The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-08-21

PERSISTENT III lnelS enOrtS 70 OBTAIN
the freedom Of the slaves. In fact,
! their persistency irked the Presi-
dent and caused him 70 tell this
story about an incident during bis
school days.
All reading vas done from the
Scr.ptu-e and We stood Up in q
long line and read IN turn from the
Bible. Our lesson one day was
tas story OF he Israelites who were
thrown into the fiery furnace and
delivered by the hand Of the Lord
without so much as the smell Of
IRE upon their garments.
II fell to one little fellow 70
read the verse in which occurred
for the first time in the chapter
the names Of Shadrack. Meshack
and Abednego Little Bud STUN
bed on Shsdrsck. floundered on
Meshack and went all to pieces on
Aoednego. Instantly the hand OF
me master dealt him a cuff on the
side OF the head and left him wall
ing and bluobering. as the next
boy took up the reading.
But before the girl at the end
o; the line had done reading. he
had subsidized into sniffles and FINAL
~ became quiet. His plumbers and
disgrace were forgotten by the
others OF the class until his turn
was approaching to read again.
Then Ike thunderclap out Of a
clear sky, he set up q wall which
alarmed even the master, who with
rather unusual gentleness, asked
, what was the matter now. Point.
inos with a shaking finger at the
verse which a few moments later
would fall to him to read. Bug
managed to quaver out, Look there
marster. there comes them same
damn three fellers AGAIN."
Advocated Negro Troops
Stevens earnestly advocated the
raising Of Negro regiments during
the early days OF the Civil War.
sn6 ne gave verbal support to those
generals who freed al, slaves In
the territory they had conquered.
His advocacy Of raising Negro regi-
nents was just as earnest rs had
been his bitter denunciation Of the
Fugitive Slave law.
On December 4. 1855, on the mo-
ton OF Stevens, the two houses
appointed a joint committee on re-
construction, and Stevens was
named chairman Of the Eouse COM
mittee. II was while in this p0i-
ton that he Unanswered through
Congress the Fourteenth and FiS-
teenth Amendments The -Four,
teenth elevated the Negro to ,
position where he could enjoy eivf
rights and the Fifteenth grantet
him suffrage.
The Thirteenth Amendment
which freed the Negro. was passed
in 1858 after Stevens had recev,
cred it from defeat, divided II into
two articles. the hrst providing tia,
slavery and involuntary servitude
except for punishment OF Grim,
whereof the party shall have beer
duly convicted. is forever prohi
bited in the United States anc
all its territories"
His second article stipulated tina,
so much Of Article Four, Section
Two. as refers to the delivery.ur
OF persons held to service or labor
escaping to another state Is m.
nulled."
The Thirteenth and Fourteenth
Amendments became law durins
Stevens life time. but the Fifteenth
was not passed until after his death.
Battled For Negro
In the motion picture. Tennessee
Johnson a flicker portrayal Of the
efforts to impeach President An
drew Johnson, Stevens Is pictured
as a vindiciive old man, burdened
with q deformity from birth and a
body wrscked with illness.
While many of the historians
have pictured him thus, all are
agreed that he was earnest and
sincere in his efforts: that he was
believer in the equality Of man
before his Creator" I. was this
belief that caused him to wage a
relentless battle in behalf Of the
exploited slave, q battle that ex-
ceeds in tenacity any that have
marched through the pages Of his
tory.
Lovejoy and John Brown Ravs
their lives in the great struggle "a
crack the chains OF slaves: Greeley
ard Lowell numbered with their
pens. but il was Stevens, with a
Arm control OF Congress. who paved
the way for the freedom Of the
Negro. his right to civil libertiss,
and the benefits Of the right OF
suffrage
The motion picture also showed
Lydia Hamilton Smith, Stevens
housekeeper. as q dark and lowly
maid. This is just one OF the many
disturbing elements in the picture.
Mrs Smith. a very light woman,
vas employed by Stevens In iSl8,
and remained with him until his
death. She was reputed 10 have
been OF Creole origin. light com.
plexion. with almost Caucasian fea.
lures. Her hair was nearly straight.
She was the mother Of two chill.
dren-William and lsaac--both born
Before she came TO the Stevens
home. In his will Stevens gave
her the choice Of $500 q year from,
his estate as long as she lived, or
lump payment Of 5000. She
survived him by 10 years.
Stevens was born April 1 i7s2,
a. Danville. VI He graduated si
Dartmouth college In 1914. went "a
York. Pa. where he was admitted
% the bar. He practiced law si
Gettysburg. Pa. for Is years BE-
/ fore moving 70 Lancaster. Pa Hs