Mr. Stevens' Threat

White Southerners report that Thaddeus Stevens threatens the execution of Johnson's impeachment. According to them, he is instigated by the devil and his actions will end up harming only himself.

It is about time for Mr. Thaddeus Stevens -that mirror of gentleness and pattern of humanity- to put in execution his threat to impeach the President, and, indeed, to visit with some terrible punishment the heads of departments who coincide with his policy. Thad. said he would do something decided in the way of arraigning them before the grand inquest of the nation- the House of Representatives- by which they were to be indicted to be tried by another tribunal. The public have been looking with interest to see the aged evil-doer develop himself in this new measure, a part ot the diablerie with which he and his co-conspirators are vexing, agitating, and exhausting the life of the nation. He has done so many strange things, uuaccountable upon any other hypothesis than that he is moved and instigated by the devil, that the public is curious to see what will be his next devilish caper. His malignity is beyond question , of that order known as "hell-born and hellward bound;" and his surprising achievements must naturally end in his blowing himself up. Whenever that event happens it may occasion surprise ; but that feeling will be swallowed up in the excessive delight the catastrophe will impart to all mankind.

“Mr. Stevens' Threat,” Reconstructing Virginia, accessed March 29, 2023, https://reconstructingvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/195.