New-York tribune., 1881-12-27
AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL

MoxdERs-rHREE VIEWS OF Tue 'O4iNN'
TRIAL. loo
Alexander II. Stephens, whose first service
~ Couoress antedates that OF any Other llicih-
her of $ither House, conversed with iKlb-
USE correspondent yesterday on the sur
rirc events leading to the War OF the
Rebellion. and on his views concern
inc the present issues before the
country. Some of the scandals when
have grown out of the Treasury investigation
are shown TO rest on weak foundations As
result of the Guteau trial the assassin eXpec1s
to be acquitted; Marshal Henry thinks ne VIII
be convicted, and Judge Cox hopes 10 pe
vindicated
AN HOUR WITH ALEXANDER II. SIEIll
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBU;'El
W,suIYCTov Dee 2G.-Ye-tcfday the venerable
GEORGIA statesman. Alexander II. Stephens, spent
his twepty.tfth Christmas IN Washington, enter
t4ilinc such friends called npon him with lhtef-
esting "reminiscences of the past. Mr.. stephens mas
occupied for his Washington residence since ms re-
turn to Congress III 1873 the suite OF rooms IN the
National Hotel in which his beloved political chleI'
Henry Clay, spent his later years and IN when the
"Great CnInmoner" died. OF the great political
leaders in either branches of Congress when Mr.
Stephens frs, became member of the House of
Representatives in 1913 hardly one survives, Dur
ing those thirty-eight years John Quincy Adams
CLAY. Benton Webster. Calhoun, Cass
Seward and their peers have passed
away; Sumner Thaddeus Stevens, Wade, Wilson
GddiDgs, Chase and host OF others are dead whlIe
an occasional unsightly political hulk like Jefferson
Davis, remains as a warning TO the political mariner
Among the .men who first entered the House OF
Representatives in 1s43 when Mr.. Stephens did,
were three men-Stephen A. Douglas Howell Cobb
and Andrew Johnson who aspired to the Presiden-
cv and one Of whom accidentally realized hrs
ambition All Of them are dead. Mr.. stephens Is tEe
only member Of the XLVIIth Congress who was also
amem5er of the XXVlllth, and there are only el"yen
Representatives and Senators altogether whose
service in Congress began as early as the
XXXVth Congress. the last one in which Mr.
stephens served before the Rebellion. They are
Representative Singleton who was member OF the
XXXIIId and XXXYth Congresses; Senators Sher-
man and Morrill, who served in the XXXINth and
XXXVth. and Senators Dawes, Lamar, Vance and
Grover, and Representatives Atkins, = ). Cox ana
Reagan. all of whom were members OF the House I'D
the XXXyth Congress Jefferson Davis and Robert
Toombs both became members Of the House two
years later than did Mr.. Stephens Judge Kelley,
the present father of the House." did not become
member of it until four years after Nh Stephens,
who had served sixteen years when he voluntarily
retired from Congress in order, he expressed IT,
mot 10 be in at the death >; and Senator Anthony,
the father of the Senate" did not enter that body
until the opening of the XXXNIth Congress
For aman who has nearly passed his seventeen
wear who has been for many years physical SUI
ferer and who has been actor i'll so many stirring
events and a deeply interested spectator OF such
tremendous and startling political and social
changes Mr. Stephens possesses remarkable mental
strength and yigor, and his powers OF memory are
almost marvellous TRIBUNE correspondent
speut an hour with him to-day listening 10 his
"reminiscences of the past and his remarks upon the
political present and future Much of Mr. Stephenss
conversation respecting public men and events was
of personal nature, and need not be repeated;
but some points of the conversation Will be OF pub
hc interest
Speaking of the reasons which pTomDted him 10
decline a denomination in Congress in 1863, Mr..
Stephens said " When found that President Bu-
chanau was listening TO Cobb and other Demo
cratic leaders who were determined TO expel Doug
las from the Democratic party, became alarmed
and determined to retire from Congress II that poll
cy was pursued; for foresaw thatft would lead to
split IN the party and probably to all attempt TO
disrupt the Union. My colleagues knew how felt
about it, and a number of them, Howell Cobb, then
Secre airy of the Treasury, IverSon, Senator from
INV State. Breckenridge. VcePresidcnt of the Uni
ted States and Others called on 10 talk the mat
Ter over Breckenridge and some others sustained
nv view while Cobb and others were relentless
in their opposition, one of the most lniiuentIal
among them declaring with emphasis that;
"Stephen A. Douglas shall never come back into
the Democratic party except over my dead body,
politically speaking" The result Of this conference
was so unsatisfactory that went TO see President
Buchanan and had long, frank talk with him.
found him welded TO his determination to support
those LEAD rs Of the Democratic pa ty who we eb'nt
on puttiug i'm the National Democratic platform
plank in favor of protecting slavery in the Terrific
ries warned him that an attempt to do so would
certainly lead To q split in the Democratic party
and probably to attempted secession. | left him.
after three hours Of unavaIliug argument and en-
treaty and never him again. That was early
in February, and that night sent dispatchl home
Announcing that would not be candidate for
election TO Congress.
Early in the following month l left Washing
tom As the steamboat drew away from the wharf
turned TO take in the scene, and as | was gazing
at the dome Of the Capitol fast receding IN the dis
tance a Jolly North Carolina member the passen-
gers were all Southern men-Congressnien SEN
ators etc. slapped me on the shoulder and sad lac
supposed was thinking the time when would
return to Washington as a Senator ol the United
States. No replied, / never expect to look
upon that dome again, unless do so rs prisoner
nj war; and that remark was literally verified in
1867" continued Mr.. stephens, when passed
through Washington on my way home from Fort
Warren as a paroled prisoner"
When Mr.Stephens whose political disabilities had
mot vet been removed returned 10 Washington in
1866 to clan a seat in the United States Senate to
which he had lie elected, but TO which Le was not
admitted be found his Did colleague. Andrew
Johnson President of the United States. ! went
and saw him." remarked Mr.. Stephens Il" aud talked
with him regarding his policy of rec0hstruction.