The whole proceeding seemed intended
as q gross burlesque, and to make it the more
mortifying, was turned over to exclusive con-
troll OF the ''colored troo 3s."
LAST MOMENTS OF The GREAT RADICAL.
From long statement Of closing hours of
Dir. Stevens life we take the following:
The next day (Friday) he said we should have
to defer going home for the present, as he was
growing weaker, and that it did mot make any
diff renee now whether We went home or not
"Wo might Just as we'll stay here" he said;
"thie is as good place as any," He contin-
ucd Il have pretty nearly wound up my. pusi-
ness here have my affairs nearly settled at
the furnace, and my preparations are about all
made" He intimated his readiness to die, but
added: II see some bright prospects in the fu-
ture th twould almost tempt me to waut TO
live little longer; but no matter" About 9
o'clock Of Tuesday morning he ASKED some one
if MIR. Mcpherson, Clerk OF the House Of Rep
resentatves, was iu town, RENAL king tnat they
had some conversation, tho last day MIR. Nc
Pherson was here, in regard to which he
would like to see HIM. At about 2 o'clock
his nephew, Thaddcus Stevens, Jr., came
into his room. Ho hal just arrived fiom
tho furnace, in Adams County, Penn. Mr.
Stevens talked to him about his clearing OFT
lands there and the affairs Of the furnace as
clearly as be ever did, and also convorsed with
him about depositlons taken, and the points OF
law in certain suit, telling him wnat was
necessary to be uons. and what vas not, just
as lucdly as he would have done at any olher
tlmo, though he lay with his eyes shut all the
while. He appeared to foel it very III ch when
spoken to about religion. When asked whether
he would have pers"ns pray with him, he SAID
he would. Thr ciergymen who l!d called on
him on New Year day were sent for, and sang
and prayed with bin. While they were pray
ing he responded Co them twice, but I could
not understand what he sad. Wnen Sister
Loretta O'Reily and Sister Goueviere, OF Prov
idcnco Hospital, kne,t by his bed side and pray
ed, Sister Loretta took him by tho nand. His
breast heaved with emotion, though lie did not
speak, but merely pressed her hanl. Last
year, when he was sick, lie said he would sooner
send one hundred miles for Sister Loretta to
be with him IN his last hours than to have
many preachers that ho knew of. For the last
two ye .rs ho requested to be talked to about
death freely SAYING that he had not that horror
of it which he once had. When he WAS asked
if he would allow SITTER Lore to to baptiZe him,
he consented. This was a very sh ,rt time be-
fore his death. He was conscious to tho last.
HIS CAREER AS REVIEWED BY H1MsELF-HE Re
CARDS HIS LIFE AS FAILURE.
4 short time before his death, Mr.. Stevens