Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-12-24
Mr. samner's Ealsgy upon the Late
ThRddeus stevens.

. ThR00eus stevens
WAsHINGToT, Dec. IS.-In the Senate
20 day, on the announcement of the
iesath of Thaddeus Stevens, Mr.. Sumner
rose and said:
Mr.. PRESIDENT: The visitor, as he
PAGES the corridor leading TO the Hoase
Of Commons, stops with reverence before
sile marble statues of the men who dur
ing two centuries of English history
adorned thai famous chamber. There
are twelve in all, each speaking to the
memory as he spoke in life; beginning
" itn the learned Selden and the patriot
dampden, with Falkland SO sweet and
loyal in character, Somers so great as a
defender of constitutional liberty, and
embracing in the historic group the sill
ver-tongued Murray, the two Pitts SO
splendid in mastery, Fox, always first
an debate, and that other orator whose
speeches contribute to the wealth of En-
giish literature, Edmund Burke. In the
-apse of time, as our history extends,
similar monuments may illustrate the
approach to our House of Representa-
lives, arresting the reverence of the Wis
tor. If our groupe is confined to those
when fame has been won in the House
alone, IL will besmali; for membersofthe
Honse are mostly birds Of passage, only
perching on their way to another place.
Few remain SO as to become identified
with the House, or their service there is
forgotten in the blaze of other service
elsewhere, as was the case with Madison,
Marshall, Clay, Webster and lincoln
1t is now difficult 90 see who will find a
place in this small company. There
must be statue of Josiah Quincy, whose
series of eloquent speeches is the most
complete of our history before Webster
pleading for Greece, and also statue of
Joshua r. Giddings, whose faithful
championship of freedom throughout a
long and terrible conflict, make him one
of the greatest names of our country
And there must be a statue of Thaddeus
Stevens, who was, perhaps, the most re-
markable identified with the House, un-
less we except John Quincy Adams; but
the fame of the latter is not that of a
Representative alone, for he was already
iilustrious from various services before
he entered the House. All of these
hated Slavery and labored for its over
throw. On this account they were a
mark for obloquy and were generally in
a minority. Already compensation has
begun. As the cause, which they up
held so bravely, is exalted, SO is their
fame. BY the side of their far-sighted,
and heroic efforts, how
Is all that was done by Others
at the time! How vile the spirit that
ragged against them!
Stevens was a child of New England,
as were Quincy and Adams but, after
his education, he found a
home in Pennsylvania, which had al
ready given birth to Giddings. If this
great central State can claim one of these
men by adoption only, i'll
may claim the otherby paternity. Their
names are among its best glories. Two
things Stevens did for his adopted State,
by which he repaid largely all her hos
pitaIity and favor. He taught her to
cherish education for the people, and he
Taught her respect for Human Rights
The latter lesson was slower learned than
5hs former. In the prime of life, when
his faculties were in their highest vigor, |
ne became conspicuous for earnest effort,
by most persuasive speech,
whose echoes have not yet died away, /
or those common schools, which, more |
,ven than railroads, are the handmade
If civilization, besides being the true
of republican government. His
word turned the scale, and a
al word was given promptly and with
,ut hesitation to the vindication of hu-
nan rights, suffering then from constant
Iud most cruel outrage. Here he stood I
Ilways like pillar. Suffice it to say
hat he was one of the earliest of Aboli A
ionists, accepting the name and bearing
he reproach. Not child in Pennsyl-
'anis coming d speiling-book beneath
be humble rafters of a village school,
viIo does not owe him gratitude; not a
itizen, rejoicing in that security which
5 found only in. liberal institutions,
ounded on the equal rights of all, who1
8 not his debtor. When he entered :
congress it was as champion. His con-
lusions were already matured, and he
aw his duty plain before him. The
english poet f0rshadows him when he :
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