Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-02-29

A Conversation win Alexanoer n btephens
His Views on National Affairs and His
Choice for President
I A reporter of the Philadelphia Inquirer
has had an interview with Hon. Alex. II
Stephens, who is now in Philadelphia sn-
perintending the publication Of his book,
and in the Inquirer Of the 10th inst. the
result Of that interview is given as fol
lows; m
We asked him how the State Of Georgia
was thriving. "Every thing there is
wretched," he replied. I'VE 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. Incendiarjes,
the offscourings of the earth, have
moved into the State, their only object
being to stir up strife. These have ex-
cited the negroes with political hopes
which they would not have entertained
otherwise, and demoralized the entire
population"
We spoke of the tour Of Senator Will
son and others in the South.
1t was not of Mr.. Wilson or men Of
that grade that ] spoke, said Mr.. Ste
phens. "These incendiaries are osten-
sibly 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 mis-
chief"
"Then Georgia is worse of, in your
belief than at the close of the war2
Infinitely. The war closed upon a
submissive, and, as far as good citizen
ship was concerned, quiet and obedient
people. The terms OF the peace were
acceded to- The negroes promised to
give us no anxiety. IL seemed, compara-
lively, an easy problem to get society to
work pgain. Till these mischievous
emissaries came peace was achieving its
good results. Atpresent we live in fear
and without hope.
We asked, in case the negroes got the
ascendancy in Georgia, what the white
population would do2
Abandon the State" said Mr..
Stephens " would leave it with the
precipitation Of Lot, and never look
back. We are SO organized there, the
proportions of the races are such, that
negro citizenship would leave the whites
in minority. To this we could never
submit. Our only policy would be emf
grafton. l give this country and Repub-
lican institutions four years more Of
trial." he said. This madness for CEN
tralization, this consolidated despotism,
if achieved, will be the downfall of free.
dom. II is the last chance for man at
intelligent self government. Against
these principles, now in the critical mo-
ment of their triumph, the whole wisdom
of the founders of our country was
directed. Madness reigns; we are about
to destroy freedom to build up party
and government that will devour u.s.
Being desrous of knowing whether
Northern men were still settling in Geor-
gia, Mr.. Stephens replied to our question
in the negative: "They came in here at
first rapidly--a good class of Northern
men, too. Nobody is settling in the
State at present. Why should they2 !
would not lend Georgia dime if the
negro issue is triumphant there. / might
as we'll throw it in the sea. Stagnatior,
bankruptcy and ruin are inevitable as
we are drifting at present"
We ventured to suggest bluntly to Mr..
Stephens that he should express his
choice of candidate for the next Presi-
dency. "Well," he said, "I am not an
active man now; / am paroled
prisoner. However, l don't mind say
ing that think Mr.. Johnson's reelection
would be good thing for the country.
He is the best halfway man that | can
see. / have disagreed with him many
times, but he is national man who tries
to do for the best, and who seems TO see
the clearest I think his position is a
patriotic one, and he is steadfast in it.
IF the Democratic party could harmon
ize and nominate him, itwould encourage
the Southern people TO believe that all
might yet be we'll"
Mr.. Stephens, when interrogated as to
the proper basis of reconstruction, said
that it should lie in resumption of the
principle that the States had never left
the Union, but that an insurrection had
been crushed, and the States never
having left the government, merely re-
sumed their old condition,