Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-12-18

Waste-basket upon sight Of the names
Of the writers. When once questioned
as to the proprietty Of so doing, he
answered that he knew the contents bV
the names. 1t was Talleyrand who
said that "mOst letters answer them
selves" The few letters that Mr.. Stew
ems wrote were comprised in half a
dozen lines. The most important took
but letter page, excluding party or
political ones, which were also brief for
documents Of that stamp. Until the
last moments of his life, he but little
utilized the labors of others in carrying
on his correspondence.
There is a class of public men who
affect the necessity of entire privacy
when engaged in the discharge Of their
duties. Itwas not so with Mr.. Stevens.
he had capacity enough to go on with
important matter in hand, and yet see
persons of high and low degree and of
all shades in politics. AT the most la
borious moments he would say that he
would see the caller for q limited time
named, yet always a sufficient one for
any material purpose.
He had not the time, disposition, nor
health to allow Of his enjoying the hos
pitalities usual to the circles Of exalted
public officers of the capital. He did
not entertain. On New Years or Christ
mas day, when large numbers paid
their respects in person, he exchanged
the compliments of the season in q
glass of wine.
Mr.. Stevens was opposed to the re-
ceipt of common presents, as canes,
&C., in compliment of public service.
AS to what was of weightier charac-
ter, his eseutcheon is without stain.
On a certain occasion a sealed package
came to him which he suspected con-
tanned money as a reward for some
public service. While engaged for a
moment in another apartment, the
H.
an attendant. 1t contained q great
number of one thousand dollar bills.
Mr.. Stevens, in causing a resealing of
the package, and, it's Immediate return
to the source from whence 10 came, ex-
pressed great regret that Il should have
been opened, because he intended to
return it intact, suspecting the contents,
yet not wishing to know for certainty
of what in its Presentation he felt to be
a wound. An other package of $1,000
was returned with singing retort.
That he had very many like offers in
money and stocks is likely, and that
they were habitually refused is sure,
since that his estate is of the most mod
crate value.
That Thaddeus Steuens wac not a
half millionaire, at least, from his pro-
fessional and business returns, is ac-
counted for by his acts of liberaitty to
persons in need.
Referring to his kindness as a public
official, and his indisposition TO receive
even the most common presents, 1t
should be stated that he regretted that
the ladies of the Treasury Department
should have employed their little means
in making a present to him of q gold
headed cane. His letter in reply to the
dOners is suspected to be of most inter-
esting character. The cane was put
upon his window-siH by a colored boy,
who Immediately disappeared. The
same sentiments were expressed by
him on the occasion of the leaving up
on his table gold snuf-box, a present
from citizens of Colorado, in compli-
ment Of some service he had rendered
that territory. The silly inscription
upon it was ''When Old Thad. taIxes
a pinch of snuff, Colorado win sneeze,"
We learn that Mr.. Stevens left qui te
q large amount OF papers, OF one kind
or another, for the use Of his biOgFa-
pher, Hon. Edward Mcpherson. In
addition to the text which viii con-
stitute the volume or volumes that
Hon. Mr. Mcpherson may present to
the country, let us hope that he win
embellish it with the multitude of sRl=
lies to wit and humor that characterized
che conversation of Mr.. Stevens on all
occasions of his remarkable life.
In an age Of degeneracy that is pre-
cocious beyond any afforded by the eX-
amples of history, and which meVes to
the destruction of our nation as swift
as a bullets course, if not aYerted by
the Providence of God above, Thad-
deus Stevens stood up in the halls Of
Congress fostering with corruption, an
incorrupt man.