Smyrna times., 1867-07-31
NJ l S c L LII ANEOUS.
visit to the Home of Alexander u
Stephens.

VIEWS AND OPINIONS OF THE REBET, vtcp
PRESIDENT
Inc following are extracts from lettor c,;r
i,ig an account or recent visit to the homo ~
Alexander H. Stephens at Crn'rf ra'U i.oIllG OF
Georgia - Oi""IoIuFliIc,
had sent my letter of Introduction "a ,,ro
cede me, as it was in the gray dawn wLo,r W., ,ro
reach Grawtordville, and after while wnILcJ
70 tle mousse, which was pointed out to me bI,
negro as that of " Massa Aleck y Il !, ~,
a a, stone throw from the depot, and stands IN
the midst OF piece Of ground of thrpc or FAM
acres. The grounds are surrounded Lv = III
lng' ana embellished by some magnificent naIs
UI CI great growth and age, and, half hidden IN
u tIl1s grove Is PLAIN and modest wooden bopse
Tue nome OF Nlr. Stephens On my approach
.1 Gaiile out TO meet me with gentle winning
sn!le' and warm welcome to Liberty IToIi 3
winch Is the familiar name Of his home, Uar.
~ sent 1or my luggage, he established me
on'.. '0t, with the pressing eutreaty to STAY
week, month, as long as possible An ",'or
neatteu hospitality Is one of the pron,inant
traits OF his character. '-'''''"'
TEK9oNNEL OF ALEXANDER II. STEPHENS
had never seen Stephens before. nor from
ms portraits should have known Eim TNa" Ir01l
SIne 70 yourself figure Slight aud fra 4,
"-a': sIA lce[ hlSh, but with the student
.DP n..,l III !Ile shoulders, and pale, wan. caro-
"orh' "rlhkled face. on which no sion ofheorI
aPpears-that would he what first <,risas ~
eye. But this would fail to give the ;lnnrnD1
SION OF the ensemble Of the man. Thora E !,
us own personnel a certain uneartLliBeaa tLat
moves one partly with awe and epartlv ,,;tL
Ply, awe at what seems almost a djseDiLo1ieI
eplrlt, and pity when you see that it is human
Ily after all, and suffering humanity. too !,
ns nAtI " I[ecquent seen Stephens face described
as the lace OF boy, but boy has nota taca
v, with the burrows Of grief 10 me. Il
- HiIie HAe she lace o. WOman-0f mother
" VINO mas borne many sCferings, who has mot
theSe suftcrlngs with gentle resignation orI
~ ~ lloSe resignation heaven has rewarded b,. I
tnaC inward peace which illunes the couutn. |
ii''lce Win an evane>ceut light from bovonJ 4,
ere f ~ CoilD. In his physique he has lust ep1nr5
Hl the materials to make him subject to t6n /
"a" Of graVltatlon. There is g pair of scales on
the oalcony L took the fancy to stand in j.
Lnu "elgh myself. Stephens, with a IittI,
l~rs'l' sI,I stePPeu on after me-h0w much do Won
suppose ne weighed? Nmcty-j1uc ,,lj,%,
avolrdupois "|0'" P'"''"S
Perhaps there are some other traits that T
might mention. Lis head, without heinz IN,
posjhg' Is very hne in its contour as tbongb
IIno9eiiea by the hand of the sculptor. and tie
oraln o laid deItly where it best belongs. His
lalr Is OF a silky fneness, brown origi5l, on, onJ
TOW growing gray: Finally he has a n3ir ot
ialsc,IouS eyes, dark and liquid, and full ri
n.ehSlty ,do ana power lie is ffty-fye wears Of
STEPHEN POSITION ON sEcEssrov
l may generalze the conclusion of a Iorr
Tlde,spreading talk regarding the conS,,ot ntNe g.
ne South IN this way: The South was c';,t,, ~
Two great mistakes The first was ,ecessIn ~';'y
'SeIf' and the second the object for With .I G
ar was made, to wit, 'pdpDen,Lencc All ''tO AZ
lese third, namely, the errors in tho ~ ~ t
no military management of the war yybon w - Il
Ias once begun. "neu II G
g Dut wnlle Stephens held clearly to the r;obt
secession, ne was convinced that at tho t;1no J.
was made 1t was prodigious folly; and t6nso ii
w vle"s ne regards as justifying as we'll biS rI
lpport OF secession, when the deed waS o,a" Il
1ne, as his opposition to it at the beg;rn;oo ii
brought this matter up in referring t9 b;s q g
Gus M Union speech before the I,episIotnro - IA
Illedgeville, in November, 1860. for bo baJ IL
ven me copy of his speeches. and 7 - n
anclng again over that one, which olv,o'.S "uS If
the South y i0niSiii h
" People are greatly mistaken, - said he e';n II
gard to that speech. When / went North &C
friends said Oh, you had only held to Sas
sentiment OF that speech but we supuoSr Di
u are oversaughed', &c. But there was no al al
''N"Ny OOI"CCu tIdl anu my action
ley forgot that while | opposed secession ~
policy, fully believed in the right. and ex- al
essed my determination ofsharing the fortunes al
my State. | thought the Government ofthe 20
hted States was, as L then said, the best ~
Vernment the world ever saw There was an an
oppression, only anticipated evils, and / Ia Ia
3augnt IL better to bear the ills we had than S''
ny 70 others that we knew not Of But the {.
1pe 4 were infatuated, and / was bound to 90 J..
4 4 them, five all went to destruction Yeu ar ar
sni n as wen have tried to stop the swine pos i" %
sed Dy tne devil from rushing into the sea III, nT
~ HeeR I tne peopledrom rushing into seces- paa'
did i,ldt hnen alter &c little pause, he added be %
he Convention that formed the Gonst;tuto uion ore
81. Though | should then have hsI,u'tod Vantod In