Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-03-05
AT LAST.
ALExArDEk 4. srErHENs DEAD.

4 Lie OF Three Score Years ana More
Quietly Brought % . Closo.
Governor Alexander 81. Stephens, of
Georgia, died in Atlantis, about $50 yes
;erdsy morning. He had been slowly
sinking for some time and late Saturday
night he went into deep stupor from
which he never awOke, breathing his last
quietly. His last illness was caused by
Mr.. Stephens imprudently exposing him
self in journey to Savannah on Monday
last, the clammy fog prevailing at the
Time penetrating his frail system and
shilling him through. He was immedi-
ately forced to take to his bed and grew
weaker day by day until at last he himself
became convinced that he was going to
die.
Under the continued use of morphine he
became very quiet, and was unconscious
most of the time. His system, frail as it
was, had gone through SO many shocks,
however, that the physicians had hopes Of
his getting through this one safely, and it
was only late on Saturday afternoon that
they began to despair. His mind then
began to wander and he was unable to re-
cognize his nearest friends. They then
summoned his relatives, Col. John Stew
ems and Col. Grier and their wives, who,
together with several of the state officials,
remained at the dying mans bedside un-
til he passed away.
A meeting of citizens was held in At
lanta yesterday, and addresses were deliv-
cred by Senator Colquitt, Judge Martin
j. Crawford, Judge Logan, E. Bleckley
and other prominent citizens. A citizens
committee was appointed to cooperate
kb.n = Ernu no I.on 1ofn
and the state house officers in the con-
duct of the funeral. The remains will lie
in state at tho capitol until the burial,
which will occur on Wednesday or Thurs.
day. The body WILDE buried in the fam
lily plot at Charlottesville.
Alexander Hamilton Stephens was born
on February II, 1912, in that part of Tai
iaferro county, Georgia, which was then
known as wilkes county. He graduated
from Franklin college when 20 years of
age. For the following eighteen months
he taught school, devoting all the time he
could spare from his duties to the study of
the law. He pursued his legal studies SO
industriously that it 1884 he was admitted
to the bar at Charlottesville. He at once
entered upon the practice Of his profession
and was soon known as one of the cleverest
young lawyers in Georgia He took deep in
terest in politics, and in 1886 was elected to
tie Legislature of his native state as a
representative from Taliaferro county. In
1843 he was elected state senator from the
same district. He was identified with the
Whig party, and in 1843 was sent to Con-
gress. In February, 1847, he submitted a
series of resolutions as to the Mexican
war, which afterward formed a plank in
the platform of the Whig party. The
breaking up of the Whig party in 1855
resulted in his adherence to the Democra-
tic party. He represented his district in
Congress until 1859. At the close of the
Thirty fifth Congress he declined to be a
candidate, and on July Q, 1859, made a
speech at Augusta in which he announced
his intention to retire from public life. He
opposed secession, but when his native
state went out OF the Union he continued
to serve her. He was elected member
of the Confederate Congress which
met at Montgomery, Ala, and was made
vice president of the newly organized gov
ernment. In February, 1865, Mr..
Stephens was one of the three representa-
tives of the Confederacy who met Presi-
dent Lincoln on a steamer in Hampton
Roads, when the situation developed by
the war was discussed earnestly, though
to no purpose. When General Lee surren-
dered Stephens retired to his home,
There, on May II, 1885, he was arrested.
He was brought North and confined in
Fort Warren, in Boston harbor, where he
was kept for several months. He was
placed in a damp dungeon, where he con-
tracted rheumatism, which disabled him
from walking for the last twelve years
of his life. On October II he was
released on parole. Stephens favored
President Johuson's policy of recon-
ciliation. In 1866 he was elected to the
Senate of the United States, but was pre-
vented from taking his seat because Geor
gia was considered not to have complied
with the conditions of reconstruction. He
was elected to Congress in 1872, and he
retained his seat in that body until last
year, when he annouced his intention of
retiring from public life. He was induced,
however, to become a candidate for gov.
ernor of Georgia, and was elected by a
large majority. In 1870 he published " A
Constitutional View of the War Between
the States.'' Physically Mr.. Stephens
was vary frail, being short in stature and
light in weight. He was gentle and
sympathetic and was noted for his gener-
Gus hospitality, as we'll as for his force of
character and remarkable eloquence. He
was never married. When asked
years ago why, he answered decid-
edly: "Pride. I have always been
too proud, knowing that I should
always be an invalid, to ask any woman to
marry me to be my nurse" His little body
shrined great heart. Upon this subject a
single item from Georgia paper may be
quoted.
''Mr. Stephens is we'll known as friend
of the young, and his name is associated
with the education of many a boy strug-
gliug for start in the world. But the
extent of his good work in this direction
is perhaps known to few. There are now
no less then fourteen young men and
women dependent on his big heart for their
education. For some of these he pays
merely the tuition and for others all ex-
penses. To each goes check every month
signed by the generous hand in tho rolling
chair. Since he reentered Congress he has
kept at school about this number of pupils
besides bestowing with too liberal hand
his means on various other Objects"
THE T. r.. X. NEW BRANOh.
A Portion OF 1t Connected Yesterday.
For a year past the Pennsylvania rail-
road company have been constructing a
new branch north of this city for the pur.
pose of running the long freight trains
around the city. The branch runs from