Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-08-16
ATALK WITH A. H. STEPHENS.
His Political Opinions "reminiscences
Of the Rebellion.

A correspondent Of tho N. Y Times
recently visited A. II. Stephens at his res
idencc in Crawfordsville Ca, small de-
cayed village, whore the ex-Vice PrcsI
dent Of the Confederacy lives In modest
wooden house lie describes Mr. Ste
phens as follows:
Imagine to yourself figure slight and
fragile, nearly six feet high, but with the
students stoop in tho shoulders, and o
paln, wan, care worn, wruklcd face, on
which no sign Of beard appears. There
is in his whole person a certain unearthi.
ness that moves one partly with awe and
partly with pity; awe at what seems al
most disembodicd spirit, and pity when
you see that it is humanity after all, and
suffering humanity, too. have frequent.
ly seen Stephens face described as the
face Of boy-to me il is rather the face
Of n woman, of mother who has borne
many suferings. who has met these suf-
ferings with gentle resignation, aud whose
resignation heaven has rewarded by thai.
inward peace which illumincs the coun.
tenance with an eyanescent light from be-
yond the tomb.
Mr.. Stephens weighs only ninety -four
pounds. Though not rich, he is very be-
nevolent and much liked by his neighbors.
The conversation developed the fact that
Mr.. 5. regards secession as a prodigious
political blunder, though he believes In
the right of secession. The following
quotations from his remarks as reproduce
ed by tho correspondent will show his
opinions on other points connected with
the rebellion;
now RAIN STORM TOOK GEORGIA OUT
or THE UNION.
Mr.. Stephens had wanted Convention
Of the people TO be held about the 10Th Of
December. lie knew that Georgia would
not soccdo, aud ho was also sure that South
Carolina, which had not yet seeded, would
not, hot though she was, 90 out alone.
But he could not effect this purpose. The
election for delegates was ordered for the
LIST Of January, which was after South
Carolina had taken tho leap. "Well," he
went on to say, con tho ist Of January
there was rain storm moro violent than
tho oldest inhabitant remembered
since tho flood In tho Yazoo had there
been such storm. Tho result was that
the country people could not get out to
vote, aud this gave propondoratlng Ia. |
fuonce In the election Of delegates To the
towns and villages, where, you know po
litca cpidemios are always stronger than
elsewhere. We lost nj least twenty Union
members by this. Even Rome, up in the
Cherokee country, where the Union senti.
ment was vastly In the ascendant, sent
secession delegate. | went over myself TO
the Court House yonder TO vote, and the
room was filled with dripping people, with
wet saddles in their hands, who had come
through the food and miro with immense
difficulty. made them little speech |
there. aud | said then that | feared tho
rain would loso Us the election. And so |
indeed Il did"
JEFF. DAVIS NOT sEoEssIoNIsT.
Much to his surprise, Mr.. Stephens was
selected as one of the delegates from the
State Of Georgia to Montgomery. He
hesitaicd two days, and finally consented
to go only from dictate of duty to aid In
saving what could be saved of constitu.
tional liberty In tho pending general dis.
ruption which seemed to bo determined
on by one side, aud not seriously objected |
TO on the other. Ho took an active part
in tho formation of. tho Constitution for
tho Provisional Government. Tho day |
before tho adjournment Of the Convention |
tho different delegations had meetings Mt
their rooms TO consult in regard TO the
important question Of choice Of Exocu.
tive. Stephens was present with tho
Georgia delegation. II was there stated
that South Carolina did not wish TO bring
forward any namo, aud thought Georgia
should have il. Mr.. Stephens personal
choice was Toombs, whom ho regarded as
tho most powerful intellect Of the South. /
There was, however, some mention made
Of Stephens himself for tho office; but he
then stated that ho 'wishod 10 DO counted
out-that oven should ho DO chosen upan.
imously, ho would not accept, unless he
saw that he could form a cabinet that
would agreo upon the line Of policy on
which no thought tho war should DO con.
ductcd.' Hitherto tho name Of Davis l
had hardly been mootod; but at this point
somo member came IN and said no under.
stood that four Suites had agreed TO pre-.
sent Mr.. Davis. Thiswas something new,
for Davis aspiration had been to be at tho
head of the army, rather than In the
Presidential chair. II was proposed 70
send out aud ascertain If tho report were
true. The case was found to be as stated.
The delegation thon said they would wish
Mr.. Stephens for the second Office, and TO
this ho (beog absent from tho hal) was
unanimously elected. "'rho Office" he
observed, 'was not unpeasing TO me; II
was frac from responsibility, and | thought
migL. afford mo the means of doing good.
In speaking of Davis hc remarked that
there was great popular misapprehensions
in regard to his character "Ile was"
said he, "not ut all what people suppose
not at oil iireeater; aud though he was
of course u State Il ghts man. he could
hardly be called socossionst."
"Then he does not deserve to bo count.
od with tho conspirators-with the Cobbs
and Yanceys and Wigialls2'
"Certainly not. lie was opposed to so.
cession, but did not havo the courage to
come out against il, His course was sim
ply the result Of timidity, of the desire to
keep tho inside track aud step into the
shoes Of Calhoun"
Then among other pouts Mr.. Stephens
mentioned that Davis was very averse 10
having Fort Sumter fired on, and only
v;oidcl after IA VIVA known that n fleet