Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-07
STEPHENS.
Interview with Alex. II. Stephens
His Opinion of Pollard, Grant, and
the state of the Country. 81


the state of the Country. M
A correspondent of the Macon Iele-
graph, who visited Alex. H. Stephens at
his home in Charlottesville, Ga, writes
on the Dist ult, as follows
When entered he was engaged in
looking over the papers which had ar
rived by mail few minutes before, but
kindly entered into very pleasing con-
versatiOn with me without delay. venS
tured to call his attention 10 a paper
which contained the article Of Mr.. Pol
lard on the flight of Mr.. Davis from Rich
mond, AID particularly that portion res
lating to himself, with an urgent request
that he might allow me to publish his re-
marks in reference to it. He stated that
he had seen the article, and would grant
my request only on one condition, that |
would give his remarks in his own words.
then took down in short hand as he
spoke, the following
@ have great Tepugnance to having
my name brought before the public in
such connection, even in correction Of
the many misrepresentation, which /
almost daily see in the papers yet, | as
sure you that what Mr.. Pollard, in this
article, says, is without the least fOunda~
ton whatever, and his information, from
whatsoever source derived, is entirely in
correct. ! was here, at my own house
in Crawfordville, at the time referred to.
Mr.. Davis did not pass nearer to CTaw-
fordville than Rsytown, some eight OF
nine miles distant, and | did not know
that he was passing through that part o.
the State, until some time afterwards.
"Griswoldville," spoken Of in the article
of Mr.. Pollard, is at least sixty or seventy
miles from my residence.
However widely Mr.. Davis and l
may have differed upon public questions
and public policy, either before or during
the days Of the ConiederaCy, our personal
and social relations were never interrupt
ed. Our terms Of intercourse were al
ways friendly. No act Of incivility on
the part of either of US was ever exhibited
towardsthe other, so far as am aware Of.
In this connection | would add that it is
not correct, as | here see it in the papers
to-day stated, that have accepted the
ProfessOTshIp of History and Political
Science lately created and rendered to
me in the University Of Georgia. The
state of my health and existing profess
sional, as we'll as other engagements,
constrain me to decline it, at least for the
present"
| asked Mr.. Stephens what he thought
would be the course OF General Grant as
President, and while be says but little
upon public matters his reply was as fol,
| lows: Cali the country wants is good gov
ernment. For Gen. Grant personally
entertain the highest esteem. From the
time ] first met him at City Point, in
| 1865, | have regarded and still regard
him as one of the most remarkable men
| have ever met He possesses one of
the rarest combination of elements of
character of perhaps any man living. |
do not believe he will be easily infiu-
enced, much less controlled, by any pers
son. lie Will act from the dictates of his
own judgment, and what he believes to
be the line of his duty. regard him as
a man of great generosity and magma
nimitY, neither selfish nor ambitious;
and believe that he meant all that the
words import when he said "Let us have
peace Gen. Grant, however, no more
than any other man, can have all things
as he might desire. The future of this
country, therefore, is still involved in
great uncertainty. All the patriot at the
South can do is to bear in patience the
present-eXercise a generous confidence,
and look hopefully for times develop
ment."
He said, with good government there
is much Of life in the old land we love
yet" He here referred to a paper res
Gently furnished from the Agricultural
Bureau at Washington which gives the
products and the great staples Of the
country. Indian corn and cotton, during
the year 1865, and proceeded:
From this it appears that in all o.
the States east of the Pacific slope, the
entire product of cotton was nine hundred
millions bushels. OF this, more than one
half, toewit: five hundred and nine mil
lions in round numbers, was produced in
the thirteen Southern States; while the
cotton crop, estimated at two million
three hundred thousand bales, grown
entirely in these States, at an average
market price would amount to upwards
Of two hundred and fifty millions dollars
which will be more than one half TIL
foreign exports from the entire country
These figures in themselves exhibit VIVA
, | vital energies We possess, if properl,
directed under good government"