The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-12


On the I'd of December, 1861. Mr.. Stevens
offered preamble reclting that slavery was the
cause of the Rebellion. aud there could be no
solid and permanent peace in the republic so
long as The institution existed; that slaves were
then used as an essential means of supporting
and protractipg the war; and that the law Of
nations authorized the Liberation of an enemy's
slaves as means Of weakening his power.
Appended was series of resolutions which
requested the President to grant freedom TO all
slaves who should leave their masters or who
should aid III quelling the Rebellion; and plede.
ing compensation to all loyal citizens for losses
sustained under the operations of this measure
1t was not pressed to passage at the time.
On the I'd OF December, 1852, Mr.. Stevens
offered series OF resolutions asserting the
integrity and peTpetuity of the Union and
declaring ita high crime for any person in the
employment OF the Government to propose
accept, or advise the acceptance of terms of
peace on any other basis. These resolutiopa
were also postponed for future consideration.
On the 9Th of December, 1862 Mr.. Stevens
brought forward a measure entitled 'An act
TO indemnity the President, aud other persons.
Tor suspendng the privilege of the writ Of
hdbeaS corpus, and acts done in pursuance
thereof" which bill, under toe operation of the
previous question, was passed through all its
stages on the same day. Against this measure
thirty members of the House attempted to
enter their solemn protest, characterizing it az
"a deliberate, papable, and dangerous viola.
ton of the Constitution, and therefore utterly
null and VOID" The protest was tabled by a
vote of rs to II, and the bill finally became a
law, with slight modlncatIons, on the Sd Of
March, 1868.
On the 9th ofJanuary, 1868, Mr.. Stevens In
troduced a bill for the enlistment of I50 600
Colored soldiers, which finally passed the House
February 2 after having been modified by its
author, so thatno limit was placed upon the
number OF the troops, except in the discretion
OF the President. proviso was also attached,
which prohibited any person of African descent
t:om being placed IN command over white
officers soldiers.
During the discussion on the Conscription
acts, Mr.. Stevens, on June %, 1854 introduced
an additional section which was incorporated
with the bill then under consideration, as it
passed the House, providing that nothing con-
tanned in the act should be construed to alter
or in any way effect the Law relative to those
conscientlously opposed to bearing arms"
He also took an active part in the measures
which resulted in the adoption by Congress Of
slavery throughout the United States.
HIS Rsconstruetion Policy.
The keynote to Mr.. Stevens course on the
great question OF Reconstruction was given In
remarkable speech delivered by him In the
House of Representatives, In the course of which
he declared, although the late Chief Justice
Taney had not at the time been in his grave
year, that "his opinions had damned him to
everlasting infamy, and, he feared, to everlast-
ing flame.n In the same speech he expressed
his impatience with the Government for the
magnanimitY shown by it in its attitude up to
that date towards the insurrectionary States,
and advocated the adoption OF the policy which
had been visited upon vanquished nations by
Rome in the less civilized epochs OF her history.
The South he regarded as conquered territory,
| and, therefore, as subject in all things to the
will, wishes, and whims OF Congress.
| Notwithstanding the dsIrust with which his
financial schemes we're viewed, by his straight.
| forward and earnest course during the war,
after its termination Mr. Stevens still enjoyed
the confidence of, or at least maintained his
supremacy over, his Republican colleagues to
| such an extent that he secured the craftsmanship
ON the part OF the House OF Representatives, OF
the joint Committee on Reconstruction, ap-
! pointed under the concurrent resolutions of
! December 16, 1865.
By his position and commanding influence in
| this committee, he did more towards shaping
| the policy Of Congress with regard to the lately
| rebellious States than any other man. On the
10th OF February, 1866, he gave practical effect
| to the sentiments mentioned above by intro.
ducing, by authority of the Reconstruction
| Committee, concurrent resolution, providing
| that no Senator or Representative should be
admitted from any of the States in insurrection,
"until Congress shall have declared such State
| entitled to such representation" This resolu-
| tlon passed the House by vote of 100 yeas TO
| 40 nays, and the Senate by 20 yeas 10 18 nays.
From that time forward he was so thoroughly
identified with the Congressional policy at every
! step that sketch of his stormy career would
| necessarily embrace an outline of the history of
| the country during that exciting period. At
| times he was able TO keep the majority of the
| Honse with him, but now and then failed in
| this; and then, with wisdom that is entitled
| to the name OF statesmanship, he spurred them
| on as fast and as far as they would go, accept
| ing all that he could get, whan he could not get
all that he wished.
| In the closing scenes of the great drama of
reconstruction, Mr.. Stevens was prevented, by
his extreme feebleness, from taking a very active
| part. But his principles had triumphed in the
main, and he was content with sitting by as
silent spectator while his colleagues on the
| Committee on Reconstruction guided the course
l of the bills which successfully readmitted to
lepresentation in Congress the States which
| had been rehabitated alter the plan laid down