The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-02-27
Alexander H. ssephens Views .. N.t,...,
MON The rbIl.a.;,1I. rna,,,.,.-. y, ~, =

Ps,isleA -
From the Pin ads.pha Inquirer. reb 40,
c.,;d stephens Is now experimenting the publ.
a'on OF me- nrst and only book, 1.-The War Be-
m %sSo 'n r. ssts e. He win leave the city
Eastern States, and return again next week He
sntereo the house while we were inquirnQ for
n'm, ana invited rs to his room on the second
ne4i, where be is composing the closing portions
with rapid step. and SO actively that We recos.
hized nothing Of the bodily feebleness that hss
been imputed to him. Mr.. Stephens has been
S Ji,en described. and Photographic portraits Of
ntue idea Of the pale. soft skin Of the face, the
nneness OF his hair, the extreme delicacy Of his
Lands and the exquisite harmony Of his features
slmnss a. and voice: refined organization fine
nlmo-t 70 eneminacy, 10 manifest at once to any
one who may meet him; his hair has whitened
equally, without becoming thinned and his fore.
a aeso sspsesses hsbtgal physical pain His eyes
consumptive's. but keen and flashing At times. his
nose n OF like spirit. but clean In profile and
.ostril' and his smooth face. .soping quickly to
oencate chin, contains mouth like girls small
ano straight. Jefferson Davis, in some Of his ner-
vous and intense movements reminds one Of Mr.
stephens, but the former IL of coarser and more
earthy mould. Mr.. Stephens has at times A petu
;nn1 LOOK, as OF sudden pain. suppressed almost
vshd complexion and stature give him the appear
eDce OF religious enthusiast, except when At
earnest moments his countenance Strengthens and
DIS DIS voice grows shril and effective. like John
We asked MIN how the State Of Georo,. vas
thriving "Everything there is wretched, y he
replied. we are ruined or next to ruined. The
reaching 10 every county OF the State. Thew co..
cree and threaten any black man who does not
JON them. They are, In fact, unit politically.
moved into the state, their only object bsng ~
Sur Up strife. These have excited the negroes
with political hopes which they would not nave
entertained otherwise, and demoralized the en-.
We spoke Of the tour Of Senator wilson ana
Others in the South. ia. - = 49, - -
:" II is not Of Mr.. Wilson or men of that grade
that l spoke" said Mr.. Stephens. I" These in
cenciarles are ostensibly laHyers- We never see
them they live almost entirely among the blacks
We don't know where they come from thew are
everywhere, and always for mischief.n
linen Georgia ia Is worse OF, in your belief than
|" Infinitely. The war closed upon submis-
slve, ands SO lar a. good citizenship was con-
cer1sd' quiet and obedient people. The terms
promised to give us no anxiety. It seemed. com.
paratyely, an easy problem to set society al work
again.. Till these misckievous enlissaries came.
peace was achieving its good results. At pres.
We asked, IN case the negroes got the ascend
ancy IN Georgia, what the white population
abandon the State. y said Mr.. Stephens al
would leave it with the precipitation 81 Lot, and
never look back. We are so organized there the
proportions Of the races are such that negro citi
zenship would leave the whites in a minority.
To this we could never submit. Our only policy
would be emigration. give this country aud re-
Publican institutions four years more of trial. be
said. This madness for Capitalization this con-
eolidated detpotism, II aciheved will be the
downfall Of freedom: II Is the last chance for
man at intelligent self government. Against these
principles. now IN the critical moment Of their
triumph, the whole wisdom Of the founders of our
country was directed. Madness reigns; we are
government that win devour usr = =
Our next inquiry as to the probable admission
Of Alabama under the defeated Consultation. on
this Mr. Stephens said that the negro Constitution
Nevertheless Mr.. Bingham had reported that the
tn ion. $500
We expressed doubt that II was Mr.. Bingham
Bingham, like all the rest. had snbsided into the
madness OF bis party. Az to the righteousness of |
such reconstruction, be sad, sentendously, |
right why, how have they done everything In |
Congressyn -as -
Being DESTROYS or knowing whether Northern
men were still settling In Georgis, Mr.. Stephens
replied TO our question in the negative" They |
Gene in there at first rapidly; q good class or |
Northern men, too. Nobody IS settling in the |
State at present. Why should they? / would |
not lend Georgia dime IL the negro issue is tri-
umphant here might Is well throw it in the /
sea. Stagnation, bankruptcy and ruin are iney-
table as we are drifting at present.n
We ventured to suggest bluntly to Mr.. Stephens
that he should express his choice of candidate
for the next presidency. +" Well - he said, 81 am
not an active man now; am paroled prisoner.
However, Il don't mind saying that think Mr..
Johnson's reelection wonld be good thng for
the country. he Is the best halfway man that |
can see. 1have disagreed with him many times,
but he is national man. who tries to do for the
best, and who seems to see the clearest. think |
bis position is patriotic one. and he Is steadfast
In II. If the Democratic party could harmonic |
and nominate him II would encourage the South
ern people to believe that all might yet be
well" - 1890 .-sl.-'. l.-.rl5
We asked Mr.. Stephens If his celebrated
" Slavery the Corner Stone " speech had been |
reported He answered that he sup |
posed il had but that in quotation ID had, been
perverted to make him say that slavery was the
Of the new C0nfederacy. He had |
meant that society was organized there upon the |
recognition Of this institufion and that with the
whole policy Of the South this institution was ia
Lerwoven. .s e, - |
Mr.. Stephens, when Intercepted as to the pro-
per basis for reconsruction said that II should lie
n a resumption of the principle that 1.-THE States
had never lett the Union, but that az resurrection
bad been crushed, and the States, never having
left the government, merely resumed their old
condition.
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