Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-03-21
ALEXANDER III. STEPHENS.
Adding to Confederate HistOry-Defense
of the Southern Leaders-What ..Might
Have Been.''

Correspondents Eele York Hsrala.
Falleyrand it was, I believe, who said
words were invented 10 conceal the mean
ing of what is said. In your recent obitu-
airy sketch CT Georgia's late lamented and
llIustrlous Governor you said: "Mr. Davis
always appeared to look upon his. asso-
ciate Mr.. stephens with suspicion ~
suspicion is generally born of the
Illicit intercourse of weak minds with
strong prejudices, when inspired by either
malice or jealousy. Enlightened con-
sciences and generous natures deal only
in convictions, and it cor1d amount
to nothing less than cruelty to impute
TO Mr.. DAVIS 4 littleness of which no
other living man was ever guilty or eapa-
Die. and OF which he could not be without
f0rteiting universal private respect and
public confidence. He was Incapable of
the pitiful meanness of harboring, much
less expressing, directly or indirectly.
suspicion against the conduct or char
acber OF so 1liuStriOus parsonage as sIhis
associate" was universally regarded TO
be. OF this the evidence is conclusive in
the simple fact that he selected Mr.. Ste
phens as lac as February, 1865, to rep
resent thesE esEonfederate Government at the
l1fefnofT6fe Hampton Roads conference.
on which occasion it was but to be eX
pected that each government would select.
not only her most accomplished diplO-
mats. but her most incOrruptible patriots.
to guard her interests in the conduct of
the anticipated negotiation. This Mr.. Da-
Wis did, not only on his own motion, but
against the protests of Mr.. Stephens, who
then and there declared his conviction that
Mr.. Davis himself should on that occasion
represent the Confederate Government,
Undeniably true is, admit, that they did
entertain antipOdal views upon questions
of State policy of vital importance. Mr..
Davis was friendly while Mr.. Stephens
was opposed TO both martial law and con-
scription. Then, again, responsive to the
serenade Mr.. Stephens received on the
evening of the day he was elected Vice
PRESIDENT by the provisional Congress-"
he made speech in which he struck the
Keynote to the Confederacy's success, in
the simple suggestion Of the purchase OF
every lock of cotton in the South, and
the immediate investment of the proceeds
of its resale in Europe in enough of lron-
clad war steamers to keep Southern ports
open, Had Mr.. Davis indorsed this
suggestion earnestly it would have been
promptly adopted, He practically rejected
1t, What was the result? First, the
blockade-erg0, the depreciation of Con-
federate currency, the imitation of the
value of the necessaries of life, suffering at
home, decentralization in Confederate
camps, open deserti0n from the ranks,
until General Lee had but 5000 muskets
IN line TO surrender at AppOmattoX, while
his muster rolls exhibited the fact that
there We're absent without leave 10000
men who had gone home to club from their
doors the prowling wolf. This we know
is what did happen. Now. suppose we
look at what might have happened had
Mr.. stephens advice been adopted. There
could have been no blockade, and the white
wings Of foreign merchantmen hunting
for cotton would have lowered in Southern
bays. Foreign commercial intercourse is
always regarded as a necessity when it
promises TO be profitable, and inter-
course must have been followed by re-
cognitiOn, and above all, the Confederacy
would have been administered upon
a specie basis; Confederate bonds would
have commanded a premium abroad, and
Hour could have been bought at home for
So, when it did sell for $500 per bar
rel in the same currency soldiers received
for quenching the thirst of the earth with
their blood, only $11 per month. Conf
dence would have then reigned in the Con-
federate ranks, because comfort would
have reigned in their homes. No children
then would have cried for bread, nor would
the wounded in hospitals or the captives
IN prisons have mOaned for medicines
The Northern man cannot compre-
hend, he says, how Mr.. Stephens could
consistently first oppose and then ac-
cept secession. This, however, should
excite no surprise, as in doing so he i'm
molated policy on the altar OF principle.
whereas Radicals always sacrifice princi-
pies upon the altar Of policy. But he was
controlled by one consideration in accept
ing secession which, even had he not be-
lleVed in the right of secession, was wise
enou gh in its policy to justify his conduct.
The North had said to the South through
orators, pulpits and presses, 500 in
peace" and Mr.. Greeley had not onlv adj
vOcated their right to do so, but intimated
that if the North could believe that a ma
jority OF the Southern people wanted to
go they would be permitted to do so. Mr..
stephens never for one moment entertain
ed suspicion that they did not mean
what they said. Then to prevent blOodshed
to avert war and insure permanent
friendly relations based upon treaties for
mutual protection between "the rival re-
publics he did surrender his theories
to espOuse his principles of right.
and challenge both biography and histO-
ry t0.predqce another igstance in' Which
as noble d man eyer did another as noble
Il deed for as noble purpose, But he has
gone to his final account, He was one of
the few great men whose mental majesty
and moral grandeur increased the more
the nearer you approached him. All the
virtues that ennobled and none Of the
vices that degrade humanity, were his.
How could any man, not determined to be
unjust, harbOr against him ''suspiciOn 2"
Respectfully,