Year: 1868

few DAYS of his demise. His death will not take
the people by surprise, as although of a remarkably
vigorous constitution which had been impaired by
no excesses, the infrmity of years was weighing
heavily upon him. His health had been seriously
impaired for the last two years. but he still kept
about his active duties both in and out of Congress-
and only took off the harness of war when the battle
of life was over few months ago he visited his


rOn-works near Chambersburg, and on his return to
his home at Lancaster his life was despalred Of but
he again rallied and able to go to Washington to
attend the November session OF Congress He how
ever continued to be very intirm and it was often
necessary during the present session to assist HIM
daily from his carriage to his seat in the House Last
night the last scene in the drama of his life was
enacted and now that he has passed from the stage
of human endeavor he will be sincerely mourned by
bis countrymen who respected the ygOr of his intel


ect the intensity of his convictions, and his integ
rity Of purpose. and love of liberty.


Although born in Vermont Mr. Stevens was all his


life identified with heinterests of Pennsylvania, and
the years of his manhood were spent in that State
His birthplace in Vermont was in Caledonia County,
where he was born April 4, 1793 He graduated at
Dartmouth College in 1914, and the same year re-
moved to Pennsylvania, where he became a teacher


in an academy While employed in teaching he gave
his leisure to the study of the law and was admitted
to the Gettysburg Bar in 1916. He pursued the prac-
tice of his profession in Adams County until 1912.
when he removed to Lancaster where he afterward
resided. He was employed in many of the most inn
pOrtant cases tried in the courts of the Common
wealth during his long and active career. and was
one of the most acute lawyers and able reasones In
the State He sincerely loved his profession, but
was especially pleased to be retainedi causes where
some injustice or oppression TO be unraveled
from out the meshes of iniquity or the weak to be
protected against the Vaccinations of the strong.
And no epithet was too fOrcbe or too whitening TO
be employed in denunciation of the evil-doer-
no metaphor too bold to describe the punishment Of
evil 1t was this buntncss of speech and love of
the weak allied with peculiar and emphatic earn
estness of purpose that elected such Outbursts of
denunciation rs when, after the death of the late
Chief-Justce Taney he said in a speech in the
House, that the Drcd Scott decision had damned the
Chief-Justce to everlasting nfamy, and, he feared
to everlasting flame. But, if his nvective was the
rush of the avalanche crushing everything beneath
it amid the roar of echong desoation, his sarcasm
was the lghtning's bolt dealing death with single
stroke that seemed like flash from the sword of an
avenging angel. Even ms humor grim and
CHASTITY to those who. welded TO injustice and OPP
preston, had occasion to fear that he might turn
againt themselves the barbed shafts of his dis
pleasure. But his repartees were never launched
against the poor and the unofending. And he never
forgot the simplicity Of his demeanor nor his love
for the people down to the day when his battle of life
ended.


The professional career of Mr.. Stevens was sue
cess from the beginning--small that beginning
was-and he was soon accorded the leadership of the
bar by his associates as well as the public The
practice of country lawyer in a village like Gettys
burg must be necessarily small but in Pennsylvania
where the relationship of counsel and client differs
in many essentials from nearly every other State,
especially in what is called the Orphans Court busi-
ness or the settlement of the estates of decedents
man in the legal profession who enjoys the conf
dence of the community for probity and judgment is
brought into peculiar confidential correspondence
with the people beside finding his avooatlon more
lucrative than where it is confined to oral pleading
and the conduct of in equity. The advice of
the lawyer is sought in questions the most delicate
as well as the most commonplace and trivial having
10 reference to the decrees of judges and the
rulings of Courts. In this way Thaddeus Ste
vens became not only the legal adviser but the
personal friend of the entire community and to this
day the aged inhabitants of Adams County only re-
gard him as the lawyer and the man. and never think
of him the Great COmmoner and the distinguished
leader of Congress- He is not great to them in his
greatness hut in his unobtrusive charities and
affected virtues of benevolence. Pennsylvania Col
lcge has reared noble hall As monument TO his
services in behalf of educatiOn; but he has temple
IN the hearts of the people nObler far than the
cOnsecTated to hm by the academlclans, and many
simple anecdOte that is told by the tiresdes of the
poor county folk of Southern Pennsylvania contains
a tribute striking and sincere than the most eO-
quent eulOgy that will be uttered IN Congress. Per
haps too, the simplest ntterances OF sympathy and
encouragement which fell from his lips in the early
days of his experience Will be more enduring con-
trbution to his fame, If possible, than the most
measured sentences in which he has since denounced





Ii is difficult to reproduce in print hisquickness of
repartee and the half playful, half reproving some
times wholly denunciatory and whitening qualities
of hs wit QuantneSs, fancy and rebuke were
strangely mingled with his words, and there was a
personality in his thoughts whether IN jest or
earnest that gave them percullar force. Only three
men of modern time-Garrick. Fo0te, and Beau
Brumme-were so much part of what they said as
Thaddeus Stevens. What IN others would have been
insutieTabe dullneSs often rendered by his man
ncr mimtable IN pleasantly or scOrntul IN TeproOf.
He said of a colleague IN Congress that he was a
for drink: And although there IS nothing striking.
even fresh, in the thought OF IN the words, his
manner and emphasis were such as to produce an M
eaccable picture of the man who merited his scOrn.
He met in the streets old friend who had been
Abolitionist In the days when Pennsylvania was
altogether pro-Slavery, but who Went over to the
Democracy at the hour when AbOtionsm was about
to triumph, an enrolled himself among the support
ers of Gen Mcclellan for the Presidency. They had
not met since the beginning OF the war; and this
friend, who was really glad tn see him, extended his
hand in greeting. But Mr.. Stevens was obliylOus to
the courtesy and stood still in blank surprise. At
length as if suddenly recollectng himself, he
claimed: All! is that youf But how Democracy
has changed your On the same day he met another
old acquaintance of the Methodist persuasion, who
sometimes preached little, but had not been pros
porous in business although he occasionally INDUCED
In hOrse-trade. In after years he confined himself
more exclusively TO his proper business calling and
the two after being long separated, chanced TO meet
opposite new and commodious house which he had
built and called his own. Proud to show Mr. Stevens
the proofs of his prosperity, he said, when their
greetings were over, {" That house across the way |
haYe hnilt-it is minen " Alb. inleedW WAS the an