The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-12-09
ALEXANDER n. STEPHENS.
Letter from Alex. 4. Stephens H1-
planning His Position.

planning dis Position.
He Glasses Dsyfs Among Those who
rsare Fearful efa Recenstruc-,eD
-sw .a :atiennof the Union.rs0 rs.io
& nAExxI}uM a-rr---------bai kas syes9G
HegDeelares that the States Have No
Right 20 Return Separately 10
'nS7 'En' gus the ~nAsu. pas 847'a r'@a
~ecs 40. glda1 s~<Aa-~..,. am .1'&Eoi0A
LErTRR From A. Il. ss1xPaANs, OF GEORGIA,
TO erHos. !. sRMNRs, OF, LOUIsIANA. IN
EXPLANATION OF his POSITION. ....z
From the Richmond Sentinel, Nov. 81. -.
The Augusta Constitmiomalist contains
a long letter from Vice President Ste
phens, addressed to Senator Semmes;r of
Louisiana. The letter was sent to the
press by Mr.. Stephens, in order to correct
the misapprehensions of his position,
which, he says, are, to soma extent, en-
tertained, and in which Mr.. Semmse, lin
his speech at Mobile, showed that he
shared. Not having room for the. @hHtttE1
letter, we present the following ssIfsaets
and synopsis: .3a - -, !
-.t@ GAINESVILLE, Ga, NOV. s. 1851.
Ny DEAR SIR-I have just readoaedepoknH
your speech at Mobile. From that report
am persuaded you are greatly mistaken rhs to
my views upon the subject Of a-Iosave1 loaaef
the States, and trust you will excuse and
pardon me for this letter upon tfat sub
ject. have by no means &nVteduQEA0
convention by anything that have said. or
written upon the subject. 1t Is not kS' al IA
vorite idea with me as mod6Of. insxsUtxting
CO. r ~
attending it. But as so resPectabie body 81
the Chicago Convention, representing go urge
q portion Of tho enemy, bad pledged them;
selves, if brought into power, % tenfer suchr3
proposition, did think, md do Aalls tlsiaEs
that 1t was highly polite anu wise on our part
to respond favorably to th1c PROFESS mas
much as saw no insupefable objlcH1g sitvs
with the limitations and restrictiopa stated in
my letter. Indeed, with those MnN4tfonS,
saw no objections at all. under present. circum-
stances, to acceding to such proposition (t it
should be made) as the initiau9H y nego-
tiatiOns - A.a-9a's - G1e9kIs.5 o =,
It would be the frstatep, and in all SUCH
cases the first step is often the iAlost difculta
If the Federal Government Should propaseito
ours . convention of the Stategflo not sec
why it might not be accepted, dk1Ny as an adj
visOry body, as suggested / leAspo )nsti-
tutional difficulties in the waypnS6e treaty
making power on both sides n GAee 20
submit the question at Issue to :lhg A44Sidara-
ton OF any body Of men on eassl ADYehey
choose, and hear thereport witho6f 9epb&8e
in advance to be bound by that repQgtsE q = ::
In personal quarrels such submiss3tn isoften
made: and to the honor of humanity It may be
said that In most cases OF this kind the result
is an amicable and honorable settlement.
Whether such would be the result Of cOnven-
ton Of the States in our case is, of course, un-
certain. The probabilities, am free to say,
in my judgment, are that it would: When We
look ct the elements of such body, If it should
be rendered on the other side and accepted on
ours, and the true nature of the controversy,
am not without strong hopes that It would 80
result.
Mr.. Stephens then proceeds to say that
there is no prospect of the proposition re-
ferred to being offered, except in the event
of McClellan's election. He proceeds to
state, at considerable length, the advanta-
ges which he supposed or hoped would re-
suit from the electing of that citizen. He
thinks that "a favorable response to the
Chicago resolution, looking to q Oonven-
ton of the. States, - by President Davis,
would have greatly aided and might have
secured Gen. McClellans election. he
continues:
All that he need have said In some public
manner was, that If such proposition should
be rendered by the Federal Government, he
would accede to 1t, with some such limitations
and restrictions AZ stated by me in the letter
before alluded to. The idea that this could not
be c0nstitutionally done Is strange to me. In
the most Objectionable view of the subject,
delegates, one or more from each State, would
be but commissioners or plenipotentiaries
from each government respectively, to initiate
negotiations, &c. Their acts would be subject
to the approval or disapproval of their govern
ments respectively. Why commissioners
could not be appointed in this way, as well as
any other, without any violation of the con-
stitution, do not see. The treaty making
power In both governments Is ample for this
purpose. At least it seems so to me. Indeed,
as have said before, It seems to me that 1t 10
ample on both sides to submit the questions in
issue to the consideration merely of any body
on earth.
know there are many persons among US
whose opinions are entitled 10 high considers,
ton, who do not agree with me on the ques-
ton of McClellan's election. Perhaps the
President belongs to that class. Judging
Those of the class to whom 1 refer, with
whom have met, think that if what they
term conservative man should be elected, or
any of the Chicago platform even, that such
terms for restoration of the Union would be
offered as our people would accept. The ghost
construction rears its ghastly head at every
corner to their imagination. Their apprehen-
sions, doubt not are sincere But entertain
none such myself I am no believer in ghosts
of any kind. The old Union and the old con-
stitution are both dead-dead forever, except
in so far as the constitution has been preserved
by US. There is for the Union as it was, no
resurrection by any power, short Of that which
brought Lazarus from the tomb. There may
be, and doubtless are, many at the North and
some at the South, who look forward to q
restoration of the Union and the constitution
as it was but such ideas are as vain and IL
lusory as the dreamy imaginings of the Indian
warrior, who in death clings to his weapons,
in fond expectation that he will have use for
them beyond the grave, in other lands and
new hunting grounds. These fears of volun-
tary reconstruction are but chimeras of the
brain.
Mr.. Stephens then explains how he
thought the election of Mcclellan would
bring about armistice negotiation and
peace, on the basis of Confederate indie
pendence and State sovereignty, North
and South, thus laying the foundations of
peace and security in the future. We
conclude with the following extracts, de-
fining Mr.. Stephens position
From the report of your speech I am led to
infer that you entertained the opinion that I