The Aberdeen examiner. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1866-current, 1883-03-08
Alexander Hamilton stephens

W oue SupltOi Ill AliUutb,
There never was, perhaps, before
so great mind in so feeble a body,
and the marvel is not that Alexander
Stephens is dead, but that he did not
die thirty years ago. His intellectual
power WAS so out of proportion to
his physical, that the body frequent-
ly gave way and seemed unequal to
the enormous meutal strain to which
it was constantly subjected,
With a giant brain he had the body
of pigmy, and one could almost
fancy that by some curious freak OF
nature great soul had become i'm.
prisoned in frame much too small
for il. His physical infrmity, how>
ever, while it interfered with his
mental work and frequently marred
his designs, could not prevent the
genius of the man from asserting
itself, and, wenk as he was, suffering
as he did constantly, he, by almost
superhuman exertion, over came his
infrmities in time of great political
excitement and peril, and rose to the
height of the occasion. He was
man of extraordinary frmnes, and
TO or ginalty of thought and great
power of reasoning he added self,
confidence and persistency which
usually carried him to success.
The history of Mr.. Stephens is the
history of the country since he en-
tered the field of politics, forty years
ago. Alexander Stephens was ma
tive of Tpliaferro county, Ca, where
he was born February IL, 1872, and
was consequently just II years old
at the time of his death. He cradu-
ated at Franklin College, Athens,
Ga, and entered at once upon the
practice of law, at which he was very
successful. In 1886, he was elected
to the Legislature. Since then he
has been constantly before the peo-
pie of Georgia and of the whole
Union, a central figure in politics
Aleck Stephens was elected to the
lower House of the Georgia Legsla-
tnra five successive terms, and then
promoted to the Senate. In 1843,
while still in the State Senate, he was
elected to Congress MS u Wing, and
again in 1874, 46, AS, 80. '52, "a
'56 and '5S. In February, 1847, the
series of resolutions he presented in
Congress were accepted rs the plat
form of the Wing party. He oppos
ed tho Clayton con promise in 1848,
and opposed the Kansas and Ne
braska, act of 1854 When the Wing
party broke up, he became Demo
crat. At the close of the Thirty fifth
Congress Mr.. Stephens declined
denomination and actually made
speech in Augusta in which he ans
nounced that he had retired forever
from public life. During the presi>
Dental campaign of 1860 he support
ee Douglas, making strong speeches
against secession, and corresponding
with Mr.. Lincon on that subject. He
was nevertheless elected to the Geor
gia Secession Convention, in which
body he spoke and voted against the
secession ordinance. He was u mem
Der of the Southern Congress which
met in Montgomery, Alabama, and
was then elected Vice President of
the Confederate States. In April he
was sent as special commissioner to
Yirginiato urge that State to secede. ]
As a member Of the Confederate
government, Aleck Stephens free
quently differed with President
Davis. He pronounced the appoint
ment of civil governor Of Alabama
ii usurpation, and opposed the Rcb-
mond government on other occasions,
dealing in some very emphatic Ian
guage regarding it. On February 3,
1866, with r. NJ. T Hunter and John
A, Campbell, he held an informal
conference on n steamer in Hampton
Roads with President Lincoln and
Secretary Seward, looking to peace,
but this interview had no practical
result. After Lees surrender Ste.
phens retired to his homo in Craw.
fordville, where he was arrested and
sent to Fort Warren, in Boston har-
Dor, and there and at Fortress Mon
roe kept imprisoned for some months.
Upon his release he supported the
policy of President Johnston, and
was elect cd United States Senator,
but the Senate declined to admit him
to his seat. in 1872 he was elected
to Congress, again in 1874, and has
served continuously ever since, occu-
pying high position and command
ing the respect of both Democrats
and Republicans.
When, short time ago, it was
announced that he intended to be-
come q candidate for Governor of |
Georgia,no one could be found strong
enough to oppose him in the Demo-
cratic convention and he was unan.
imously nominated and afterward |
elected by one Of the largest maiori-
lies ever kno IN in this country.
Gov. Stephens was confined to his
bed q short time ago from one of his |
periodical attacks of neuralgia, which |
he contracted while a prisoner in
Fortress Monroe. A cold aggrava,
ted the evil and settled on his bowels,
and for two weeks ha has been una
bic to retain his food. His death |
yesterday has been expected for ONE
time.
Thus has passed away one of the
most vigorous and prominent of |
Southern politicians and statesman
a man of ideas, courage and deter
mination. There is no man living
who was stronger before the people |
than he. He was never beaten for
Office in his life, and no one was
strong enough to dare oppose him
in a political canvass. AS an orator,
he stood high; as writer, even highs
er, and his two great works, "a Con-
stitutional View of the Late War
Between the States, and "a History
of the United States" rank high, both
as histories and constitutional argu>
ments concerning the powers of the
State and Federal governments.
Keller Makes Trouble for Him
self.