New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-03-12
Alexander H. Stephens, Vote.

Alexander II. stephens, by his honest vote
IN favor of restoring peace and order in
, Louisiana. has aroused the most malignant
and venOmous expressions of indignation
upon the part of the ultra fre-eaters of the
South, who are anxious to precipitate the
country into another civil war. One of this
class, the New Orleans Bulletin, the organ
OF the White League banditti of that State
which, during the January troubles, ranked
with reasonable utterances and advocated
assassination, says: "His last ground and
lofty tumbling act and double somersault
on the Louisiana election report should
settle hls status hereafter as the Benedict
Arnold ofthe South. as man who, physic-
ally and morally rotten, like Br0wnlow,
has finally succeeded in sinking deeper
Into the Radical cesspool than even
that fostering specimen of malignant
scalawaggery." Divesting this remark
able sample of Southern invective of
Its swagger and bombast, there is still lett q
residuum of hate and malevolence, which ia
fair instance Of the feelings of the. average
Southern fre-eater toward any man who
dares to speak of compromise or dares to
vote in favor of peace, harmony, ana good
government in the South. One cause of
this abuse of Mr.. Stephens is that he was
one OF the old conservative Wings of the
South, and belonged to that party upon
whom Mr.. Thurlow Weed, in his recent let
ter, placed SO much reliance as the future
hope for the safety and prosperity of that
section. He is at heart the enemy of estate
sovereignty" and the friend Of national
enemy of Southern freeaters. His ac.
tion since the war has not been any
more satisfactory to this class than it was
during and before the war. Although the
Vice President Of the Southern Copfed-
eracy, he had not been with the fire eaters
upon the slavery question in the Terrific
Iies; and when these same ire-eaters and
State sovereignty advocates had forced
the South into secession. against the efforts
Of the Conservative Wings, Of whom Mr..
Stephens had been one, and dragged them
into it also, he determined that the South
should make an honest issue, that tho
war should be fought upon its real merits,
and that the actual character of the
struggle should not be concealed by any
plausible nonsense Of State rights or Of fed.
eral oppression. In the canvass of 1860 he
denounced those who advocated dissolu-
ton of the Union in case of Mr.. Lincoln's
election, and, in an address before the
Georgia State Convention, he vigorously
opposed the secession of that State. In that
famous ''corner stone" address he fastened
the responsibility Of the war upon the
Southern Democrats by showing that it was
war for slavery; that slavery was and
would be the corner stone of the Southern
Cpntederacy. and that. under the cover of
the doctrine of State rights, tho South would
perpetuate and extend slavery. 1t was
this speech which exposed the real meaning
of the Southern secession movement, which
prevented the South from going into
the war Of the rebellion under false
pretenses, and which was Used against
the Northern copperhsads and rebellion
sympathizers With great effect. The South
ern tre-eaters have not forgotten this, nor
have they forgiven it; and now that the Oc-
casion has presented itself when once more
MIR. Stephens records himself upon the
side of peace, order, good government and
national sovereignty, they are once more
ehptying their walls of wrath upon him. 1t
will not affect him, however, old, feeble and
intirm in health as he may be. He has been
true to the record of his life, and has recorded
his vote In behalf of peace and reconciliation
in Louisiana. and shown that he is anxious I
that the prOfitless, exhausting, and misera-
BILE struggle should come to an end. The
majority of the people of Louisiana and of
the United States will applaud his manli-
ness and sterling courage which enabled
him to stand true to his convictions of right |
in the face Of Southern tire.eaters and
Northern Bourbon dough-faces. In the |
ordinary course of nature, he has but |
short time to remain an active participat0r |
IN human events, but that solitary vote for !
peace will outlive him and stand to his |
credit in history, after all the miserable |
PARTISAN passions which it caused have |
u6sided.-Chicago Tribune.