The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1883-03-08

fol$sff " beCfkls ~ aN1fbS ns hhhel
tiiiy niles with bis clothes 90 stick over
his shoulder 10 enter The university
n He paid hss way by teaching. aud ia
1894 lcgan tho study 81 law He read
~i,hout any Instruction and ~as admitted
70 the bar the same year He settled 81
Charlottesville Ills frat plea 10 eonr'
broush, him tao dollars in silver. lie
soon STAINED distinction o; the bar. Hi.
physical weakness only Increased bis ara.
hisioa 10 1855. when hi. health was
mach improved. hc weighed e6 pounds.
THE tame year hc VAS elected 10 the state
assembly. 10 witch he was five times re.
elected. lathe legislature be was sirels-
uous opponent OF notification. He de-
clined a re election 10 lsil. but was re-
turned TO the state senate in lsi2 aud be.
came one OF the most prominent Wings in
that body. Ia 1853 he was elected TO
Congress. where he remained until 1859.
For the first five years OF his term he
had tbs reputation Of being strong Union.
lat aud an extreme Wing. He opposed
the annexation Of Texas and the Mexican
war II Is worthy Of note, however, that
be bad favored the acquisition OF Texas in
the Georgia Legislature az early as 1888
He voted for Henry Clay despite the OPP.
| position Of the latter to the annexation Of
Texas, He declined to JOIN the violent
opposition TO the Wilmot proviso 10 ls4s
but changed ms course the next year. and
with Toomes and few other Southern
Wbigs prevented the reelection Of Rob.
eri c. Winthrop to tho speakership. He
also took part in the flibustering proceed.
ings to delay business in Congress in ls4S.
Though firm advocate Of state soyer.
eignty. Mr.. Stephens was by no means a
disunionist. He was prominent in resist
ance to General Taylor. but he was appar.
rently satisfied with the compromise OF
1850 and the attitude Of Mr. Fillmore, and
believed that the Union ought not to be
dissolved. In 1854 he did more than any
other man to put the Kansss-N Nebraska bill
through the house. In his speech upon
the Topeka constitution he made a thor
ough gong defence of slavery. TWAS in
this speech that he made the celebrated
query. WAS Christ a dough. face? Did be
quail before the slave power?' In 1860
he warmly advocated the election OF Doug
La. When Lincoln was elected aud major.
ity OF the Georgia legislature favored SO.
cession Mr.. Stephens made at Millidge-
vile, Nov IA, a speech that is likely to
remain famous in American history. The
following extracts will show the nature OF
the speech, aud Mr.. Stephens opinions at
the time:
The first question that resents itself is,
shall the people Of the South secede from
the Union IN consequence Of the election
Of Mr.. Lincoln to the Presidency Of the
United States? My countrymen, tell
you frankly, candidly, earnestly that do
not think they ought In my judgement
the election OF no man constitutionally |
chosen to that high Office is sufficient
cause for any state to separate from the
Union. 1t ought to stand by and aid still
in maintaining the constitution Of the
country.
Whatever fate is TO befall this country,
let it never be laid to the charge of the
people of the South, aud especially to the
people Of Georgia, that we were untrue to
national engagements. Let the fault aud
the wrong rest upon others. II all our
hopes are to be blasted, If the republic is
to go down, let us be found to tie last
moment standing on the deck with the
Constitution OF the United States waving
over our heads.
In the same speech Mr. Stevens pro-
posed a convention Of the people. Should
q majority determine to secede he would
bend to their will. His speech created a
great impression in the North. Mr.. Lin
coin wrote to him asking fora copy. Some
correspondence followed. In one letter
Mr. Stephens wrote as follows:
Cancellation and harmony in my Judge
ment can never be established by force.
: Under our system, as view it,
there is no rightful power Of the general
government 10 coerce state in case any
one Of them should throw herself upon her
reserved rights and assume the full exer-
else OF her foreign powers.
He was delegate to the state convcn-
tion at Millidgeyille, Jan. l6, 1860 and
voted with the minority against secession.
Soon after he was elected, against his
own wish, member Of the provisional
government at Montgomery. He induced
the convention opass a resolution provid-
ing for the ultimate establishment OF per-
msnent government upon the principles
and basis OF the Constitution OF the United
States He took an active part in the prep.
aration Of Constitution for the provision
al government. The new constitution was
agreed TO on Feb. Sth, and the next day
Jefferson Davis and Mr.. Stephens were
elected President and vice
President Of the Confederacy.
He never had any hearty sympathy with
The policy OF the Confederate administra.
lion, and in January OF 1865 he offered q
series OF resolutions to the Confederate
House OF Representatives BY these reso-
lutions three persons were appointed 10
obtain a conference with the authorities
It Washington, and attempt TO arrange
Tor negotiations for peace. Meanwhile
Mr.. T. r Blair Sr. had several interviews
wiih Mr.. Davis, which resulted in the So
called Hampton Roads conference Of Feb
}. in which Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Seward
represented the United States, and Mr..