The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-08-09
Alexander q. Stevens and the
Philadelphia Convention.

&AAOAoANlSh 4As 0IOVGA6 c4A oA&S
Philadelphia Convention.
The following private letter from Alex.
H. Stevens appears in the Washington
hatelhgencer:
"CRAwFoRDsv1LLE, Ga, July %, '66.
1.-THE Hon. Montgomery Blair, Wash
inqton, D. C.-DEAR Sir: Your letter of
the 18th instant is before me. thank
you heartily for it. No man in the
United States did, or could, more cordial
ly approve or indorse the objects of the
proposed Union Convention at Philadel-
phia, as 1 understood them, than did;
and yet, from considerations of expedien-
cy, doubted the propriety of my taking
active part in it. 1 was also in doubt, to
some extent, whether, with other views
on the part of those who made the call,
the words were not phrased in the call so
as to exclude all who occupied a similar
position to my own, and from other con-
siderations than those which had occurred
to me. Your letter relieves me from the
last class of doubts, but those of the 9TH
er class still exist, notwithstanding your
strong views to the contrary
Individually, my whole soul is enlisted
in the cause of speedy, full and perfect
restoration of the Government under,th
Constitution, and its permanency under
that Constitution as it now stands. There
is nothing within my power that1I am
not willing cheerfully to do to effect and
accomplish that end. Indeed, you will
excuse me in saying it, but it is the truth,
I would be willing to offer up my life it.
self, if by doing so this great result could
be obtained, and peace, union, harmony,
prosperity, happiness, and constitutional
liberty be thereby secured to the millions
now living and the untold millions here
after to live on this continent. There
are many personal embarrassments or
difficulties in the way of my going to the
convention these 1 alluded to before,
but am resolved to be there if can.
In no event shall it be ever truthfufly
said of me that 1 failed to do everything
in my power to save the country and its
institutions. 1 did, in 1860, exert my ef-
forts to their utmost extent to avoid the
late most lamentable war, and to save the
Union on constitutional principles with
out conflict of arms. This [ did, too,
while many of those now 80 clamorous
for what they call the Union cause
were giving encouragement, at least,ao
the extreme men at the South, by clearly
and decidedly iutimating, if not fully ex-
pressing, a perfect willingness on their
part that the Union might slide if the
people of the South so willcd it. 1 was
even taunted with endeavoring to hold
our people on to a Union that was no
longer cared for by leading men of the
dominant party at the North. l with
stood these taunts, even when | knew, or
was informed truly, as l believed, that
there was an organized body of men in
Savannah TO seize the Custom House,
Fort Pulaski, etc., in case the State did
not secede All this I stated to you, and
to which you allude in your letter before
me. Nor should have any hesitancy in
stating it to the public if any public good
could thereby be effected. The public
good is my only object. How best to
subserve that consistently with truth,
honor and uprightness, is the only ques-
tion with me. Personal interests have
no influence with me whatever; at least,
I think so, and may be excused for say
ing so. Had I been governed by person
al feelings l should have had nothing to
do with the late troubles further than en-
tering my earnest protest against them,
and had been governed by personal
feeling 1 should not now be in the sltua-
tion am.
eff the Union shall be restored under
the Constitution, as earnestly desire to
see it done, and I am willing to do all 1
can toward that end, it is my fixed pur-
pose to retire from all connection with
public affairs, SO that while it would seem
that my present efforts are tending to
result in which [ have more or less per-
sonal interest, that is, my admission into
Congress, yet assure you never ex-
pect or intend to hold that position long,
even if the seat should be awarded to me.
"Yours truly,
ALEXANDER II. STEVENS"
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