Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1869-01-21

and without hesitation to the vindica-
ton Of Human Rights, suffering then
from constant and most cruel outrage
Here he stood always like pillar. =
Suffice it to say that he was one of the
earliest Abolitionists, accepting the
name and bearing the reproach. Not
child in Pennsylvania coming spell
ing book, beneath the humble ratters
of a village school who does not owe
him gratitude; not citizen rejoicing
in that security which is found only
in liberal institutions, founded on the
equal rights of all, who is not his debt
or. When he entered Congress it was
| as Champion. His conclusions were
| already matured and he saw his duty
plain before him. The English poet
toreshadows him when he pictures
lone in whom persuasion and belief
Had ripenei into faith. and rai,h become
! A passionate conviction.
Slavery was wrong, and he would
! not tolerate it. Slave masters, brim.
ming with slavery, were lrnoerious and
lawiess. From him they learned to see
themselves as others saw them. Strong
IN his cause and IN the consciousness
OF power he di,l not shrink from am
encounter, and, when it was Joinesli he
| p>ti not only argument anc history
yut all those other weapons ny which
hal cause is exposed TO seorn AM
/; ontempt. Nobody sald more jn tewe'
words or gave to language sharl g,
bite. Speech was with him At times, a
cato -n.ne-tails, and Woe to the victim
on whom the terrible lash descended.
Does any one doubt the jnstifiable-
ness of such debate Sarcasm, satire,
and ridicule are not given in vain
They have an Office to perform in the
economies Of life. They are faculties
to be employed prudently in the sup
port of truth and justice. a good
cause is helped, ii It's enemies are driy-
en- back; and it can not be doubted
that the supporters OF wrong and the
| procrastinators shranl, often before the
weapons he welded. Soft words turn
away wrath; but there is a time tor
strong words as for soft words. Did
not the Savior seize the thongs with
| which to drive the money changers
from the Temple? Our money chang
| ers long ago planted themselves with
in our temple Was ii not right to lash
them away: Such an exercise of pow
| er IN generous cause must not be
confounded with that personality in
debate which has its origin in nothing
higher than jealousy or spite. In this
sense Thadaeus Stevens was never
personal. No mean thought controlled
him. Wha. he said was for his coun-
try and mankind
As the rebellion assumed its cigan-
tic proportions, he saw clearly that it
could be smitten only through slavery
and when, after bloody st 'uggle, it
was too tardilv yanquished, he saw
clearly that there could be no true
peace, except by founding the new
governments on the equal rights OF al.
And this policy he urged with lofty
dogmatism, which was as beneiicent as
uncompromising. The rebels had burn
ed his property in Pennsyl, ania, and
there We're weakiings who attributed
his conduct to the smart at his loss
How little they understood his ma
ture Injury provokes and sonnet mes
excuses resentment. But it was not
in him TO allow private grief to intiu-
ence his public conduct. The losses
! of the iron master were forgotten in
| the duties OF the statesman. He asked
nothing tor himself. He did not ask
his own rights except as the rights OF
| man.
know not if he could be called an
orator Perhaps, like Fox, he We're
better called dchater. And yet
| doubt If words were ever delivered
with more effect than when. broken
with years aud decay, he stood before
the Senate. an'i in the name OF the
House OF Representatives and of ali
the people o. the United States, liz.
peached Andrew johnson, President
OF the United States, OF high erin es
m | m Siemeanors i'll office. Wh1 can
10 g4t his steady, solemn u;terance 0.
THIS great arrai-nment. The words
were lev, but they will sound ,Arougls
the ages. The personal triumph III i.s
position a. that moment WAS merged
IN tie historic grandeur OF the occasion.
For a long time, a a nst opposition OF
al kinds, against misconceptions OF the
law and against apologies tor transae-
tons without apology, he had insisted
on impeachment; and now this old man
t,tterlng to your door dragged the
Chief Magistrate of the Republic to
Judgment 1t W he who did this
! thing; and | should do poor justice to
his lite on this occasion ii tailed to
express my gratitude iCr this heroic
d ed His merit is none the less be-
taase other influences prevailed i'll the
enl. His example viii remain forever.
\ In the House, which was the scene
OF his triumphs, never heard HIM but
once; but l cannot forget the eloquence
/ OF that briet speech. | was there by
accident just as he rose. He did not
speak more than ten minutes; but ev
cry sentence seemed an Grafton. With
unhesitatlng pla,nness he arraigned
/ PENNSYLVANIA for her de-ial OF equal
rights to an oppressed race, ana rising
| with the theme, declared that this State
had not a republican government. |
presume the speech Will be found IN
the Globe. Nobody, who has consid-
cred with any care what constitutes a
republican government, especially since
the definition supplied by our Decla-
ration OF independence, can doubt that
he was right His words will live as
the testimony OF great character on
this import mt question.
The last object OF his lite was the
establishment OF equal rights through
out tie whole country by the recogni-
ton of the requirement OF the Dee