Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1869-01-15
RE.u.gRHS or nov. LUKE -.
POL.F.N'D,
In the House Of Representatives Dec. II, 1909, the
DEATH OF THADDEUs STEVENS.


Mr.. Stevens was born, and the town of
Peacham, in which he lived until he had
completed his education and attained his
majority, are both adjacent TO the town
where j reside, and form part Of the Dis
trict / have the honor to represent. Itscems
appropriate that n Representative of Mr..
Stovens's native State, and tho representa-
of his native town and county should per-
form this duty, but regret that it has fallen
upon one who had so little personal knowl-
edge of him. MIR. Stevens removed from
Vermont to Pennsylvania before my birth,
and became a resident of his native coun-
ty but few years since, and after his youth
ful associates were nearly all gone. / met
him once or twice in Vermont when he
came to visit his aged mother, but except
this | never saw him until l came to the
Senate at the beginning of the 39th Con-
gress. Since I became Il member Of this
House his advanced age and broken health
prevented his active participation in much
of its business, and for great part of the
time his attendance during its sessions. |
can, therefore, do little more than express
the general estimation Of his public charac-
ter and service entertained by myself in
common with the people of his native State.
| have learned that the parents Of Mr.. Stew
ems had very small pecunary ability, and
that his education was mainly secured by
his own energy and efforts. When he re-
moved to the State of Pennsylvania to be-
gin his career of active manhood he went
among strangers, dependent for friends. for
success in business, for professional or other
advancement, for the-means of living even,
upon what he might, by force of his own
unaided efforts and ability, be able to win.
How hardly he struggled, how hardly he
fought, how successfully he won friends,
professional distinction, political advance
ment, name and fame, VIC have been told
by his longtime friend and neigh 9or and
successor in this House. His career and
his success is another instance of what is so
common in this country, but so uncommon
in all others, of the attainment of the high
est professional and political distinction
from the humblest condition by the mere
force of personal effort and ability.
Mr.. Stevens was another tribute to our
system of free institutions, founded upon
the equality of all n-insttutions which
he loved SO well, and excrted himself So
faithfully to extend and perpctuatc. That
Mr.. Stevens was a man Of marked ability
has ever been conceded, us well by his po-
litical opponents rs by his political and per-
sonal friends. lie had indomitable courage,
energy of character, and tenacious will, so
that when he had once settled upon course
of action he pursued it to the end with an
apparent, almost reckless, disregard of the
opinions and judgments of other men. His
leading and characteristic ambition seemed
to be to elevate the masses of his fellownen.
lie SCENE ever to desire and to labor that
all men should have an equal start and
fair chance in the race of life. His early
and successful efforts in his adopted State
in the cause Of popular and general educa-
tion were an apt and enduring illustration
of this great trait of his character. He loved
freedom and liberty for himself and for all
men as well. He hated every form of tyr
| amy and oppression which clogged and
| opposed the advancement of men to better
conditions, and especially did he abhor and
detest that vast oppression which once
seemed likely to prevail forever-human
| slavery. Accordingly, when that institu-
| ton came to be one of the subjects of polit-
| ical controversy in the country, he was
found among its most determined and ad-
vanced opponents. 1t is not saying more
than believe to be just to him, that to his
efforts as much as TO any one man is the
| country indebted for its final overthrow
When the country had become involved in
civil war of appalling magnitude upon
TINS question OF slavery, and the great ques-
ton oil the time was, whether the Union OF
slavery should go down, MIR. Stevens SEEM
ed TO rise at once to the magnitude and maj
esty Oh the occasion.
| His leadership of the Union men and op.
| ponents of slavery and its abettors during
the period of the war, in the great Ameri
can Commons, was perhaps as brilliant and
successful as the world has ever seen
Though have no reason to doubt he loved
his country, its free institutions, and it,
government as well as others, | have tho
his great efforts in their behalf, during tha
period, were actuated as much by his ha
tired of slavery as by his love of country.
will not further allude to Mr. Stovens,,
| Congressional career, though his public lif,
is mainly included in it, but leave that I,
others whose opportunities to know it ar,
so much better than my own. Mr. Steven,
had very warm sympathies and great kind
ness of heart. No case of suffering or dis
tress ever appealed to him in vain; hi,
heart and his hand was ALWAYS opened I,
sympathize with and relieve the needy anC
the downtrodden of the earth.
lam aware that since tbo close of tbo vor
l., do,li,,, with ,,o sutioct of tho ros,,,a
tior of thc rovoltod states and th.ir poonIo
Mr. stevens has boon chorycd with ortor
tanning MALIGNANT and unchoritohlc feel
mos and bcinp influenced Inv Them in hi
nnbiic action So far AZ This CHARGE annlio
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