The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1866-05-09
Hon. Alex. II. Stephens Before the Con
greSSi0naI COmmittec---A Full Report
OF his Testimony.

Hon. Alex. II. Stephens Before the Con
greSSiOnal COmmittee---A Full Report
OF his Testimony.
We present below fnl! and correct repor
of the the testimony of Hon. a. II. Stephen:
before the Reconstruction Committee Of Con
,greSs:
80 Hon. A. H. Stephens was before the Recon
struction Committee on the llth ult., and ht
was sworn and examined BY Mr, Boutwell, as
follows:
@. State your residence?
A. Craw fordSvlle, Georgia.
Q. What means have you had since Lce's
surrender to ascertain the sentiments Of the
people of Georgia regarding the Union?
4. was at home in Georgia at the time Of
the SURF. nder Of Gen. Lee, and remained here
till the 11th OF May, and during that time con-
ferred with the people in my immediate
q neighborhood, and with the Governor Of the
State, and with one or two other leading and
prominent men in the State. Frem the 1lth
of May until ny return to Georgia, which was
on the 26th OF October, | had no means Of
knowing anything Of the public sentiment
there except through the pubic press ard from
such letters as received
From the time Of my return until I left on
my present visit here, had very Intimate in
tercour<e with the people, visiting Augusta,
and visiting 4illedgevllIc during the session
Of the Legislature, first on their assembling,
ard again in January, before their rc aSScln-
bling, and sgain in the latter part OF February.
While there convelSed very freely and fully
with all the prominent and leading men, Or
most of them, in the legislature and met 4
great many Of the prominent and leading men
of the State not connected wiki the Lc9i>la-
ture, aud by letters and correspondence with
the mer whom have met. believe that
embraces full answer to the question as to
my manner of a>cerlaining the sentiments Of
the people of the State upon the subject stated
in the question.
Q. A. the result of your observation, what
is your opinion Of the purposes IF the people
81 with reference to the reconstruction Of the
G0vernment, and what are their desires and
purposes concerning the maintenance of the
Government?
4. My opinion, and decided opinion is, that
an overwhelming majority Of The people Of
Georgia are exceedingly anxious for the rcSto
ration of the Government and for the State to
take her former position in the Unino, to have
her Senator's aud Representatives admitted i'll
to Congress, and enj"y all her rights, and TO
discharge all her Obligations as State under
the Constitution Of the United States as it
stands amended.
Mr. Ain>worth-Nhat are their present
views concerning the justice Of The rebellion: =:
Do they at pres ut believe it was 4 reasonable
or proper undertaking, or otherwise?
Nr. StephenS-My opinion Of the sentiment
Of the people of Georgia upon that subject is,
that :Le exercise of the righ; Of secession Wis
re>orted to by them froa, desire 10 render
their liberties more secure, and belief on their
part that this as absolutely neceS ary tol that
object they were divided upon the question
of the policy of the measures. There was,
however, but very little division among them
upon the question of the right Oft. ltiSno~
their belief in my opinion, (anl give it mere
" as an oI !nion,} that the StlreSt, If not the
only hope If their liberties, is The restoration
OF the Constitution OF the United States and
of the Government Of the Uni.ed States under
the Constitution.
Q. Has there been any change of opi2ion as
10 the right CT secession, as right, in the peo-
pie or in the States?
A. think there has been a very decided
change of upinion as to the policy of those
who favored it. think the people generally
are satisfied sufficiently with the experiment
never to resort to that measure ofredicS< by
force whatever may be their own abstract
ideas on the subject; they have given up all
ideas of q maintenance OF the oP:nl0n by re-
sort 10 fo:ce; they have come to the conclu-
that it is better to appeal tc the forms Of rea-
son and justice, to the halls Of legislation and
The courts, for the preservation Of the prin-
ciples Of constitutional authority, than TO the
arena Of arms 1t is my settled conviction
there is not any idea cherished at all in the
public mind of Georgia Of ever re>orting agan
to secession OF to the exerri<c Of the right Of
secession. That whole policy of tie mainte-
nance Of their right, in my opinion, is at this
tirle totally abandoned.
Q. But the opinion rs to rjehs, as I under
stand, means substantially the same?
A. | cannot answer as to that; some may
have changed their opinion on the subject. 1t
,Yould be an unusual thing as we'll as diff
cult matter for whole people to change their
convictions upon abstract truths or principles.
have not heard this view of the SUBJECT de
bated or discussed recently, and | wish to be
understood as giving my opinion only on that
branch of the subject which is Of practical
character and importance.
Q. What do you attribute the change ofopi
MON as to the prop,icty ofattempting to mar"
tain these views by fOrce?.
A. Well, sir, my opinion about that, my
undivided opinion, derived from obSer' aton
is that change Of opinion arose mainly from
the operations of war among themselves anc
the result of the conflict among their own au
thorities in their individual rights Of person
and property, and from general b:eakine
down "f the constitutional barriers which
usually attend all rrotracted wars
Q. In 1861, when the ordinance Of secession
was adopted in Georgia, 10 what extent was i
supported by the people?
4. After t'a g~nc!70,"'i"~ Of Pr':;s'e7t lii