Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-02-25
NniOu aud gispateh.
TUESDAY. rERRUARY IS. 1855.
largest Circulation in City aud State
ALEX. II. STEPHENS.
4 Conversation with Mr.. SteveRs-His
Views On SRtiOasI Affairs and His
Choice for President.

a Conversation with Mr.. Steyens-His
Views On NRGfOasI Affairs and His
Choice for President.
A reporter Of the philadelphia hqgirer
has had an interview with Hon. Alex. II.
Stephens, who is now 10 Philadelphia su-
perintendihg the publication of his book,
and in the Iaguirer Of the Goth inst. the
result Of that interview is given az fol-
lows:
We asked him how the State of Georgia
was thriving, "Eyery thing there is
wretched, he replied. eve are ruined or
next to ruined. The negroes are compactly
organized, their leagues reaching TO every
county Of the State. They coerce and
threaten any black man who does not join
them. They are, in fact, unit politically.
Incendiaries, the ofl-scourings of the earth,
have moved into the Slate, their only OBJ
iect being 70 strip STRIFE These have ex
cited the negroes with political hopes
which they would not have entertained
otherwise, and demoralized the entire pop
ulatiOn"
We spoke of the tour of Senator Wilson
and others in the South.
at was not of Mr. Wilson or men Of
that grade that spoke" said Mr.. Ste
phens. These incendiaries are ostensibly
lawyers. We never see them; they live
almost entirely among the blacks We
don't know where they come from; they
are everywhere, and always for mischief"
Then Georgia is worse of, in your he
Lief, than at the close of the war ?'
Infinitely. The war closed upon
submissive, and, as far as good citizenship
was concerned, a quiet and obedient peo-
pie. The terms OF the peace were aeceded
70. The negroes promised 10 give Is no
anxiety. 1t seemed, comparatively, an
easy problem to get society to work again.
Till these mischieYous emisssries came
peace was achieving its good results. AT
present we live in fear and without hope"
We asked, in case the negroes got the
aseendancy in Georgia, what the white
population would do?'
Abandon the State, said Mr.. Stephens
I" | would leave it with the precipitation of
Lot, and never look back. We are so or
gained there, the proportions of the races
are such, that negro citizenship would
leave the whites in a minority To this we
could never submit. Our only policy
would be emigration. l give this country
aad Republican institutions four wears
more of trial" he said. "This madness
for Capitalization, this consolidated despot-
ism, if achieved, will be the downfall of
freedom. 1t is the last chance for man at
intelligent self-goyernment. 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 about TO destroy
freedom 10 build ap a party aud govern
ment that will deyour u.s."
Being DESTROYS of knowing whether
Northern men were still settling in Georgia,
Mr.. Stephens replied to our question in
the negative: "1hey came in here at first
rapidly good class Of Northern men, too.
Nobody is settling in the State at present.
Why should they | would not lend Geor-
gia a dime if the negro issue is triumpban!
there. | might as well throw it in the sea-
Stagnation. bankruptcy and ruin are ineyi-
table az we are drifting at present"
We yentured 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,
l don't mind saying that | think Mr.. } Ohm
sons reelection would be a good thing for
thecountry. Heisthe best halfway man that
| can zee. have disagreed with him many
times, but he is a national man who tries to
do for the best, and who seems TO see the
clearest. think his position is patriotic
one, and he is steadlast in it. If the Dem
ocrstic party could harmonic and nomi-
nate him it would encourage the Southern
people 10 believe that all might yet be
we'll"
Mr.. Stephens, when Intercepted as to
the proper basis for reconstruction, said that
it should lie in resumption of the prin-
eiple that the States had never left the
Union, but that an insurrection had been
crushed, and the States neyer having left
the government, merely resumed their old
condition.