National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-08-18

"of him." These things combined to en-
rage MIR. johnson and to make him more
aggressive than before in his antagonism
to the Republican majority. That major
ity finally passed completely under the con-
troll of Mr.. Stevens. Then followed war
between the two ends Of Pennsylvania
avenue, in which Thad. Stevens rose, as
did his antagonist, Andrew johnson, TO
the proudest eminence Of their lives. The
latter lost his temper occasionally, called
Forney dead duck. " and insulted Con-
gress by abiding to It as 'the body at the
other end of the Ayenue;" but his personal
illusions were not more bitter than those.
with which Stevens retorted. In fact,
Stevens descended to low innuendo, and
dragged into discussion of tariff bill an
allusion to Mrs. Cobb, the so-called pardon
brokeress," which connected her with Mr..
johnson in disreputable manner. These
incidents were but the by plays, however, Of
the great contest, and had no significance
whatever, except to show the extreme Bit
terness of the contestants. The recon
struction acts were introduced, and Mr..
Stevens, nearly always in charge ofthem,
exhibited the miraculous yigor of his char
acter as legislative leader in keeping the,
Republican members together in their sup
port. 1t is true that he never succeeded in
passing them exactly in the shape he de-
sired, and sometimes voted with the fill
clustering Democrats to secure their defeat,
but he was, nevertheless, the great
"whipper.in," who lashed the stragglers
up to the front with relentless and vigorous
cruelty. Mr.. johnson saw in him his
chief antagonist. The club footed, brown
wigged old man from Pennsylvania,
whose voice trembled with age whenever
he addressed the House, and whose red
bandana was ever ready to be floated in the
air as he talked, as if it were the red flag
of q matadore, was pitted against the
strong-limbed, full-breasted, full-voiced,
stalwart mountaineer of tennessee. Since
the days when he led the anti Masonic
party. Thad. Stevens had never been
called upon to such great exertion, and
since the days when he stood alone among
the seeding Southern Senators as the only
loyal man from his section in that body,
Andrew johnson had not felt the metal of
an opponent worthy of his steel. Veto
followed upon veto with tiresome regu-
larity to the unexcited public; but with
certain presage of grave results. The
House was the scene of protracted discus
sions at times, and again of sharp and
quick decision when its Dictator, as
Stevens was sometimes called, brought
to bear the prompt action of the
previous question. The Senate often left
its chamber almost in body to witness
these contests, and bluff old Ben. Wade
necessarily presided over an array Of empty
chairs. But Mr.. johnson renamed firm.
Obstinate in his determination to fight 1t
out to the last, blindly reliant upon the as
sumption that MY Policy" was grounded
upon the Constitution, and refusing even to
listen to terms of compromise, he devoted
his energies to the one object of overthrow
ing what he no doubt felt was the Dynasty
of Thad. Stevens. Mean while his Cabinet,
with the exception of Secretary Stanton,
were about the only supporters he had who
held positions of power and influence, for,
although the Democrats sympathized with
him in his opposition to the Republican
majority, they continued to treat him, as
Eldredge had suggested, as Republican
President. Thus it came to pass that while
Stevens was surrounded by an unprece-
denied support, Mr.. johnson stood almost
alone, his only friends being few per-
sonal adherents and office-holders that the
Senate had not or could not disturb. Look
ing back at it now, it appears as q sublime
spectacle; giant holding at bay an army
of giants. Then came the adoption of the
articles Of impeachment by the House, the
solemn trial by the Senate, and the vote
thereon, pregnant with the fate of the
country, on the very day when Grant, the
future leader of the Republican hosts, was
first nominated at Chicago. But he was
wonderful stubbornness, and the egotistic
devotion to "My Policy" which combined
to form the basis of the public estimate OF
their great mans character, were no longer
called into requisition. Thad. Stevens
died 'fn the harness." as the cant phrase
puts it, and his great antagonist after q
few years more of less vigorous contest in
the world of politics, has followed him to
the last resting place, where human strife
is unknown. 1t appears like dream to
recall these incidents now. q dream in
which two figures tower above pigmies in
struggle for mastery, and wrestle with
each other until they fade away into the
"palpsble obscurity" of history. But their
names will always be linked together as
the opposing Captains, and they owe to
each other the opportunities they realized
for the development of their sterner quail
ties of character. Distinct and opposing
types of American citizenship, they will
live forever as the opponents offs paradox
cal patriotism.