Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman. He is up to his usual courteous efforts, and I really do appreciate it. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we are pretty proud in Vermont of Thaddeus Stevens, and we are here today in support of the naming of the post office at 35 Park Street in Danville, Vermont, a tiny community, a proud community, in what is called the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, to name the post office there the Thaddeus Stevens Post Office. Thaddeus Stevens was born in Danville, Vermont, in 1792. He attended Peacham Academy. It is still there. He went on to the University of Vermont and then graduated from Dartmouth College. That was is in 1814. {time} 1500 He then made a big decision and moved to Pennsylvania to study law, but he never left his Vermont values behind. He was elected to the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives. He served 4 years as a member of the Anti-Masonic Party. In 1849, he was elected to the 34th Congress of the United States, serving as a Whig until 1853--and Mr. Issa, you'll be happy to know--as a Republican from 1859 until his death in 1868. As a member of the House of Representatives, he was a very strong voice of opposition to slavery, advocating against the fugitive slave provision in the Compromise of 1850 and actively helping runaway slaves to escape to Canada using the Underground Railroad. We are all proud of that, but in Vermont we are particularly proud that Thaddeus Stevens did this. Our State, Mr.…”