The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-12-31
Alexander ET. stephens % tho Rssaaas-
e.al S5srsnti81s. Isl

cal SASrsntfsszksEsess5
mfr. Alexander Fl. stephens. late Y ien- tresi'
denf. of tie Southern Coufedercy, ntatte
speccll lii Atlanta, Ga, fes9 days ago. vhlc.l
u Of Interest because OF Dir. Stephens.s posi-
tioa as an anttLihetal Democrat. Alter ae'
tending himself against the charge OF Delp2
an finpracticabie and a reSolusionist by u.s.
serting that he has never believed. n. sio-
lence, but has always advocated Obedience 10
the laws, he said:
notwithstanding the result OF the late
election, notwithstanding the result OF Inc
Alabama middle, and notwithstanding INC
present Louisiana troubles, the signs OF ING
times bear less ominous aspect to my mIilti
than they have for the last fifteen years. The
Alabama difficulty did, indeed, for awhile
| present the most alarming aspect. 10 was
| the first time since the Rhode Island troubles,
jill 1S41-'42, that civil war proper in any one
| Of the Stutes of this Union was certain. Two
antagonistic parties claimed rHch for Itself the
! righsful absolute power. The Alabama case
was more alarming than that of Rhode
| Island. In this case the Fedora! Government
h mo rightful power 10 interfere, and inmy
judgment did not interfere except so far us 10
| offer, by way Of suggestion, basis on winch
4 compromise might he effected. This
| WAS happily accepted by bott parties. Tbs
very alarming trouble bus been peacefully
adjusted. In this act the Government tell
derett its advice only rs friendly mediator,
just as Virginia rendered her similar kind acI
in the notification imbroglo in 1888, which
resulted most happily in the preservation OF
the peace of the country. The other more
portentous cloud that hangs over the south
western horizon in the Louisiana trouble Is
still dark and threatening. This
morning, for the first time, have seen what
| am inclined to consider reliable account
of the exact and true posture OF affairs III
Louisiana. This is the report by the Asso'
ciated Press Of an interview which took
place yesterday between Judge Campbell, a!
the lead of Louisiana delegation, and
President Grant upon the subject.
From this it seems that General Grant has
not assumed any illegal or unconstitutlonal
executive power in the internal affairs
CT Louisiana. He asserts he has all'
thorized the employment of the mill
tary forces there in the enforcement OF
judicial process. This has greatly relieved
my mind. TIE trouble in Louisiana seems
10 have grown out Of powers claimed under
tho ciyil-rights law, or some other one OF tic
reconstruction measures, so called. Ihese
measures, / need not assure you, hold ana
ever shall hold to be utterly unconstitutional.
But ia accordance with the views have
given you, 50 long as they are held to be
laws they should be obeyed as they are eX-
pouuded by those clothed with judicEll
powers over them. No violent resistance
should be made to them. They should be
assailed only through the peaceful instru-
mentalities of the Constitution. No earthly
power could ever make me say that they are
either right, just, or constitutional. Loud
applauSe.] My mode of assalinS them,
however, is not by violence or torcibla re,
siStance, but by appeals, first, to The courts
lust where the appeal, it seems, in this case
has been made. My mode OF assailing is in
the forum of reason and justice, and ii Gen
eral Grant shall never do anything worse
than to sec to it that the malldates and de,
crees Of the federal Judiciary axe properly
executed III ans part OF the country shall
have no quarrel with him.
"lf tue Judge IN New Orleans has made
all erroneous decision, it Is subject to re-
yersaI by the Supreme Court Of the United
States. In the mean time my advice to the
people of Louisiana would be TO patiently
bear the ills incident to that decision, just rs
we in Georgia have borne ills OF Il much
more grieyolss nature, Until their redclhp-
ton, rs ours has been, shall he effected by
the peaceful workings Of the established ill.,
strtllnentaities Of the Constitution. First,
let the issue be met in the courts below and
above, If the decision should bo against
them in both then let tlenl appeal to the
ballot-box, not only In Louisiana, but
throughout all the States. There
is general awakening in the public mind
throughout tho entire country as to the ma.
ture aud character CT .ho Government, its
origin, objects, history, and powers. Now
that the peculiar southern institutions
haze been removed, which were the
thorn in the desh OF tho Federal body
polite all the time, and gave sectional
character 10 all discussions Of questions
pertaining to the reserved rights OF the States
under the ConStittltiOn--noW that the doc
tliue OF secession, as u practicable remedy
against Federal aggression of any sort, has
been abandoned in good faith forever, there
is nothing to prevent the friends q the Con
>titu,ion under tie Union, irom Maine to
California, from the lakes 10 the Gulf, from
harmoniously uniting in a grand rally for the
rescue and pcrpetuation Of the common liber.
ties of all. Fossil though may
lie considered of the pest=e-iitSie IS may be
though, 70 hnoT OF What is going on in the
great ce1tres-f have not as yet lost conf
lence in the intelligence, virtue, and patriot
ism of tho telling millions-the honest
nlasses-of the people in all parts Of this vast
country. There are hearts ready in Georgia
and Louisiana, as i'll California, New Hamp'
the Union under the Federal Constitution al
G,tI