Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-28


he was serenely Indifferent to any attack
ever made upon him in debate, and gener-
| ally disposed of it, if he thought it worth
noticing at all, with single terse or cpl
! grammatic sentence, as in the case when a
certain member of his own political party
made bitter attack upon him. He simply
said, without tie slightest trace of excite
ment: "What no gentleman should utter,
no gentleman need answer"
The Courage of His Convictions.
No obstacles ever deferred him in the
pursuit of purpose, and no opposition ever
made him quail, or even seemed to disturb
him. He had the courage of his convictions,
and was wholly Indifferent as to where they
nigh. lead him and was no compro-
miser where principle was involved. His
refusal to accept a deed for lot in a eeme-
terry, because it contained clause limiting
! the right of sepulture to the white race, was
characteristic of him. Such man compels
! the tribute of our admiration, however,
much we may differ with his views
The world is in no danger from overstock
of earnest and consistent men. AS Prof
Lowell tersely expressed it during the war:
"Our need is not so much mora men as more
man."
Stevens was always thoroughly consistent
In his political course. His first view ofthe
Rebellion was that it was ar insurrection,
and to be dealt with as such. After Presi-
dent Lincoln issued his proclamation of
blockade he called upon him and said: ''Mr.
President, have you duly considered this
proclamation with reference to the law of
nationS?"
Lincoln replied: "Why, no, not much;
we never had much to do with the law of
nations in Illinois. The proclamation was
| of Stewards getting up, and supposed it
was all right"
No Longer an Insurrection.
''The legitimate effect of it," said Ste
vens, sis to erect the insurgents into bellig-
erents, and the war must be henseforth con-
Quoted, not under the Constitution, but un-
! der the laws of war.
And from this position, once deliberately
! taken, he never departed. His declaration,
made on the floor of the House during the
period of reconstruction, and which startled
many of his political associates 81 thought.
we were all agreed that this was conducted
outside the Constitution" was but the
natural expression of his position. And,
not only was the war conducted outside the
Constitution and under the law Of nations.
but settlement was to be made under the
same law. He secuted the right of the CEN
guered to make any appeal whatever to
the Constitution, and maintained in
the fullest degree the right of
the conqueror to dictate terms to
the vanquished, which might be anything
recognized by the law of nations He said;
''If they had whipped us we should have
been compelled 10 submit to their terms,
which would have been dictated without
any regard to the Constitution of the United
States, and, as we have whipped them,
deny their right in toto to appeal to that in
strument. They shall not make a straight
jacket of the Constitution and put it ON
those who have adhered to the Government
to embarrass them in securing the legiti-
mate results of the victory they have Won"
Objected 70 Hanging Davis.
And, in strict accordance with the view
so entertained, he denied the right of the
Government to hang JEFF Davis, though if,
as Lincoln expressed it on another subject,
it could have been done, "unbeknownst-like
to him." doubt if he would have shed any
tears over his "taking off,"
His hatred of human slavery was so in
tense that it suggests some special reason
for it. 1 have thought it might have been
inspired by his experience in the first re-
ported case in which he was concerned as
counsel. 1t was a case in which Southern
planter was seeking to recover possession of
a two-legged chattel who had committed
grand larceny by running away with him
self to Pennsylvania, and Stevens, in be-
half of the master, strange as it may seem,
had issued the old common law writ of
homine replegiando.
If there was any man for whom he had
special regard it was for pronounced Abo-
htionist. remember an incident illustra-
tive of this told by the late Judge Wood
ward, of Pennsylvania. He said that he
and Stevens were at Harrisburg once oyer
Sunday, and that he attended church on that
day, and, in coming out, found Stevens at
his side and said to him:
His Belief in tho Negro. -,
'Mr. Stevens, you and have been uni
formly opposed to each other on all ques-
tions, but am glad to find there 10 one bond
of union between U.s. We can both attend
the same church, but If you will pardon me
I would like to know what induced YOU TO
attend this particular church,,
"Oh," said Stevens, "I came to hear this
fellow preach because he is an Abolitionist." f"
"Whereupon," said the Judge, as he told
the story, "the bond of union suddenly
parted.
He firmly believed that negro was as
good as white man, and good deal better
if he behaved himself, and. in reply to Cox,
who said in debate, 81 ask the gentleman