Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-08-26
The Last of the Great Radical.

tne loiIo"ilS'
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 not make any difference now
whether he went home or not. we
might just as we'll stay here" he , said ;
{" this is as good place as any" He
continued: al have pretty nearly wound
up my business here. | have my affairs
nearly settled at the furnace, and my
PREPARATIONS are about all made" He
intimated his readiness to die, but added
81 see some bright prospects in the tu-
ture that would almost tempt ME to want
to live little longer; but no matter"
About 9 o'clock on Tuesday morning he
asked some one if Mr.. Mcpherson, Clerk
of the House of Representatives, WAS in
town, remarl1ing that they had some con-
versation, the last day Mr.. Mcpherson
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. He had just arrived from the
furnace, in Adams county, Penn. Mr..
Stevens talked to him about his clearing
off lands there, and the affairs of the fur
nac-. a clearly Us he ever did, and also
c.al. red ~lh him about depositions ia
krn ud he points of law in certain
suit. .s,i ug him what was necessary to
be done. and what was not, just as lucid
IL as he wonid have done at any other
time, though he lay with his eyes shut all
he w6iIe lie appeared to feel it very
ruucn Wien .po eli to about religion -
When asked whether he would have per-
sons pray with him, he said he would.
The clergymen who had called on him
on New Years day were sent for, and
sang and prayed with him. While they
were praying he responded to them twice,
but could not understand what he said.
When Sister Loretta O'Reily and Sister
Genevive, of Providence Hospital, knelt
by his bedside and prayed. Sister Loret-
ia took him by the hand. His breast
heaved with emotion, though he did not
speak, bat merely pressed her hand. Last
year, when he was sick, he said he would
sooner send one hundred miles for Sister
Loretta to be- with him in his last hours
than to have many preac, ers that ne
knew of. For the last two years he re-
quested to be talked to about death free
ly, saying that he had not that horror of
it which he once had. When he was ask
ed if he would allow Sister Loretta to
baptize him he consented This was
very short time before his death. He
was conscious to the last.
A Shorl time before his death, Mr.. Ste
vens held long conversation with Tri'
bune reporter, which is now published.
We make some extracts:
Dropping politics, we came to speak
OF til4 .l.e.a he newspapers toward
him, and lie vast amount of vituperaiion
which had been poured on his head He
remarked tnar he did not fret at that, it
was all he could expect, " for you know"
he added, "that | have always been
pIa.n speaker myself" This led to my
asking something in regard to his early
life and his history. AS I used the word
" history" he glanced at me quickly, and
| thought rather suspiciously, and direct
ly said, You newspaper men are always
wanting to get at mans history. As |
said to young girl who came to see ME
some time ago to collect materials for a
biography Of me, have n" history. Ny
lifelong regret is that have lived SO long
and so useessly."
| vpntnred To suggest that his friends
were no III, 'oSed To agree with him in
the use of the word useIessly" as appli
ed to his Congressional achievements.
81 have achieved nothing in Congress.
Until the war began was plodder with
out influence, and since it ! ran ! have
been so radical that had no control over
any body. Some of the papers call me
the Leader of the House only laugh
at them. / lead them, yes; but they
never follow me or do as | want them
until public opinion has sided with me"
'No," he added after pause of a mo-
ment or two, "I'm not over proud of my
Congressional career. like my State
service better. | think and feel, hope
without vanity, that the clowning utility
Of my life was the adoption of the Com
mon School System of Pennsylvania" "
;;c explained that in 1885 an attempt
wa, made by the Democracy for politi-
cal purposes 20 repeal the school law pass
e,i 5uiii!g Inc previous session of the Leg
.s!;.;ure, aad hey did succeed in repe;iI.
.ag /, ~ he Senate They would have
>lqpe.lr,t IN the House int for strong
speech a.D "a good deal of lilibustering,'
a< Mr.. Stevens remarked, on the part of
himself and friends in the House, and
Gov. R,tner in the Executive mansion.
''Tlmt is the work." he said, resuming
after his explanation, that take most
pleasure in recalling, except one perhaps.
really think the greatest qualification of
my life resulted from my ability to give
my mother q farm Of two hundred and
fifty acres, and dairy Of fourteen cows,
and an occasional bright gold piece, which
she loved to deposit in the contribution
box of the Baptist Church which she at
tended. This always gave her great pleas
ure, and me much satisfaction. My moth
er," he suddenly added, "was very ex.
traordinary woman, and have met very
few women like her. My father"-he
hesitated moment, and several times
commenced the sentence before pursuing
it further; it was evident he was trying
to make confession he did not like. At
length the innante love of the truth and
pIain speaking got the better of him, and