The New York herald., 1868-09-29
ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS.
Interview Of a Radical with Mr.. Stephens
New Reason Given for the Collapse of
the Rebellion.

A New Reason Given for the Collapse Of
the Rebellion.
Washington sept. 2s correspondence OF the Raleigh
N. C.) Standard-radical.l
A few evenings since sent my card to Alexander
H. stepheE' not with much expectation that he
would accede 10 the request OF republican news.
paper correspondent for an interview. was disap-
pointed, however for In few minutes was ushered
into his room. Time does not deal very gently with
the ex-yIce President OF the Southern confederacy
who so earnestly deprecated secession and the re-
course TO force to break up the Union. lie appeared
feeble, almost decrepit. His voice is shrill and
cracked. His face is p!owed into thousand
looking His uneasy eye belied the quietude
or the rest OF his features and told OF a
spirit still restless ana active. After replying to a
few inquiries relative to his health which he said
was all that he could expect at his period OF iie. he
own state more particularly, by the remark that he
did rot much to be surprised at in the condition
Of affairs in that section: He could speak with GER
ious for peace; they had had enough Of war and
boodshed; they were weary with the clash OF con.
for repose. II am" said he, but mere observer,
80 far as politics are concerned. have retired for
the other is but an individual opinion, entitled to
no particular weight represent no party no fac
The old gentleman pleasantly gossipped on in this
strain for several minutes occasionally pausng TO
have no doant said % he, that time viii hes
all our difficulties and troubles, and that under con-
This word constitutional" hit ON. perhaps, acci.
dentally started him new train OF thought. Ills
eye frightened up, the tobacco wreaths cured up
faster aud faster, and he broke out rather impas.
The real s-ideas-whch anima' cd and intu.
encc the leaders OF the Southern people at the out
break and previous TO It OF the late war are not In
my opinion, clearly understood IL Is my be.
lief that four-nfths OF the men who led the move
ment did not seriously contemplate the disruption OF
the confederation OF the States. Their theory, my
theory at least, was that II could succeed In OBJ
tanning from the North a recognition Of the State
sovereignty principle We should all come together
again equal terms ana form u Union. After
the fall OF Richmond OF the North, OF the
South and the world generally, indeed, were aston.
shed al the collapse of the rebellion 1t is mistake
10 suppose that the South was physically beaten
then and that she was utterly incapable OF making
any further effort or OF proonging the contest almost
Indefinitely. Before the the people OF the South
saw the gradual Capitalization OF power 10 the whole
country. We saw that the Union, composed OF
equal and independent sovereign States, was drift-
Ing into something that hardly. differed from
selves Grmiy assihs, that tendency 81 the day.
We resolved 10 battle against II when we saw that II
before. we never Se majority Of the leaders, never
contemplated absolute Independence. Well, war
You more and more bloodshed and misery, and desc.
iation and ruin. BY and by the more thOughtful OK
our people saw that we were ar arriving pr precisely
we tCok up arms, and that the experience Of Europe
land OF the Old World was 70 be learned by US. A
tire South. We battled for an idea against despot-
ism, and battling on IN fanced security we awoSe
one morning and found that we had the most ter.
ribe despotism In the word ourselves. From that
moment, while Lee was still commanding armies
ortener victorious than defeated, the confedcracy
II was much the same with us as 1t was with you
In washington-power had become centralized and
the rsins were held 10y one or two men. When we
on oLr side this, people lost heart, asked
"what are we lighting for" and we gave up tie
Ing; the sword laid down by O sort OF tact con-
sent that We had departed from our first ideas ofthe
war. We had abandoned the course we had map
ped out, and there was no return 10 IL.
Mr. stephens said nothing more on this subject
i was hardly my province TO argue against his
followers and associates to seek for arguments to be
used against him.
, In reply TO a remark OF mine relative TO the Ku
Klux organization in the South he said:-
"Wcll, If there are any armed secret societies In
the Southern states am not aware OF their exis
tence personally. If there Is In this world anything
do hate and abhor, II Is secret political bodies.
do not think there are any In Georgia. In fact DO
what sec IN the public prints. You know my re.
,,,... - .... & ..c w I.cw Nothing party. have not
changed in any respect since theu, 50 far as such
people concerned. j am under the impression
that Il all pure imagination, except probably In
portions Of Tennessee. II may be that excitab!e
young men In different sections OF the country
formed Themselves into oah-5ound clubs In the hope
mat they would become component parts OF this
adiIS ha kiux Klan. which was said to have existed
PolneWherc. An effort was made In the Ashburn
tlal w prove some such fact but In my opinion II
uttsry & laled In my own s:G.c c"e-y man does lu.t
~ ne Peases say what he thinks and no one inter-
Ieres Witl MN. look on all these stories az manu-
iactureu puhrcy ior political purposes"
Mr.. stephens appeared very anxious indeed to
throw dlscredlt on the tales OF outrages and riot
coming up TO US almost daily from the South
and sought to impress on me the utter falsity of
them.
questioned him somewhat on the SULPHUR
Springs mission and General Rosecraus proceedings
there. He had the utmost confidence he said in
Rosecrans and believed him TO be actuaied by very
pure and patriotic motives. lie agreed with Rose.
Grams Iully In the professcd objects Of his mis-.
sion and thought that the men who signed that
celebrated manifesto were sincere IN their pro.
fessiOns.
had intended 10 ask Mr.. stephens some ques lions
other points, but several friends called on him AMI
was obliged to leave.
, make no comments on his statements and opn
ions but leave you 10 infer his sentiments on the
situation generally from his own words, which
have retained az far az possible