The Dawson journal., 1883-03-15

many illustrious men of his coun.
try, is neither a hypochondriac nol
a misanthrope. Being unable te
walk, because of injury sustained
by falling gate ten years ago, he
talks great deal, and ia wheeled
about in his chair so nicely and
looks SO comfortable as even to
disarm a stranger of the sympathy
which otherwise he would feel.
Mr.. Stephens does not attend
congress every day. He is car
lied by his servant from the hotel
to his carriage and driven to the
Capitol. There he is helped into
his wheel-chair, kept in the build
ing, and showed along the corri-
dors into the hall of the House.
Few are the members who pass
the invalid without stopping to
say pleasant word. Members of
both parties alike Fay respect to
the man whose sparkling eyes and
thin visage so wonderfully, end
tell of the hard struggle which
mind and body have been carry
ing on for SO many years in the
person of Alexander H. Stephens.
Mr.. Stephens was born at
Crawfordville, Feb. II, 1912, and
graduated at the University of
Georgia, Athens, in 1884. The
same year he was admitted to the
bar, and two years later he was
elected to represent Taliaferro
county in the Legislature. In
l84l he was elected to the state
senate by the Wings. And in
1843 he was elected to congress
to ill a vacancy, and he continued
member of that body until 1859.
After declining a reelection to
congress in 1859 he was run as
Presidential Elector for the State
at large on the Douglas and John
son ticket in 1860. In 1861, be-
ing elected to the secession con-
vention Of Georgia, he voted
against the ordinance, but gave it
his support after it had passed.
He was elected to the coiaiederate
congress which met at Montgome-
ry, Ala, Feb. 4, 1860, and chosen
Vice-President of the confederate
states in November, 1861. He
was one of the commissioners on
the part of the confederacy at the
Hampton Roads conference in
Feb, 1866. Since the war his re-
cord jn public life is detailed by
him in the above interview.
It is a mistaken idea that Mr..
Stephens is rich because he lives
well and entertains handsomely.
He always did live well, and from
the time that he first went into
public life he has kept open
house. His comfortable but old
fashioned house in Charlottesville
is, and always has been a rendez-
vous for politicians, lawyers, farm
ers and strangers who chance to
visit that village. It is known as
Liberty Hail." for it is like unto
an inn whose host dispense
bounteous hospitality in all the
simplicity imaginable.
Mr.. Stephens virtually turned
his plantation over to his former
slaves, who, though quite fond of
their old master, were not over
jealous to pay him the small rem
tails. He made money, but much
OF it he either spent on others or
lost in unlucky investments. He
was quite charitable, and was
never known to refuse aid to the
poor who came within his reach.
He has educated a great many
poor boys, sending them not only to
a grammar school, but to college.
He derived royalty of $4,000
from the sale Of his History of
the War Between the States. His
percentage of the profits was quite
small, though it may be, as some
Of his friends asserts, that the
sale of this book has exceeded that
Of Mr.. Jefferson Davis's work.
After deyoting some of this mon
ey to charitable purposes, he lost
the remainder the greater
part-in the Sun, a daily journal
which he started in 1879 at Atlanta,
its avowed mission being 70 oppose
Horace Greely. Since then Mr..
Ctonbare h., wade cov,,, ,,o,,,,,-