Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-03-10
Life of Alexander H. stephens.

Alexander dafnllIOn stephens
was born in Taliaferro county, Ga,
February IL, 4S12. He graduated
at Franklin College, Athens, Ga, in
1882, was admitted to the bar in
1884 and rapidly obtained a large
and lucrative practic at Crawford
vile. He was elected to the legis-
lature of Georgia in 1886 and was
reelected for five consecutive terms.
In 1912 he was elected to the State
senate. In 1913 he was elected, as
Wing to congress. and held his
seat until 1859. In February, l847,
he submitted a series of resolutions
in relation to the Mexican war,
which afterwards formed the plat
form of the Wing party. He oppos-
ed the Clayton compromise in l843
and took a leading part in the COM
promise of 1850. The passage of the
Kansas and Nebraska act of 1854 in
the house of representatives was
strongly supported by him as chair
man of the committee on territories.
After the breaking up of the Wing
party, he acted with the democrats.
At the close of the thirty-fifth con-
gregress, Mr.. Stephens declined to
be again a candidate, and on July
2, 1853, he made speech at Angus
ia, Ga, announcing his retirement
from public life.
During the presidential canvass
of 1850 he sustained Douglass, aud
denounced those who advocated a
dissolution of the Union in case of
Mr.. Lincoln's election; and in No
no 40 no
fore the legislature of Georgia
against secession, on which subject
he had an interesting correspon-
dence with Mr.. Lincoln in Deem
Der. He was, nevertheless, elected
to the secession convention which
met at MilIedgeville, Jan. is, 1861,
and there spoke and voted against
the secession ordinance. He was
member of the southern congress
which met AZ Montgomery, Ala,
in FEBRUARY, and was elected vice
president OF the confedeEacy. On
March q he delivered speech
in Savannah, in which he declared
slavery to be the cornerstone of the
new government. On April %, as
a special commissioner, he address
ed the convention at Richmond,
urging the union of Virginia with
the confederacy. He frequently
differed from the policy of the Rich
mond government, especially on
the subject of martial law; and on
September 8, 1852. he pronounced
disappointment by Gen. Bragg of
James M. Calhoun, as civil COVE
nor of Atlanta, palpable usurpa-
ton.
His letter on this subject created
a marked sensation through the
south. On February 8, 1865, with
r. M. T. Hunter and John A.
Campbell, he held an informal con-
ference on a steamer in Hampton
roads with President Lincoln and
Mr.. Seward, which had no practi-
cal result. After Lees surrender
Stephens returned to his home at
CrawfordvilIe, where on May IL,
1865, he was arrested and sent to
Fort Warren in Boston harbor, but
on October IL he was released on |
parole. FEBRUARY %, 1866, he deliv- |
cred a speech before the legislature |
of Georgia favOring the restoration
policy of President Johnson. In
the same month he was elected to |
the United States senate, but as the |
state had not complied with the con-
ditiOns of reconstruction he was not
permitted to take his seat.
In 1872 he was elected to congress,
and again in 1874, almost without I
He was elected to the
Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth con-
crosses, and was reelected to the
Forty-sixth congress as democrat,
receiving 1855 votes, against fifty
eight scattering votes. His recent
election to the governorship of
Georgia is still fresh in the minds of
the public. f