The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-06-15

,.,,-,,, CorresHoaicucc Ncw York Triouae.l
CE,wroRrsvulE GA, June 4.
-, .no outskirts Of the village, across
.,,,. r,;),yay track. Is Liberty Hall the resi-
fcncr oi Alex. IL. stephens. late lce,fre-
"' Amy ~ th,, Southern Cuntcdcracy}. SO
,,,,,,,J no; with ANY reference 10 the man.
,"''n ~ The hnSpitahle old fellow III Gold
.,,',I'. comedy. butte indicate the interest
- ,,S owner IN the cause ot hnman hbertv;
f,r even hcvc in the South. III the old Gays
~ slavery. men talked with enthusiasm
,5,,,,, nrcrty, meaning, ot course, the
,,,'r.y -; me white race. Liberty Hall is
o., ,,fg,u white farmhouse. with large
.l.a,,n, lawn in front. shaded by locust
,-.,, and numerous neGro-houScS and
I,r ,,,;. buildings ut the side and in the
rrI~ MI freshly painted. 4 Sprlghtly mu-
f.,,n oirI TOOK in my card. and returned at
.,,.., - the porch 10 escort me through q
,.rr,w hall, past little, plainly-furuiShed
,.,I,r through large room walled around
'.'',, finor lryriljnc with books, and into
,..cl a The back OF the house. Here |
...,.i 4 littl, Withcrcd. wrinkled old man.
MA Wonderfully bright brown eyes. white
lair. auI frame so cmaclaied that 1t SEEM
.lI,, w literally skin and bones. He wore
e., Nauc>vrn Sult Of hutternut color, and
r.. q a
.lrr. u.r>on was MIR. stephens. He half
rn,r a. entered. and extended hand
:, aunt and ficshlcSs that it did not seem
= J., the hand Of living man, and i'm
,..,j,s.,,y aiterward he sank back into
III. r.l>y chair. At his right hand stood a
ra,nG table. piled upwith confused heap
al .(luuk>. letters, newspapers, manuscripts,
AMI writing materials. A pair of crutches
teamed against the wall on the other side of
h. chair, and he rested his feet on the
rounds Of another chair. in which lay an
ucl,. Int. hriudled dog. that the flies would
r-,- .,llow 70 sleep. There were two beds
in the room, a bureau covered with bottles
NJ. every size and shape, containing medi.
,.ur> ANA lisuors. and CRATE i'll which q
..rl ire Was burning, although it was
warm June day. a single picture, repre-
>.rt.nc Faith standing by the cross. hung
s,.,y,. the mantcl, which rivaled the
bureau in lis array Of bottles. There
were piles Of books upon the floor,
and articles Of clothing were scattered
sEout the room. MIR. Stephens said he
WAS always glad to see visitors and TO talk
upon puh'c affairs, but that he invariably
l,i,.,ict that correspondents who called
upon him should rot publish what be said,
n.,lt>r he had 10 wish 10 be brought be-
ro-c The puddle. This prohibition after
NH..i ~ thI!ltti WI bIlil ~ LlOullS ~ XII us
- consent that ! might mention whatever
h.. should ,ay that had heretofore been made
iuolr. and he told his nephew, young
man. who came in while we weIe talking,
IL 1--WE me :! copy Of an Augusta paper,
MI,ru he said contained IN authoritative
statement If hi> views IL fir us he wished
ta,ui 10 be known.
Nj. STEPHENS Denounced the Republican
l.uU"r> III the strongest terms rs guilty OF
"iJr most Outrageous pcIfdy" in prose-
cl,jm- The war lor tile avowed purpose Of
restoring the southern States TO their old
places III the Union, and then, when they
lad tGjumphcd. refusing TO let them take
those l41cr>, denying them the rights of
>eI-"cr9mcut aud representation in Com
~ -. PUTTING them under bayonet rule,
anil alt".""gG rrc"n>IructiUg them by up
footing rl The foundations ul' their society,
d>Iunti!,In- q all men Of Intelligence and
property tT"M holding oi!i-e or voting, aud
placing their governments in the hands Of
inr ignorant and vicious. lie spoke OF the
Republicans rs JIrohln> without conscience
or consistency, Wh">c purpose WAS to eS-
iIiii>h 4 centralized. dcspotic government,
ana ~ destroy the liberties Of the people.
