The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-08-15
The Late MIR. Stevens.

60 prominently and intiuentially connected
with the measures Of reconstruction, under
which the South is suffering so terribly, and
from which the whole nation is afflicted in
It's peace and dearcs: interests, there is AN
importance in his life outside his osn nor.
sonali;y, and it is therefore ma, ter of rene.
raj concern what contempor Ary chronic)er.
have TO say Of him:
urom the New Tor' World ,no,,oor.,,o,
Mt stevens ) .rtellect was narrow. hi,
Information ,' 41ted, and much of it obso.
Iete; NH WI ,nin confined range his view,
were sing .larly clear and incis;ve, and were
maTN" . bya directness and consistency bor-
rowe Il from his moral character. He scorned
-rcit and cant, and had the courage to b,
strictly logical The policy which he advo-
Gated was outside the Constitution: and
without mincing matters, he frankly pro
claimed it 10 be so. We suppose he had IL
him elements of kindness, but he was also
GOOD hater, and the malevolent side of his
character was always the most conspicuousin
his congressional career. On the floor OF
the House he was rather a skirmsher than,
regular debatcr-direct, pungent, conci.e.
alroit, a great master of sarcasm, ard nm
suarng in the use of it. His b.,s;ne,..
qualifications were excellent, am, tba h,,e;
pcss-like cast Of his mind resc ,,oa ~, So,
many of the worse faults of average ape mem M
Csrs .. UonS[ 0S ,,ness, irrelevance, q
St' CRY I" ,toae o approaching subject,
nl'1 1--WE =, ~ airing themselves talk When
si,rS n.y., NY NY ,.tc or nothing to say. He was
80 % could have made considerable
"ss''' only in revolutionary times, and then
ely by his strong will, arrogant temper,
and reckless defiance Of the traditionary
scruples Inherited from calmer times. The
inaueacc of such a man will be Inferred
with his bones.
From the New York Herald independently
Nor will the death of Mr.. Stevens result
in consequences less important and histori-
cal than the position which ne held while
alive. twas his marvellous ohstinacy. his
Haun;bal-liSc luminosity sgainst the South,
which postponed the settlement of our ma
tional difficulties, His death, however
much it may be lamented by his immediate
personatriends and by his party, sounds the
,ieah-knell of the extravagant hopes Of the
Radicals. Ii was he alone whose firm will
ned together the most refractory among
lis partisans. Now that the control Of his
influence no longer exists, what is to hinder
the disintegration of the party to which
Mr.. Stevens more than any other Republi-
can leader hal given concentration and
force His arrogance as a party leader
had already received double check in the
failure Of impeachment and in the post
ponement Of the Impeachment resolutions
which he revived after the arrival in W ash
ington Of several new Representative s from
the southern States, whom he rcgardcd a.
irrcyocably committed 20 his OVID revcnr.-
iul policy. While VIC fuTy recognize the
talents and the str0I.g Individuality of the
late thaddeus Stew ems, and even whatever
merit there may he in the honesty of his
open and avowe'A hostility to all his oppo-
nrnth, We must. regard his removal by death
a. " msior' me TO his par,y rather than to
the nation
RI Jua the Kew York Times tRadicaD.
cannot be truthfully said that Mr..
,H' sens exercised Il happy influence over
lie Republican policy in the matter Of
reconstruction. His most extreme views
we're not accepted by the party. He never
ohtaiucd hearing for his confscation
scheme, and the territorial doctrine Oh
which he prcdicated his plans was denied
recognition. The constitutional amendment.
"hich WIS originally offered as q basis OF
restoration, was so regarded in spite o;
him. And the conditions OF reconstruction
stern amt sweeping as they are, would have
been still more severe had his plans pre-
vailed. lie desired, in truth, to delay
raher than to hasten the return Of the
excluded States, and he would have kept then.
out till dpomsday rather than tolerate con-
d!tions lacking what he deemed essential.
lie was defiant, despotic, and in all things
irritating. His imperious will brooked
either dissent nor delay. He stitled dis
cuss!OD by TOO constant use Of "the previ-
Gus question" and provoked dissension by
needless application Of the party whip.
70 other man in the House could have done
"Aat Mr.. Stevens did with impunity; and
he was enabled 10 do it in part because OF
IN lndo.Mitable purpose-the joint product
d conviction aud temper-and in part be-
H'.ee Of the respect earned by a long,
arduous, and consistent congressional Ca
reer.
His leadership entailed disaster in other
directions. The impeachment was perhaps
the most notable Of his mistakes. Of that
he was the promoter and the guiding spirit
To him it owed its origin, and to his man
segment the prosecution was indebted for
whatever strength 1t possessed. Latterly
MS control of the House was evidently
impaired. His feeble health gradually
untitled him for stormy contests, and the
Republican party seemed 10 feel the neces-
eity Of a cooler judgment and a more gene
r0uS spirit in the conduct of its counsels.
The Chicago Convention marked the tri-
uinph Of other purposes than those which
ne had made his own, and fOreshadowed II
more generous and more judicious policy
iha1 that which he had favored.
From the New York Tribune iRadcaD.
The Tribune editor had not gotten over
Old Thad'S " sobriquet of " scarecrow !"
applied TO him 30 the elaborate narrative
and eulogy which appeared in that paper
o. Wednesday was placed in part OF the
paper separate from the editorial. Mr.. Gree
icy 'pread sumptuous repast of funeral
BAKED neats-but upon the kitchen table,
leaving il there TO the retainers, while he
sIo31 alOot-very much like the Radical
whites Of the Federal capital who leave the
h9nors OF guarding the body and pouring
0't lamentations over ii to the negroes. In
We extracts which we copy from the Irl-
'a"ss the reader will discover that on Mr..
"fee!ey's funeral-board there is an over
'0"lhg bowl of the intoxicating and mad