Morning journal and courier., 1883-03-05
Monday, March 5, 1888.


 ALEXANDER H. sT1ePHENs.
 The death of Alexander Fl. Stephens ends Q notable career, and removes . man who has been prominent figure in the public affairs of the country. His life has been long over Il ysars-active, and in some respects heroic
 He was the son of planter and was born on his fathers plantation in Georgia When he was fourteen years old his father died, but good friends came to his aid and lent him meney to enable him to procure an education. He graduated at the head of his class from the University of Georgia in 1882, and by teaching soon earned enough money to pay those who had helped him. Though he had intended to study theology he took to the law and was admitted to the bar in 1884. He was very successful, and though he was in delicate health and weighed only 96 pounds he was active and ambitions. In 1886 he was elected to the State Assembly, to which he was five times reelected. In the Legislature he was 8 strenuous opponent of notification. He declined reelection 1n lS41, but was returned to the State Senate in 1S42, and became one of the most prominent Whigs in that body. In 1843 he was elected to Congress, where he remained till 1859. Among the members either in the Senate or the House of the first Congress to which he was elected were John Quincy Adams, Robert c. Winthrop, Stephen A. Douglas, Henry A. Wise, John Slidell, Andrew Johnson, John F. Hale, George P. Marsh, Hannibal Hamlin Hamilton Fish and Robert 0. Schenck. For the first five years of his term he had the reputation of being strong UnioElist and an extreme Whig. He opposed the annexation of Texas and the Mexican war. It is worthy of note, however, that he favored the acqui- sition of Texas in the Georgia Legislature as early as 1888. He voted for Henry Clay, de- spite the opposition of the latter to the an nexation of Texas. He declined to join in the violent opposition to the Wilmot Proviso in 1s4S, but changed his course the next year, and, with Toombs and few other southern Wings, prevented the reelection of Robert 0. Winthrop to the Speakership. During the exciting events of the next few years, though a firm advocate of State sovereignty he was by no means disunionist In 1860 he warmly advocated the election of Douglas. When Lincoln was elected and 8 majority of the Georgia Legislature favored secession Mir. Stephens was outspoken against it. But when Georgia seeded he went with her, and three months after he had made 8 powerful speech at Milledgeville against secession he was Vice President of the CoAfederaey. His relations with Jefferson Davis and other secessionist leaders were not very harmoni- ous, for he did not think their general policy wise When the war was ever he was a prisoner for five months at Fort Warren, and in 1866 was elected United States Senator from Georgia, but was not allowed to take his seat. He accepted the issue of the val and did what he could to further reconstruc tion In 1872 he was electsd to Congress, where he remained till 1882, retiring on his own desire He was elscted Governor oi Georgia in the fall of 1882.
 His appearance in Congress has been thus described: The most remarkable man, ir some respects, in the House of Represents tives is Alexander H. Stephens Almos every visitor at the capital wants to sec the Georgia member, and his seat is the target for more eyes from the galleries than that oi any other member. He is mere human wreck-a living skeleton, and of the most dirninutive dimensions at that. The weight of this poor wreck is said to be eighty five pounds, including all his wrappings He if in his seat every day. sometimes for a short time only, and on other days during the en- tire session He sits in his seat for hours with his cloak over his shoulders, his little velvet smoking cap on his head, and his gloves on his hands. But if his body is weak, prostrated and emaciated, his mind il apparently as bright as ever. His deeply sunken eyes glisten with an almost unearth ly brilliancy under the protruding brows a he watches the movements of others abou him. His voice is shrill and piping, like tha of half grown school boy, but his menta faculties are unimpaired. When MT. Steph ems speaks he stands supported by hi crutches, or rather he hangs upon these sup ports and leans against the desk at his back
 Mir. Stephens possessed many fine qualities He was amiable, courageous, eloquent ant 1 upright His popularity in Georgia wa very great, and the mourning for him ther' will be general and sincere.