All Ut the reconstruction legislation of Con-
-r">> he believed to be unconstitutional,
fraudulent, aud void. The thirteenth
amendment he admitted 70 be valid. because
Il had been ratified BY the rigattul govern
M"ut> u the southern StatcS-the govern
mems &e Jur@, and not the Governments de
r1",O. alI"rWaTd established by bayonets.
b" fourteenth aud fifteenth amendments,
he ylilHcd. were no part OF the ConStitu-
ton. because their pretended ratification
had been effected by force and fraud. They
were not results OF the war. is the Radical
leaders falsely claimed, but were conceived
ailrr ! lie war WAS over, Is i part OF the
>cArme OF Capitalization which those Lead
cr> had cUncocted TO keep themselves in
po""r. He did hot hold the 10Th amend
mvHt ~ lo invalid because he opposed
nr-Ho suffrage, but because OF the usllrpa-
Toms ana outragcS upon the Constitution
;'y Inch IL was wrongtuliy adopted. He
u!d not believe the ballot would ever be
taken from Tie negro If the 10Th amend
Hicnt were declared void, and the control of
The >uilrace placed where it rightfully be-
i"t%rd-undCr the exclusive jurisdiction of
The State. III such case, ii 1t should bc
Proposed 10 deprive the negroes Of the
franchise, the white men would divide into
Nv" parties upon the question, and the one
thHt opposed the measure, with the
aId OF the votes OF the negroes, would
carry The day. But the fact that
universal! suffrage was SO firmly estab-
ll-hed did not, lie -aid, lessen the duty of
ai! lovers Of constitutional liberty to oppose
the fifteenth amendment. This usurpatlon
Hh"HId never be permitted to IiasS without
proper Icbukc and condemnation, even hy
those who favor the object aimed at by 1t.
he de jure governments of the southern
States. hr said, are still in condition Of
repression. and he declared that the history
oi 10 country shows grOsser or more pal
PIblc usurpatioBs Of power, or more glar
ing acts OF wrong, violence, fraud, and
leliidy Oh the part Of those in Authority
than were committed by the Republican
party III the passage Of the so-callcd amcnd-
nsuts and the reconstruction laws.
Alr. Stephens talked for more than an
hour in this manner, Iehearslng all the old
Arguments with which Democratic orators
ana newspapers have made people TOO
lanlllar for the past few years. In answer
lo al inquiry as 10 what he thought OF the
new departure OF the northern Democracy,
hc read me a copy OF a long letter recently
ocut 10 friend III Pennsylvania, who had
a>hcd his opinion OF the platform lately
adopted 10y the Convention IN that State.
| hc letter expressed very positive opluons,
ard thc.c nc enlarged upon IN conVcrsa-
lton, but he especially desired me TO make |
u" mention OF has views upon this subject, |
as he wished that they should not be made |
public, and had cautioned his pennsylvania
iicnd not 10 let This letter get into print.
lie expressed the belief that the movement |
toward ccntruIlzing power in the General
Government, which he said Was going on |
with conStanI!y-accelcrated rapldity, would |
end III destroying all the power and mde-
l'ehdcncc of The States, and next the lbcr- |
Ties Of the people. This, he said, was the |
deliberate purpose of the Republican lead
~, and lie looked for its speedy accom-
i'!t-hEicnt. One prelcXt alter another would
''c found TO invade the liberties oi the pco-
lie. i,I Rpf,rivl ftInrI Al fhn rJUIt ot self |